The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-22

higher than in other localities.
F. p. Mcdonald Chicago ana Great
western engineer, said that his employers
sometimes compelled him to remain on
continuous duty from go to Y hours with
out rest. He told of the blacklsting of sew
eral or his fellow workmen, and gave a
long account of the strike on his road.
am opposed to strikes in general"
said Mr.. Mcdonald, ''but when the federal
government will do nothing for us and we
nave no weapon but the strike we must
use it. If it were not for strikes the rail-
road men in this country would be working
Tor one-haif the pay they are now getting"
Mcdonald told how it was impossible for
MIN to obtain employment after the Bur-
hngton strike when he was blacklisted. The
company's influence was used against him,
ne SAID, even to the extent of protesting to
Gov. Francis, of Missouri, against Nc
Donald's appointment as oil inspector at
St Joseph, Mo. Replying to Commissioner
Herman. Mcdonald said he knew of no
cases where striking members of the Amer
lean Railway Union while abstainng from
violence themselves instigated it on the
part of others.
CHICAGO, Aug. 29.-By far the largest
audience which has yet been in attend
ance upon the strike commissions sessions
was present today, attracted by the APP
Pearahce as a witness of President E. V.
VI thS "a II. u. Inc court room
Wnere the commissioners sit was crowded
from the bench to the doorways when
President Debs took the witness chair
NOW tell us, in your own way, Mr.
Debs. said Commissioner Wright. what
you know of the Pullman strike and its
results"
Leaning forward in his seat, the tall lead
er of the great strike began in a low, clear
voice, recital which gradually became
more earnest and forcible as he proceeded,
until 1T developed into almost an Grafton
lie told of having received word that
strihe IN Pullman was imminent, and of
MS coming to Chicago to investigate.
found" he said, that the men were
working for the Pullman company at wag-
es upon which they could not live. 1
Iound that salaries had been cut time and
again until skilled mechanics were work.
ing their lives away for wages not suffi-
Gent for day laborer. That the town
or Pullman with it's Shops it's houses, and
It's stores, was so schemed that every pen
ny the Workingmen made found it's way
pack into the company's Golfers. In fact,
Iounu the Workingmen of Pullman in a
pltlable condition, and determined 1 would
40 all IN my power as president of the
"A. H. Y. to improve the condition of those
men. The strike followed, ordered by the
men themselves. Then came the boycott
ordered by duly elected delegates to our
convention; and then followed the railroad
each OF when mad grievances of it's own"
Mr. Debs then told CT the strike his ac-
count differing but little from that of the
other A. R. U. officials who had preceded
MIN on the witness stand.
would the railroad strikes have oc-
Cured if there had been nc Pullman trou-
Die, asked Commissioner Wright.
NO. the Pullman strike was the prime
cause. we desired to stop Pullmans cars
and shut off his income, thus forcing him
f1o
grievances of their own. The general
managers associa ton had been organized
with the avowed intention of giving as
slstance to railroads in labor troubles
Inc evident aim was to drive organized
labor from existence. No sooner had this
association been formed than a systematic
reduction of railroad wages all over the
country began. The cuts were made on
one road at a time and in one department
at time, but the systematic regularity
with winch they appeared was sufficiently
slsnlncant The men were ready to strike
and felt they had cause. But the trouble
would not have come when it did had it
not been for the Pullman matter The
time was unpropitious, business was de-
pressed, and money was scarce / did not
oroer the strike. l had not the power
The men did that themselves. But 1 do
not wish to shirk responsibility and am
willing to say that l heartily concurred in
and approved Of the action taken by the
ii0h AS " NlOlenCe, L always condemned
1t. nave written and spoken against it.
believing and knowing that a strike cannot
be won by violence AS to kilograms
sent from our office counselling violence,
L know of no such epistles."
What about the buy a gun telegram"
asked Commissioner Herman.
THAT Is easily explained The telegram
was sent by private secretary to a friend
IN Butte and was merely a playful express
sion. 1T was sent as such and was so
Mr.. Debs then said that within five DAYS
after the strike was declared the union had
the railroads beaten.
They were paralyzed' he said: "but
just at that time injunctions were sown
broadcast. and shortly afterwards the Of
hcials of the A. r. U. were arrested for
contempt of court. That beat US. 1t was
not the railroads, or the army. but the
power of the United States courts that beat
US.
About that time thing occurred which
L desire to mention. General Miles came
to Chicago. called on the General Manae
ers Association and the next day was quot
ed IN an interview as saying that he had
broken the backbone of the strike Now T
consider that call of General Miles as
Vulgarly out of place. He had no more
right to consult with the general manag-
ers association than he had to consult
with the men of our union I might saw
TOO, that 1T seems strange that all of our
letters ana telegramS were made public
property while not a line of the railroad
correspondence was published If it had
been, l think we could prove that the gen.
eral managers at one of their secret meet
ings declared they would stamp the A. r
U. out of existence"
In reply to a question Mr. Debs said that
the union had taken every possible means
to prevent rioting and disorder I've Oh
lected to the presence of the federal troons
but not to state troops and police. If
remember lightly no serious outbreak 90
CURED until the federal troops arrived as
their presence inflamed the men,
The witness then told of the trouble with
railroad brotherh pods. The brotherhoods
have outlived their usefulness" he said
and for that reason 1 left the firemen,s
They were, 1 fear, Jealous of
the A. r. U. and helped to defeat US The,e
is now u movement on foot to form a grand
and united railroad labor organiza ton
Within three days a proposition will be
submitted to the other railroad orders
all present officers of the A. r.
U. and other unions shall resign with no
possibility of election to office The prin-
cipal cause of strife thus being removed.
an organization will be effected if the
brotherhoods will consent, which shall in
clude all railroad employees"
PopuIist Rally.
SIOUX FALLS, S. D., Aug. 19-The Pom
ulists of the state will open the fall cam
L.