The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-07-14
THE STRIKE.

TIC DOycOtl issued against the Iull
man Co., by President Debbs of tn,
Executive Board of the American
Railway Union, took effect and, a
this writing, it has resulted in The
entire or partial suspension of traffic
on over thirty railroads entering
Chicago, and the chances are thai
to-day, (Thursday) at twelve o'clock,
one million of men connected with
the different organizations of the
knights of Labor will go out of the
factories, printing offices, steamers,
etc., ETC., and that every industry IN
the land will be at standstill
until the strike is over.
Chicago is to-day and has been
for the past week under a state of
rebellion, and civil war might have
been going on at its gate or even
within Its walls that it would not be
worse. Traffic is entirely suspended !;
If railroads run, it is only under a
heavy escort of troops; the Armour
packery and the stockyards, that
feed Chicago, have shut down, and
the Windy City is practically starved.
Vegetables are rare, fruits are no
longer received, and ice is luxury,
that only the rich can afford, if they
can get it at all.
The strike has not been confined
to Chicago; it has extended its
blighting march to the two Oceans,
to the regions of the great lakes,
and it will soon reach the South as
far as New Orleans, unless arbitra-
ton takes place and the riot is
quelled.
In the wake of the strike have fol-
lowed the outrageous deeds that the
strikers, abettcd by the tough ard
anarchistic element that loaf about
the large cities, think themselves justi-
fled to commit, such as the burning
OF trains and the wrccking of engines,
the plundering and looting of freight, |
the tearing up of tracks, the beating
OF scabs in fact, burning, rioting and
bloodshed have been the daily fea-
lures OF things at Chicago within the |
last week.
1t has gone so far that State troops
in several States had to be ordered |
to protect the railroad properties,
and United States troops had to be
sent to Chicago to protect the
United States mails and interstate
commerce. Already several encoun-
tcrs have taken place betweed the
strikers and the troops, several have
been killed, and President Cleveland
saw himself, on Sunday at midnight,
in the necessity of issuing his proc
lamation, declaring Chicago in state
OF rebellion, and advising law-abid-
ing people to stay indoors or suffer
the consequences in store for the
rioters. Such is the condition of
things at the time we write; in
Chicago and hundreds of cities.
everything is at standstiIl and riot
is ripe.
The cause of the strike is the
greediness OF Mr.. Pullman, the man
who makes us pay So night on his
cars, and receives from the railroad
companies one cent mile. for every
mile travelled by each one of his
cars over the ITO, 900 miles of railway
on which they are used. This nabod,
whose income is fabulous, knows only
the commandment, "Put money in l
thy purse" and for several years, in !
the city of Pullman that has extolled
SO highly his pretended charity and
philanthropy, he has viewed machines
and men alike, and bought both in
the cheapest market, having but one
aim, his interests. The mechanics
that he employs, have seen their
wages decreasing every year, but not {
The rent OF the cottages that they
rent from him in the celebrated Pull 1
man town; living did not get any {
cheaper, and years after years they t
went deeper aud deeper in debt to
him, SO that now he owns them, in
very much the same way that the
planters owns the negro, who farms
On his place, when he gets in his debt.
The reaction came, however, and that :.
intelligent labour, conscious of their
tights and sufferings, determined to !.
secure their rights and alleviate their