The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-20
AN ASSAULT On EGAN.
Debs Strikes Back Savagely at
the Railroad Manager.
CHALLENGE TO PUBLIC DEBATE.
He Accuses HIS Antagonist OF Attemt-
Cd Bribery and Disilonesty-The
Injunction Power.

was also filed with people, many Of whom
had 10 stand Ep. In the audience was
also fair sprfnksing OF ia9fes, and. al
together. The meeting vas one OF the larg-
est ever held In this city. Fir. Dehs spoke
Ter an hour and a half and considerable
2. Ills time Was Devoted TO Mr.. John
Egan. Of ST. Paul. president OF the Gen
erai Managers Association. who happened
10 De IN the city yesterday and iu AZ in
tsrFiew did not hesitate 10 tell what he
thought OF the labor leader
Nj Debs reminded the audience that
when he was asked for an opinion OF the
president OF the General Managers
Association he was gentiemanly enough
not 10 take advantage OF the oppor-
tanity 10 abuse the man through
the newspapers. while in contrast 10
this Mr.. Egan could not ray things too
mean concerning him Then the speaker
proceeded TO touch up" che General Mar
ayers Association IN general and Mr.
Esan In particular He said: 'fMr Egan
Is dishonest man and riiffian. he Is a
thlef ana he knows that he Is. and he
knows that know that he is. He could
not hold position as nagman on any
road running out Of Chicago and he
knows that I know why He has been
connected with many railroads and he has
robbed every road and every corporation
that he has ever had anything to do with.
ana cannot conceive OF any man having
sufficient manhood TO push aside
bribes and remain true 20 his convictions
lie does not like me because he could
not corrupt me and he has no Use for any
man he cannot corrupt. I could have
been in financial clover today IL had
cared TO become traitor 10 the interests
of the iaboring men and the American
Railway Union: ! could have d life pass
al he rail IA ty
II have sufficient manhood TO say what
| think Of a man 10 his face and that
liz more than Mr.. Egan can say. He would
not tell me 10 my face what he had 10 say
In that interview which Was published
In tho paper this morning. He will never
meet me In private or In public and dis
cuss who are the couspirators. for he
knows who they are and what would be-
the result. That man Is a coward and
only wish / We're where / could tell him
so. and ] venture 20 say he would not
attempt to deny IL. Why. four hundred
yoke OF oxen could not pull him on the
same platform with me; he won't talk
over the proposition with me. ] have
friends enough to raise a thousand dol-
lars cash for any charitable organization
I'm the land and I want here TO make a
public challenge. I will agree 20 give
thousand dollars 10 any charitable or
ganlzation I'm the land IL he will meet
me on the public platform and discuss
the history and cause of the late strike,
both 10 speak from the record. The re-
cord VIII tell and no one knows IL better
than Mr.. Egan. 1t was at the instance of
the General Managers Association that
the trial came 10 such a short termina.
ton in Chicago A few DAYS ago They
don't want Ii tried; they don't want the
truth to be known. and the trial was
continued until May | and when that
at
unued again and so on until the whole
matter L. dropped. But we. the accused.
are endeavoring to compel the accusers
10 try as. ana IL guilty, We want to be
punished. and IL innocent We want the
world TO know it,
THE same paper, the Observation-Disclosures
was fair enough. however 10 quote me
correctly in the same issue. and devoted
generous amount OF space to the story
OF our meeting"
Mr.. Dobs then spoke at considerable
length OF the details of the strike and
made strong argument for the labor
Ing men TO stand together. for ne said
the spirit Of unrest that Is afioat in the
land Is the sure sign of a change and he
declared he was hopeful. He declared
that the statement OF Mr.. Egan that the
American Railway Union had never won
a strike and never would Is untrue. and
pointed out the fact that just previous
To the great strike the Great Northern
was compelled 10 come To time and was
forced TO pay It's employees living wages
lie said that the success OF that strike
frightened the other railway managers
and the General Managers Association
containing members the twenty-six
roads centering in Chicago was organ
ICED for the purpose of standing together
as a unit. thus taking the initiative in
the policy they condemned among the
employees as sympathy strike" and the
organization was in existence 10 crush
ard blot out the American Railway
Union. Mr.. Debs said the general man
ayers first tried 70 buy him and call him
of and. failing In this. they then decided
that the only way out Of the difficulty
WAS 10 crush him. and this they set
about. With all the influential machinery
al their command. to do. He declared that
the co2rts In many Instances. even the
federal courts. were mere puppets In tho
hands of the money power and that the
money power as the immortal Abraham
Lincoln prophetically and sadly predict
ed during the war, ruled the nation. He
said that the Injunction power, giving
one man the power Of czar was not
made a Law for the benefit or the poor
men. but fer the benefit OF the corpora
ton against the poor. He said that nearly
every road in the country Is violating the
law today but nothing Is being done
10 stop f.; the Injunction is not called
into use for this purpose and he cited
the violation Of the interstate commerce
act a. an example ~ how the authori-
ties allow the laws in this particular TO
be overlooked.
La the course 81 his speech Mfr pchs
''roasted'' Gen. Miles. and said that IL
was supposed that when he went 10 Chi
cagn with his troops he was sent merely
20 suppress iawiessness. "Rut." continued
Mr. pebs, he showed thu cioven foot
ana proved the true mission on which he
was sent In an unguarded moment. He
vas hanaueted and wined Fl Chicago by
the enemies ef labor. and IN a srs.sch ne
let fall these teii-fase words: I have
broken the backbone ~ This strike" Mr.
INssP,s declared Ger. Miles should ~ strip
pe~I az his eraulets ana drummet out 81
camp.
During the speech great enthusiasm
prevailed and many times the speakers
voice was drowned in the tsnult cf ap-
plause. whrn Mr.. DeSs ceased talking
mon and women crowded around him and
shook him by the hand and wished him
numerous Godspeeds.
The meeting adjourned at = o'clock and
e. sS1 o'clock the labor leader was o.
eertsd ia the steamer FLYER b. his friends
sr the labor movement and he left for Ia
coma. where he speaks this evening on
Who Are the Consrirstorsg
Nj rxan left Monday might Fer Chicago
over the line ~ tire Great Northern rail-
Rad ard ne could not ~ found to give
an Interview replying 80 Mr.. Deox' ac-
cusations
Land Opened For settlement.
Township r,at NJ. - north. range =
west In Jefferson county. was received az
fsesEs-.s YESTERDAY F-fsr~s