The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-13

observation. The father or n young wo-
man named Jennie Curtis had died owing
tho company 80, after having worked Tor
them for 10 years. They wrote the girl
telling her that If she wished to continue
TO work for the company she would have
TO sign an agreement to pay off her faith
crs Indebtedness in installments. She
did so, and it frequently hap
poned tina: sho wou not have a
dollar coming TO her at the
end of two weeks work and would be
compelled TO live on the charity of neigh
bors who could i'll afford II. Though
wages werc continually reduced rents
were never lowered and when the strike
went into effect Nav IL, the employees
owed the company $4,000 IN rent. A COM
mittee from the employees finally waited
on Pullman and they accidentally caught
him in his ofiice-he did not know they
were coming. lie hypocritically asked
them if he had not been a father to them !;
he promised to Investigate their troubles.
He promised that they should not be in
terfered with but tho next morning the
members of the committee we're all dis
charged. Then tho 1S,00O employees
walked out and whatever the verdict OF
others may be / honor them for it. In so
doing ] have lost the respect of thousands
but kept my own. My friends told me
that should think of public opinion.
Public opinion has sanctioned every
outrage that has blighted the world. 1t
sanctioned slavery for 1000 years and It
murdered John Brown because he was
kind and tender-hearted. Public opinion,
as n general proposition, Is always wrong.
1t generally gets around right in 2.OO or
1900 years, nut that Is too long for the or
binary man to wait. The members of the
a. II. L. believe in the supremacy OF law
and in American institutions. III 1t ever
became necessary 10 fight to maintain
odd Glory tho members of the \. X. u.
out second invitation. Can as
much BIO said for Pullman? He would
display his patriotism at long range ana
by proxy. When the Pullman employees
quit work they were thrown on the charity
of the people of Chicago and If they had
not responded SO literally there would
have been death as we'll as restitution,
and that with the Golfers of tho Pullman
company running over with the wealth
they had earned
Mr.. Debs then went into the history OF
the organization and the objects OF the
General Managers association very fully.
He said the association was organized
about six months before the \. *. L. was
instituted, the object being reduction OF
wages on all roads. The general man
ayers entered into an agreement TO stand
together and supply men and equipment
to any road that became involved in a
strike, besides assisting it financially. by
this means il was hoped that sympathy
strikes would be brought about and that
the various labor organizations would be
eifectually and finally crushed.
Tho A. X. L. was organized" contin-
ued Mr.. Debs, Tin self protection against
the General Managers ASSOCIATION. III
sympathy strikes arc conspiracy, ana
the General Managers association was
organized to force sympathy strikes, then
who are the conspirators?
"When the railroad managers compine
IT is called a conference. When the ratl-
road employees get together it is con-
spiracy. Tho difference between a con-
ference and n conspiracy is the differences
between general manager and n
section man. The \. X. L. respects
law and order. On the other hand there
Is not a railroad in the United States
which does not violate the interstate com
merce act every day and there is not
trust or corporation that does not do the
same. Our judicial nets are SO constructed
as to catch the minnows and let the whales
go through. Our federal judges ought to
be absolutely pure and incorruptible and
| if they were SO people would have vastly
| higher opinion of the courts.
I'm some of our courts justice is for sale
| and defy contradiction. When was III
| jail in Chicago for contempt OF court
| saw a young fellow who was serving out
| n II months sentence for stealing a Sec
| ond hand cloak worth 81. He had been
unable TO secure work and no stole the
| cloak to provide food for his starving
| wife, and am free TO say that, under like
conditions, would have done the same.
But if that young man had had money he
need not have gone to Jail. President
| Reinhart of the Santa Fe was responsible
| for the misapproprIation OF 81 .OO),OOO, yet
| he was permitted TO quietly resign and
| the courts took no notice of his oftense.'
| Mr.. Debs then turned momentarily to
| the blacklist which was used by The q en-
regarded as the most barbarous. cruel
| and inhuman institution ever devised by
man.
! Reverting to the great strike, Mr.. Debs
! told OF the positive refusal of the Pullman
| company to arbltrate after which the n.
! X. Il. gave them five days in which to set
tic the difference and agree to pay living
| wages before ordering the boycott.
Mr.. Dcbs closed with some excellent al.
vice to workinCmen. lie advised them &c
| be true to themselves and TO educate them
| selves and study the great questions OF
| the day If they would do this he said
| there would he no fears for the future. lie
! EXPRESSED himself as an unqualified sup
porter Of woman suffrage and said that ht
did not believe the vcNed questions OF the
! day would bc solved until women enjoy
all the rights and privileges that men now
have. lie was full of hope for the future
and believed the cause of labor to bc
| steadily advancing, although very SLOWLY
/ at times.
| At the conclusion of his address lie was
| loudly chccrcd. the applause lasting sew.
| eral minutes. tie afterwards held an in.
/ formal reception on the stage and nearly
all tho audience. including many prom
| inent citizens, shook hands with him and
! chatted pleasantly with him for n moment
or two. Mr.. Debs goes TO Anaconda to
| morrow.
REBELS MAY GIVE UP.