The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-01
Instead Of Counseling Preservation of
the Peace, He Urged the A. II. L. TO
Tie Up the Railroads.
INSIDE HISTORY OF A STRIKE
G. w. HOWARD's ACCOUNT OF WHAT
TOOK PLACE AT A CONFERENCE.
His Statement duplicating Hopkins as
the Arch BoycOtter of Pullman
Cars Confirmed by Debs.

CHICAGO, Aug 51.-The Times-Herald
will tomorrow print the following in its
news columns: Ex-Mayor Hopkins. of this
city. advised the great railroad strike of
1894, which ended in such disastrous loss OF
property and life. This assertion is made
by George w. Howard, vice president and
ex-member of the board of directors of
the American Railway Union, and is con-
frmed by Eugene v. Debs, president of
the American Railway Union. Mr.. Howard
said to-day:
Mayor Hopkins did advise Debs to
tie up the railroads, and there are wit
nesses to prove it. 1t is the truth, and the
ex-Mayor cannot deny it. 1 remember
the meeting we'll. 1t happened in this way:
The convention was in session in Ulrichs
Hall. and the question was how to bring
Pullman to terms II was some time previ-
Gus TO the ordering of the strike against
the railroads that We received word that
Mayor Hopkins would like to US. Debs.
and l. of course, were willing to meet
the Mayor. We met him in the Sherman
House. There were with him his partner,
Secord, and one or two city officials and
newspaper representative. The other
persons were Debs and myself. We met
in the lobby near the clerks desk. Intro
ductions followed and then the prospective
strike became the topic. ! said: be-
lieve L know how can bring Pullman
to terms. / have thought 1t out TO my
satisfaction. If we can stop work at his
repair shops we can eventually stop the
running Of his cars. Within short time
car inspectors will refuse to pass sleepers
in need Of repairs. AS the roads must
have the usual number, they viii demand
that Pullman live up to the terms of his
contract He will be unable to do so and
the roads will be only too glad to get out
from under his monopoly and he will have
to do something.
..Mr. Secord spoke up objecting TO my
plan, and said the best thing was to re-
fuse to haul Pullman sleepers.
Mayor Hopkins then spoke up and said:
That's right; tie them up, Debs, tie them
up. If you only get one or two roads it
will shut off the revenue and bring the
old man to arbitration. i knew him for a
good many years and l know he will con-
tinue 20 fight. The shops don't cut much
of figure. Money goes out there as well
as il comes in. AS Secord says. the rail-
roads will make the repairs on his cars
and he can shut down the shops and keep
them closed until the men starve. The
only thing to do is to tie up some of the
lines that haul his cars
what did Mr. Debs say?" asked the
reporter.
"He mad little to say. but he made some
remarks TO the effect that he believed the
Mayor was right about the best way to
bring Pullman to some agreement"
..Waat other conferences did you have
with the Mayor"
II do not recall any subsequent ones at
which Mayor Hopkins offered advice. Soon
after the meeting the boycott was declared.
and the trouble spread, as is we'll known.
do not care to speak of the effect of the
Mayors attitude on the police. what We
learned OF the way the department was
conducted
A representative of the Times-Herald WIS.,
tied the McHenry county Jail, at Wood
stock, where Eugene Debs is serving the
sentence imposed for contempt of court.
Howard's statement, as given above. was
outlined TO him. THAT statment," said Mr..
Debs, ''is substantially correct l do not
feel that it would be quite right for me to
repeat what Mr.. Hopkins said on that oc-
casion. 1t has been good while since
then, and no public mention has ever yet
been made of the conversation. 1 would
not OF my own accord repeat it, but since
you ask me whether or not it is true, I
can't deny it without lying. and if / refuse
to discuss the matter its truthfulness will
be taken for granted. 1 do not understand
that the conversation was altogether pri-
vate. Secrecy was not enjoined, but, at the
same time. I have some delicacy about
speaking Of ii. If the Mayor thought he
was right, do not see why he should hes-
tate to stand by what he said. / was very
much impressed with what Mr.. Secord and
Mayor Hopkins said about bringing Mr..
Pullman to terms by refusing to handle
Pullman cars. We thought at the time that
the public would be with us, and we were
willing to handle all trains if the sleepers
were disconnected"
Mr.. Hopkins' was at one time an employe
OF the Pullman Company, but was after
wards discharged by Mr.. Pullman.