St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-03
STRIKE OF STREET CAR WORK.
ERS IS RESUMED IN PHILA-
DELPHIA.
VIOLENT DEMONSTRATIONS.
LEADERS LABOR IN VAIN TO CON-
TROL THE FEELINGS OF THE
MAJORITY.
MANY MEN WILL NOT GO OUT.
when the NOn-Ssrikers Attempt
to Operate Cars.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Jan. g. 2 a.
m.-The street railway strike is on
again. AT LAO o'clock this morning
the motormen and conductors en-
ployed by the Union Traction company
decided not to go to work when the
first day cars started at o'clock. The
official declaration was made at
mass meeting of the men in Labor ly-
ceum. 1t came amid the greatest con-
fusion, and against the strong pro-
tests of the conservative element. In
fact the excitement was so intense
that numerous small riots between the
two elements were averted with the
greatest difficulty. Pandemonium
reigned at times and many of the con-
servatives left in disgust An unsat-
isfactory conference with General
Manager Beetem had been held earlier
in the night and trouble began when
this committee made it's report to the
mass meeting. Previous to their ar
rival the turbulent scenes of the day
had been increasing in intensity. The
question of strike, or no strike" was
about to be put to the men when DR..
a speech urging them to be patient,
and suggested further effort for peace.
He was greeted with jeers and fuel
was added to the flame when a man
named Kirschner, Of the cigarmakers'
union, made a fiery speech urging the
men to strike. President Mahon, who
has all along been opposed to a strike,
tried to shut off Kirschner. and al
most incurred personal violence from
the men who wanted to hear Kirsch-
ner. The confusion kept up until
Chairman Lutz put the question to a
vote. A decided affirmative was the
response. There were many mega
tives, however, increasing from
time to time, but the strikers
are in the majority. The meeting
broke up in greatest disorder.
Throughout, it was manifest that
many of the men who went out on the
last strike will report for duty as
usual. The temper of the strikers is
such that should the conservatives do
this, trouble is almost bound to re-
suit
BOUND TO GO OUT.
President Mahon, of the Amalgamated
ASSOCldClOn OF street halfway en-
ployeS, used his best efforts throughout
the day to obViate another tie-up and
in this he was aided by nearly all the
other leaders and a delegation of prom
inent citizens. The majority, however,
were almost a unit on the determina-
ton to reject Manager Beetem's last
proposition. AS the time passed they
assembled in groups at the strike head
quarters and feeling Of restiveness
became manifest. This grew more
representatives from the various divi-
sions met to review the situation. The
men were admitted to the hall, but
were so utterly at variance with the
minority conservative element that it
became necessary to make them with
draw. The employees frequently inter
rupted the proceedings with boisterous
demonstrations, and declared that they
would hold a monster mass meeting
and declare the strike on. 1t was ap-
parent that many of them had disre-
garded Leader Mahons injunction to
keep out of the rum shops, and that
break in the ranks was imminent.
While these events were in progress
a subcommittee Of ten was again in
conference with Manager Beetem
Two hours were thus occupied and the
trouble eventually resolved itself into
one question, that of future employees
being required to agree that they will
join no labor organization. The men
want this clause abolished, but MIR.
Beetem declared there was no posi-
bility of the company captivating on
this point The conference ended
without any result.