The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-09-25

Here is the milk in the ~cocoanut. For
years, railway managers have been
wrestling with the problem of cutting
wages and controlling their employees
generally. But the employees were
more or less organized. There was more
or less friction, and sometimes strikes
occurred, and these were embarrassing
and expensive. The dread Of a strike
restrained the managers and kept them
within uncomfortable bounds. Some
thing must be done to overcome these
organizations and reduce employees to
submission.
Experimenting began in various di-
rections. Finally the right lead was
struck. The federal court would solve
the problem. The strike of the en-
gineers and firemen on the Toledo, Ann
Arbor and North Michigan was
paralyzed by a federal court injunc-
ton. Other disturbances followed and
were settled in like fashion. until
Judge Jenkins actually restrained the
employees of the Northern Pacific from
quitting the service Of the company,
because Of a reduction Of wages, under
penalty Of being adjudged guilty Of
contempt Of court and committed to
jail. The railway companies exclaimed
~A NN> SA~ ANASho PASSiSA4
Of problems was solved. Here
after they might reduce wages, treat
employees as they saw fit, and they
would a to submit. Government by
Injunction was now established, and
the managers were supreme. while the
employees were helpless. How perfect
ly the scheme worked, the great Pull
man strike bore haggard testimony. h
federal courts, the federal soldiers, the
deputy marshals, in fact, all the tre-
powers of the government,
were promptly brought into reluisition
to crush the employees, and 1t was all
done by the application of government
by Injunction. There has been sweep
ing reductions of wages since, amount
ing to millions, but there has been no
protest. There is not likely to be any
protest Will government by injunction
continues. Unconditional submission Is
the order of the day. Even arbitration
Is denied, and, in fact, has been made
impossible. Railroad managers have
things absolutely their own way.
Should employees quit work in a body,
injunctions would probably be issued
and they would be sent to jail without
trial. Employees know this, and how
ever CALLING the yoke, they submit.
They can do nothing else. Managers
a-e no longer annoyed with committees.
Agreements have been arbitrarily
abrogated and men reduced to slavish
conditions.
The election Of Mckinley means the
perpetuation Of government by injunc-
ton, the supremacy Of corporations.
and the helpless, hopeless subsection OF
employees. 1t will not be confined to
railroad corporations in it's enslaving
operations. All other corporations.
trusts and combines will claim it's ben
efcent protection, and therefore all
workingmen, especially those who are
organized, are profoundly concerned In
this Issue.
American railroads consis largely OF
British gold and American labor. Gov
eminent by injunction crowns the
former king, and makes the latter his
subject.
The platform upon which William J.
Bryan stands is pledged to abolish this
despotic usurpation of judicial power
and restore to railway employees their
lawful rights to resist reduction and
Injustice by the lawful means provid-
ed by their organizations.
The railway corporations. are unit
Gu anu nave 1dSSSu Oil htANH >AAN
dous powers to crush him. This in it.
self is indisputable proof hat he Is the
friend Of the workingmen. In saying
this, the genuine keynote of h rail-
road campaign has been struck. II
startles like alarm bells at night. There
il no mistaking the issue. Its gravity
cannot be overestimated. 1t involves
the very existence of organized labor
the bulwark and defense Of working
men against corporate tyranny, which
IL swept away leaves them shorn o.
every vestige of power, and totally a
the mercy of corporate capital.
The one federal judge who ha:
proven himself to be immeasurabll
above the corrupting influences OF cor
porations, who has earned the conf
dence and gratitude Of all railway EN-
ployes for his unyielding defense o
. their rights, upon whose fair nam'
there is no scar or blemish. Henry c
/, Caldwell, has declared that the nom
, nation of William ]. Bryan Is tn
!, greatest since Lincoln. We hearth!
concur in the declaration Of this hon
est. fearless and distinguished jurist.
In view Of all these facts-facts o
: tremendous import which cannot b.
successfully ~controverted we pledg'
our united and ~unwavering support t
William J. Bryan for president. ant
appeal to railway employees and al
workingmen to join with us in rebuk
ing corporate tyranny which attempt
to wrest the sacred right Of suffrag
from employees. in abolishing govern
ment by injunction and in securing
!, and maintaining every right of citi
!, zenship vouchsafed by the constitu
l ton of our country.
EUGENE v. DEBS,
2 JAMES HOGAN,
SYLVESTER KELIHER,
r. NJ. GOODWIN,
Nj I ELLIOTT