The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-22
DEBS ON THE LABOR QUESTION
HE SPOKE OF PULLMAN FROM THE
WORKINGMAN's STANDPOINT.


That He Laid Down About Federal
Courts and Other InstitutiOns-He
VIII BE Here All Day Looking
After the Interests of the 4. RI
| President Eugene V. Debs of the Ameri-
| can Railway Union. arrived in the city
from Charleston about 8 o'clock last night
/ He was met at the depot by a committee
/ from the Savannah Trades and Labor As
sembly. consisting Of c. B. Patrick, W. H.
| H. Young and Jas. /. McCosker. and es-
corted to the Pulaski House. from where
he went Immediately after supper to the
Odd Fellows hail to lecture.
President Debs was expected to arrive
/ earlier in the day, and preparations to give
him some entertainment were under con-
sideration provided he had the time for it.
/ His train, however, was several hours
| late, and the hall was pretty well filled
when he arrived. The lateness of the train
necessitated his being a little late. where
| over 500 workingmen and others we're gath
cred to hear him.
There were on the stage with him Presi-
| dent w. S. Harris, of the Savannah Trades
and Labor Assembly, President John Dris-
coll of the Longshoremen's Union, Mr.. S.
Krousl5ofH and W. II. H. Young Of the
| Typographical union, who introduced the
lecturer.
In the first part of his address Mr.. Debs
| gave a very graphic account of the life
| of the workingman at Pullman, ILL.,, the
scene and starting point of the great
| strike of 1894. 1t was a place, he said,
where the workingman is actually mort
gagged to the Pullman company, and where
his wages and his living expenses are so
Oh 81 haf oil
that he earned found its way back into
the Golfers of the Pullman company He
spoke of how the employees had borne
| their wrongs until they felt they could
| stand them no longer, and of how the
| committee of forty-two went 10 Mr.. Pull
| man himself, only to hear him say:
] your"
| Lord, deliver me from that kind of
| father" said Mr.. Debs very emphatical-
! ly 1T was after that that the commit
tee of forty-two was discharged and the
1900 employees went out, and whatever
| the verdict of the world may be, 1 ad-
| mire and respect them for it,"
He mentioned several instances to show
| the condition of some OF the employees
| at Pullman. Women are there, he SAID,
| sewing carpets ten hours a day for 81
cents. while there Is a surplus of 25, OOo,-
| unwritten law, he said, to subscribe TO
the porter in the Pullman car, because
| he don't get money enough to support
himself and family He spoke of having
seen a check for cents which represented
| two weeks work because all the rest had
| been consumed in rent The large furni-
ture works of Kalamazoo, he said, are
| just as bad He said there are working
men there supporting families on 30 cents
well off, considering the fact that there
are thousands wandering around the
country unable to get employment.
| Organized labor he said, does some-
times make mistakes, but its mission is
to look out for just this class, and aid and
| provide for 1t, and at all times it aims to
work legally and properly in their inter-
| ests.
"ope thing I have to, thank Judge
to jail for six months, for 1t enabled me
to be brought in touch with suffering HUI
He was glad. he said, that the working
men in the country are beginning TO think
| and" he said, they viii soon begin to
supplicatlon, but take their rights in their
| own hands, not in lawlessness, to which
l shall ever be strongly opposed, but
lot which falls as freely as the snow
from heaven, but executes the will of
Labor as the producer and creator Of
wealth has rights which must be re-
| spected, he said. The laborlng men
should take hope for their emancipation
is coming. He took no stock in the theory
| that self-government is a failure, but said
| he believed in the increasing intelligence
of the masses which would finally bring
The labor question. he said is largely a
| question of education. The laboring men
| have not taken advantage of their oppor-
! tunities. Every man can do little some
| thing, and every man must solve the ques-
ton for himself, and aid by joining in the
fellowship of ALL and making strength in
Mr.. Debs has little love for the federal
courts. He believes the money power has
| an influence over them The decision of
the supreme court on the income tax ques-
ton, he said, gave color to that belief and
view.
| from doing something we never intended
to DO, and were then put in jail because
we ga not 40 III ne sald; u consulted
of that injunction. They advised me that
| 1 had committed no wrong, and that l
| could go ahead with my work. ! took
| their advice and got six months for it.
Mr.. Debs defined an injunction as a law,
| not of the people nor of congress, nor of
the countrys executive officers, but the
will and wish of a judge-a convenient in
| strumentality in the oppression of the
working classes of the country. 1t was
| never used, he said, to restrain a corpor-
alton from discharging its employees,
though one of its uses was to prevent EN-
ployes from quitting work.
He referred TO Gen. Miles statement
that the United States should have a
| large standing army. He interpreted the
meaning. by saying it meant that if the
be quoted by bullets
Workingmen would have right to com
| pine against reduction OF wages, III cor
| porations have the right to combine to
reduce them, was one of the fundamental
propositions he laid down. Speaking of
| the General Managers Associa ton in Chi
| cago, he said, whenever the associa ton
meets TO talk about a reduction of wages
it is a conference but whenever the labor
! ing men meet to talk about opposing a
| reduction it is conspiracy The difference
| between a conference and a conspiracy
| he said, was the same as that between a
| railroad president and a section hand
| He deprecated the tendency toward the
| Capitalization of wealth and capital.
which, he said, is leading to so many fail,
ures of small concerns in all parts of the
| country He gave a graphic picture of
| the unemployed workingnan who is some-
| times almost forced to crime. He appeal
ed for unification for the good of all work
| ingmen. Child labor, he said should be a
felony, punishable by imprisonment
| Every child IS entitled TO an education.
he stated, whether it has parents or not
| There should be no aristocracy in the
| ranks of labor. He said he respected a
| man who accumulates wealth honestly and
| accords him all he deserves.
He said he hoped the workingmen of
| Savannah would begin to unity Their.
forces and harmonize their interests. az
| nothing can he 9crOmnlfSbpd nv ,3sc,,,7