The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-06-23
ST. LOUIS OUTRAGE
AND HAZELTON PALE
INTO INSIGNIFICANCE.
street Car Men Returning Home
Murdered by II Posse of Deputy
Sherfns-DelIs' Strong Letter-Say*
No Strike il Ever LOSt-The Leg
son iA Worth the Cost.

son is Worth the Cost.
The st. Louis street car strike is still
on and will be, perhaps, for some time,
as the st. Louis Transit CO. have pos
lltlVely refused to accept any PROPOSE
ton for arbtra ton whatever. Since
then the st. Louis Central Labor Union
has determined to fight the street car
|company to the bitter end, and adopt
led the following proposition for the
lelection of a committee of so to form
Immediate organization and proceed to
raise fund Of at least 100000 to carry
on the strike until it is won, the fund
to be raised by an appeal to organ
lzed labor throughout the world, by
personal appeals to every kind of Or
ganized bodies in st. Louis, and by
such other means as may be deemed
proper, closing with an appeal to the
people of st. Louis to refrain from
riding on the Transit cars, and to or
lganlZatiOns, societies and associations
OF every kind in st. Louis, in sympathy
with the movement, to make the street
railway strike special order of bus
llness at all their meetings, and to ap-
lpoint committees to raise funds and
continue to maintain an iron-clad boy
|cott until the victory is won.
Mr.. z. V. Debs was requested to
lcome to st. Louis, but on account of ILL
ness was unable to do So He however
|sent very strong letter, which sums
fup the situation in true light. The
following from his letter will not be
without interest:
"The turbulance incident to the St.
Louis strike has excited the usual flow
Iof capitalistic comment. Of course
|they claim that the strikers are respon-
|slble for all the trouble. It is so easy
for people who live out of the labor of
Iothers to talk about law and order
1t only they were compelled to run a
lstreet car through crowded streets for
nine or ten weary hours, for a paltry
wage, they would not wonder why hon.
est and peaceable men are driven to
extremities, in which fine points of law
as to what their conduct should be,
is simply mockery. AS a matter of
fact, they are not striking for their
rights, but against tyranny and ex-
ploitation, and as the struggle involves
not only their means of living but their
very lives, and the lives of their wives
and babies, it would be strange indeed
and far more to their discredit, than
Iacts of violence. incident to a. strike,
llif they did not exert sal the means .at
ofifHand sst0 pTavehff ssdefeaf and
ldegradatio s sS q sssEs ssEs
The st. Louis strike is an impor-
tant battle in the great warfare for the
liberation of the working class from
the oppression and robbery of capital
ism. Whatever may be the outcome, it
will be victory for labor, for no strike
is ever lost.
II do not doubt this strike has OPEN
ed the eyes of many of the working
class to the power of capitalism in such
crisis. All departments of govern
ment are subjected to the orders of the
class which owns the means of produce
tion. Only the capitalistic class can
secure the issuance of injunctions, call
into action the posse comitatus, swear
in deputy sheriffs, call out the militia,
and command the federal troops to
commit the croWning acts of despot-
ism. The working class have only to
submit, or to be either jailed or shot
Gown. But, surely, such object lessons
are not in vain.- The Transit company
in it's blind cupidity, is Fastening it's
own doom. Collective ownership is the
lesson taught, and the demand for it
will spring spontaneously from such
a situation.
Il wish to tender my profound SYM
|pathy to President Mahon in this try
ing hour. know him we'll, and there
is not more able nor more courag-
Ieous leader of the working class. I
have seen him tried, and he has proven
himself worthy of the confidence and
lesteem of all men. Under his leader
lship the men at St. Louis have made
and are making brave fight, and
most heartily do I wish that complete
|victory will crown their struggle. The
Central Labor Union, and the organ
lied workers of st. Louis generally,
can not be too highly commended for
their loyal support of the strike. They
have given to the country an exhibi-
ton Of devotion to the cause of labor
lworthy of universal emulation.
Mrs. Debs, who is writing this for
me, and all our family, unite in the
earnest wish that victory may come
to the striking comrades.
D.: "Yours fraternally,
'EUGENE V. DEBS.' <
The crowning dastardly act of the
strike occurred last Sunday evening
when body of street car men were
returning. from picnic, and were
peaceably marching homeward, whe n
} they reached a point opposite a tenn
porary barracks in which were posse
of deputies. Here they were attacked
by a band of deputies there stationed
and several of the union men were be-
ing roughly handled when a sergeant
dropped his pistol, causing its dis
charge. ...
1T served as a signal to the posse
and from the guns of those face to face
with the strikers and from the doors
and even the second-story windows OF
the barracks a deadly volley was
; poured into the ranks Of the union men
killing two outright, fatally :woundine
, two and inflicting dangerous injuries
| upon three others, from the effects o1