Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-03-12
DEBS TO THE FRONT
TAKES UP THE CUDGELS IN SUP
PORT OF STREET CAR STRIKERS.

The employees Of the Terre Haute
Street Railway company were COM
PEELED to strike against the poor pay,
long hours and unfair conditions
placed upon them by the managers of
the company. Terre Haute Is the
home Of Eugene V. Debs, and, know
ing all the facts in the case, that fear
less champion of labor's cause has is
sued an address "To the Men, Women
and Children Who Toll" published in
The Toiler, in which, after carefully
setting out the details of the contro-
versy between the men and the corpo-
ration, he makes an appeal from which
the following is taken:
The vicious public sentiment made
to order will be dissipated like mist
before the sun If the men who work
simply stand together. The naked
facts are there. Lies may conceal, but
cannot cancel them.
This sad eyed corporation is not
we have been told, but the same old
bunko game is played with the smooth
old plutocrat in widows withered
weeds, watered with orphans tears to
soothe the storm to calm again.
The beautiful machinery" Of these
widows and orphans" has had more
praise in the press since the strike is
on than all the slaves that ever suf-
fered to make comfort and conven-
ience possible for those who hold them
in contempt
For $1,500,000 is this company bond
ed. 1t pays taxes on $250,00O, or one
sixth the value Of its property.
This is the robber that has the nerve
to tell us we must obey the law.
Thirty years ago, when beautiful
machinery" was unknown, we bought
six tickets for quarter from the driv-
er; today we have to pay the nickel
straight unless we lose day and have
ourselves identified ut the companys
office during banking hours.
The company does not pay the en-
ployees one red cent, but you and do
pay them all and send the foreign own
ride in our own streets.
This corporation uses my streets and
your streets, without which its prop
erty would not be worth a farthing.
This makes us stockholders even
though we do not share in the profits
its piracy drains from the veins of its
living rolling stock now out ON strike.
Not less than rs per cent of "the
public" is in the working class, and
therefore 1t is ''the public" under our
institutions, and its voice is law, and
even corporations can be compelled to
obey its mandates.
All that is needed is that the work
ers stand together just once, stand to-
gether If every wheel must stop to
show some people who despise you
that when workingmen so will it the
machinery of society stands still and
every hearth is fireless and every mas
ter helpless.
Let the word go forth that Manager
Clark's challenge is accepted by all
to tinsh," and damned be he who
first cries hold, enough!"
Next, let all men, women and chill
dren who are with us enroll their
names with pledges never to enter a
car in Terre Haute until the fight Is
won and justice done, and let the can
vass be complete, for the time has
10 Hpn hn nd hn
is with us and who with the corpora
ton in this struggle.
Next, let n canvass be made of the
working class for fifty miles around
and have each man, woman and child
who can contribute from one penny
upward each week to create fund
from which to weekly pay the strikers
while they hold the fort.
Next, let n monthly demonstration of
labor be held in Terre Haute and have
1t increase In numbers If the strike is
prolonged until the working class in
general is out to bear testimony of
its loyalty to men who are bravely
fighting the battle of all.
Next, let it be understood that the
pNNpiN 'ho puppOit ehS NOAAip"hy ohN
are its friends have that unquestioned
right and privilege, and by the same
token it is your right and privilege to
let them also sell their wares to their
friends.
Next, have the working class pre-
pare its book Of remembrance" and
when completed have it printed for fu-
ture service. On the fly leaf should be
printed this extract from the speech of
Wendell Phillips, delivered to working
men in 1872:
"If you want power In this country;
if you want to make yourselves felt;
If you do not want your children to
wait long years before they have the
bread on the table they ought to have,
the leisure in their lives they ought to
have, the opportunities in life they
ought to have; If you don't want to
wait yourselves, write on your banner
so that every political trimmer can
read 1t, so that every politician, no mat
ter how shortsighted he may be, can
read it, We never forget! If you