The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-01
Bitter Arrangement of Santa
Fe Gulf Line Officials.
Strikers Issue a Searching
Statement of Their Case.
DENY SYMONS' CLAIMS
Claim That COZ Men Are Out
ON Strike.
Object to New Form of Special
Application.

In answer to certain reports regarding |
the strike situation at Cleburne, many
of which they claim have done them an |
injustice, the executive committee of |
the strikers have issued an address
which was made public recently through !
one of the Cleburne papers. 1t follows:
I'VE claim that no man or individual
or number of men can pass judgment !
on any question without hearing the
evidence and the facts that may be sub |
mitted by both sides. Therefore the
headlines in the Enterprise, July u, !
1902, that says: The conditions as they |
appear from an unprecedented stand !
point do not do justice to the men VINO
are now out on strike on the Gun
Colorado & Santa Fe railroad, inasmucn
as the reporter has taken only one side
of the question, and that was the COM
pany's side against the men, as ne
visited the plant in CON pany with some
of the officials who made statements
that cannot be proven, and which they
themselves know are absolutely false
Every man with ordinary common
sense realizes that the company by the
arbitrary methods employed in an Of
fetal capacity here, have forced GOOD
honest, aw-abiding citizens of all
classes and occupations to rise up and
rebel against conditions that could not
be tolerated in any civilized country.
let alone by Americans who have al
ways held their first duty was to their
| country, the Stars and Stripes forever
| People who understand and recognize
| the Declaration of Independence, issued
! in their behalf, and that it is as sacred
! to us as is the name of Travis. Crockett
and Bowie, and world removed Alamo
of our once independent republic and
present great and glorious state OF
| Texas.
| THE stand we have taken is not
from any selfish motive or individual
| interest that we have But we believe
| in equal rights and justice toward all
men, therefore feel justified in making
| the positive assertion that our action is
| one that can be commended by every
! law-abiding citizen as we are trying
| to elevate humanity and raise ourselves
| above Serfdom. Had the Santa Fe
company placed citizens of the United
| States qualified to work for their
| interest, men who were not devoid OF
all honor, manhood and principle-in
| the positions that are now occupied by
! creatures that would contaminate the
| very lowest depths of hades by their
| contemplate presence there would have
| never been a strike here The local Of
| ficials here have misrepresented every
| thing to our managers-have made alb
| solutely false statements on one
but on all occasions, and we hereby de-
| fly them to ratify or prove 80 per cent
| of their statements.
| IF we could only have had some one
here to really represent the company'S
real interest-some one that all the
ployes could have just the least little
confidence in: one who would at some
time in life's history made a pretexr
| toward right-then all of this would
have been avoided
american citizens and friends can
you afford to accept the statements
given out by one or two domineering
officials who only seek their own ag-
grandizement, and have nothing in COM
mon with the public good? oh, egotist!
| must man die that a dog may live
and little children be carried hungry to
l fInfv ovycc0 w, of or6 ccIy
to accept these statements? Who is it
that our Creator endowed with an Or
binary intellect that will take the word
| of one or two men who have past rec
ords'; men who are the agent of a cor
poration or trust that have no motive
| except greed and avarice? Who, we say.
are they that will do this against the
| word of hundreds of intelligent work.
ingmen? Do you, the public, think if
these men had no cause, no grievance
and were not justified in their action
that they would have voluntarily-some
not even members of organizations
would have sacrificed their positions to
man, not really knowing what the flu
ture would be? No! no! They realized
then and always will believe that they
were right and justifable in their every
action.
"Our chief executive and government
officials are elected, and all public insti-
buttons conducted upon the action
of the majority rule. Therefore, we
claim that the honest, frank opinion of
six or seven hundred men is an over
whelming majority against one or two
who have been fortunate enough, by
| their underhand methods, to be placed
| in a position that would be acceptable
| to the devil himself had he to pursue the
policy adopted on this line of road by
officials. 1t is evident fact that the
) fight was a premeditated affair and it
was impossible for us to avoid it as
| it was forced upon us by the officials OF
| the company at this place.
"A citizen of Texas mechanic who
! is considered by all who know him q
. perfect gentleman, who came out with
e US in this strike on July (this mans
| word is unquestionably truth and honor
| itself) states that when he left his for
| mer position on June and came here to
| work he was Informed by his master
| mechanic there that he was a fool to
; | come to Cleburne to work on the G. c.
& S. F. railway, as this company was
going to force trouble upon it's en-
ployes-
1--WE also have affidavits and state
ments in our possession from different
persona that show theyMerehired by San
. ia Fe agents on June 20,and were paid s.
per day to wait until the company was
in need of their services as 'scabs.
, When this strike was called they were
shipped to Cleburne by way of Kansas
City at which place guards took pos
session of the cars and locked the doors
: | preventing those who had honor enough
/ not to 'scab' from getting off and going
where there was no trouble.
Below we give you the exact number
of all kinds of mechanics and laborers
who went on strike July 8, or who wen
out in our support when the first 'scab
started to work :"
Then follows a tabulated statement
e showing that the total number of mer
0 employed as iron workers according tt
: their calculations was 1888 and that thu
same number struck There were alst
+ about so others who also went out at tn,
+ same time.
d THE above statement does not in
clude other trades or laborers but thu
J. real number of men now on strike il
q COZ. The citizens of Cleburne fully re
y alize the absurdity of any such state
, ment made by the company that the.
IS have 1T scabs at work. for one-half o