The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
Coy Jenes' Prompt Measures
 Prevented Reign of Terrsr
THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE
Leaders In Strike Were Informed By Leading Citizens That They Would
 Be Held Personally Responsi-
 be for Further Violence.
To the Editor of the Age-HeraId.


 The statement published in the Age Herald this morning from your special correspondent at Montgomery in regard to the way in which the strike of 1894 tvas handled recalls to my mind several inter- esting incidents connected with that dis turbance, and in which I was an active participant, and which S would be well to put in print for the benefit of the future historian.
 What was known as the "Debs strike, came on the Birmingham district at the time when the miners strike was at it's height, and this city was brought face to face with as near a crisis as was ever before it, not excepting the end of the boom period, when men became so i'm bued with the spirit of pessmism as made life to many seemingly not worth occurred from that cause.
 Realizing that a crisis was impending mass meeting was held in the club rooms of the Commercial club, at that time on Nineteenth street Just across the alley from the rear of OBrien's S opera house, and a committee of safety. composed of leading citizens, was formed of which Gen. R. D. Johnston was chosen as chairman and the undersigned as secretary Governor Jones attended some of the meetings of that committee, the same pledging him support in the use of the military to any extent that might be deemed necessary by hin to restore law and order
 The question of declaring martial law was brought up, but Governor Jones de- cided against 1t, because, to all intents and purposes. matrial law was in full force and effect, and the spirit of law lessness at once came under it's salu- tary influence. Several of the mine lead CTS were brought before the committee and given to understand in unmistakable terms that they would be held person. ally responsible for any continuance of the disorder.
 mere was then published in Birming- ham Sunday paper. the name of wfnch I cannot just now recall, but one Len Button was its editor and proprietor. and the sheet had been publishing matter of highly infammatory character I was sent to bring Button before the commit tee, and while he demurred at the out set. he was finally persuaded that 1t was to his interest to obey that call. Gen eral Johnston was designated as proper person to give Button a plain talk re- garding his conduct That talk" de- serves place in the archives of Bir- mingham, for there has perhaps never been uttered by any one stronger words in Birminghams behalf than General Johnston's talk to Button. It was a pie ture of an infant city struggling to reach and maintain a position worthy of rec ognition throughout the world, and whose future rested on obedience to law ana the preservation of order It was along that line General Johnston opened his talk, and in tones of the utmost kind ness yet the most emphatic firmness he told Button of the wrong he was doing this infant city and winding up with the demand of a promise that his incendiarv publication should cease. which Button unhesitatingly gave; and my recollection is that even his paper soon gave up the ghost thereafter.
 But the railroad strike situation was one that gave for the time perhaps the most concern, for Birmingham was then much more than now dependent upon the railroads for its food supply, as there were few farms around this section, and those poorly worked and equally as poor ly stocked, so that there was literally a food famine facing the city. I had been very hard at work to ascertain how much meat there was here and had found scarce enough to last for AS hours. when the strike ended and the wheels moved again, due to the arrest of Eugene V. Debs, at Chicago, the then head of the Knights of Labor.
 I was under the shed of the Louisville and Nashville depot, and had just told an engineer of the Alabama Great South ern railroad of the meat situation here and sought to impress upon him the crime that was being perpetrated against an entire city by bringing it's citizens to the verge of starvation when I was asked if had heard the news. I rep,ied that I had not and asked to be inform ed. "Debs has just been arrested" vas the reply, when my instant ejaculation was Thank the Lord! I hope he will he hung; for any man who would causa trouble of this character deserves banp- ing" For this remark I was forciblv seized by two or three of that train crew and they told me they would administer little of that medicine right then and there to me, and had it not been for some cooler heads who invited" me to leave the shed I verify believe injury would have been done nie
 I kept record of the proceedings of that committee, and if that record could be found it would reveal one of the most intensely interesting periods that Br- mingham has ever known I do not know what became of it.
 But it may be said that to the prompt ness with which Governor Jones acted fir, that emerReucV and xrifI, fha co-onora-