The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-03-17


bearing his picture are now being
worn in Philadelphia.
Pratt is a farmers son who became
q motorman seventeen years ago and
later was a conductor He had been
running on either the front or rear
end of a car for five years in Cleye-
land when a strike came, and he was
made business agent Of the men. Aft
erward the company took all the men
back with the exception of Pratt.
That incident determined his career.
and he has been strike organizer
ever since. 1t was rather an expensive
piece Of blacklisting for the street rail
ways of the entire country.
Some of Pratt's Notices.
Pratt is indomitable, full Of ideas and
alive with nervous energy. He has,
inspired dread in the bosom of Strike
Breaker Farley, who believes that
Pratt always wins and will not un-
dertake to break strike that the
Cleveland man is managing. He con-
Quoted the strike of a year ago in Phil
adelphia, and it was because the street
railway owners had broken the COM
pact made at that time that the pres
ent strike was ordered. or at least this
is the mems version Of the affair.
Among his favorite notices are, do
nothing that will throw discredit on
your cause" Remember that the eyes
Of the laboring world are on you,"
keep away from the saloons and
''The company can end this strike the
minute it will agree to arbitrate"
When he conducted a strike in Salt
Lake City some years ago he had an
orderly parade organized, and in it
were carried banners with these
legends, 1--WE thank the public for it's
loyal support" "Some of us have not
seen our babies awake in years. and
Bread and butter is the ISSUE"
There is no question of Pratt's
nerve. A strike leader is frequently in
danger not only from the other side.
but from his own. If a settlement is
effected that does not please the strik-
| ers they are not slow to make their
displeasure felt, and TRAITOR is a
word that comes readily to their lips.
Pratt once had delegation Of these
| indignant men wait on him after he
| had settled a strike. He was in bed at
! the time and did not take the trouble
to dress, but sat up in bed and talked
to the men earnestly for an hour, after
which they left him swearing fealty.
'Close the door after you," he said as
he turned over to go to sleep.
Another prominent figure in the Phil
adelphia situation is John j. Murphy.
president of the Central Labor union,
the man who called the general SYM
pathetic strike. Murphy is thirty-six
years old. Last year he was candi-
date for city treasurer. The corrupt
political ring said, with a sheer, '"This
fellow is only a patternmaker." The
effect was like that when John A.
Johnson was first candidate for gov
ernor of Minnesota and his opponents
charged him with being the son of a
washerwoman. The taunt elected
Johnson. 1t did not have the same eff
| feet in Murphy's case, but he ran
ahead of his ticket, and "only pat
ternmaker" became the battlecry of
his supporters. Murphy is both incor-
ruptible and fighter. The political
machine has tried two or three times
| to buy him or bride him with the offer
| Of place. but without success At an
other time they tried to beat him for
election to the presidency of the Cen
trail Labor union and used the meth
DDS employed in political elections
throwing out his votes and intimidat,
ing his voters. Murphy carried the
case up to the American Federation OF
Labor and was seated.
Ground Hallowed to Liberty.
This is the type of men fighting the
battle of the toilers in the City OF
Brotherly Love and under the shadow
of Independence hall 1t is not with.
out interest. by the way, that Reyb burn
and Clay refused to permit the work
ingmen to assemble in front of indie
pendence hall, where our fathers
wrought for liberty $50 years ago.
The cry of the men has been, fol
arbitration. The refusal of the com
pany to arbitrate has been the cause OF
the sympathetic strike in the city an(
is the reason for the threat of nation
wide strike. 1t was to- bring abou
arbitration that the State Federation
of Labor appealed to President Taft
Governor Stuart and Senator Penrost
and declared truce Of ten days await
ing the result.
The Incident of locking the men ou
Of the ball park, the charging Of then
by the police, the dispersal of tn
thousands marching toward the cit.
hall and the arrest of the newspape
men as strike leaders all show some
; of the animus Of the street railwa,
companies and the laundering of tn,
ring elected city officials. That Their
: has been violence on the other side
however, is not to be denied. Car
have been smashed and notormen an,
policemen mobbed. The strike leader
say they are not responsible for this
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