The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-12-20
zeal OF bACkUS TO BREAK STRIKE
Gets POLITICAL FRIENDS IN DUTCH
Perfectly Peaceful Waou at International Falls But Sheriff Is
Compelled by Lumber Baron to Appeal to Governor for Troops.
People at Capitol Knew That Request Was Coming.

Facts about the strike Of railroad
men at international Falls have been
hard to get in Duluth, and until late
this week we have, had to depend
largely upon the daily newspapers for
news which was very meager indeed.
The Labor World is in receipt of the.
story of the trouble from prominent
; member of a railroad organization.
According to this railroad union
! man there were eight crews of five
| men each employed by the NJ. D. &
w. Ry., which is owend by the Backus'
| interests of International Falls. About
! one year ago a committee represent
! ing the men called ~on Mr.. Backus
! for a schedule to apply on the road.
The case was handled by the son of
! Mr.. Backus and he settled it in the
absence of his father. A contract was
signed to be effective for one year.
A short time ago a committee again
visited Mr. Backus and proposed the
renewal of the contract Mr.. Backus
said he knew nothing Of an agree
.ment, and when it was shown to him
! he upbraided his son for making such
! deal with union labor. He then
started in to retaliate and ordered
I that the workday be extended from
! eight to ten hours without any in
! crease in pay. The committee rem
onstrated, but Mr.. Backus stood pat
and defied them to strike.
! He thereupon induced 40 expert
enced railroad men to ship from Min
neapolis to international! Falls with
| their families to take the places of
+! the brotherhood men in the event Of
! a strike. The Minneapolis men did
! not know Mr.. Backus' purpose for
; they were led to believe that addi-
tional crews were to be put on, and
they had no knowledge that strike
was eminent. Finally when the four
railroad unions decided to walk out
! Mr.. Backus ordered the Minneapolis
men to act as strikebreakers, which
they refused to do. Their action fired
him into a rage. One version has it,
he called in the sheriff and demanded
that he immediately phone Governor
!; Burnquist for state troops. The sher-
if didn't like that sort of business,
said he was able to handle the situa-
; ton, and he had no fear of trouble,
! but Mr.. Backus was obdurate and in
F.; sisted that the sheriff lose no time in
getting in touch with the governors
! office.
! In Koochichng county the word of
Backus in politics is law, particularly
in Republican politics. The sheriff
| took a longing look al mis- meal ticket.
then Wilted and called the governor
! stating that he was unable to handle
| the situation. When the troops ar
| rived county and city officials pro-
| tested against their presence in In
| ternational Falls. The sheriff, when
? asked by the citizens if. he. called for
! the troops, said that he did not: He
later admitted that he called the gov
| crnor at the earnest solicitation" of
; Mr.. Backus.
Down in Minneapolis, however, the
; question of sending troops to Internal
; tional Falls. was being discussed from
! another angle. 1t is said that State
! Senator Fowler is the attorney for the
Backus interests. Then there are
other political affiliations all in close
touch with the state capitol. There
! were rumors about the big building
that troops would be sent to the bor-
! der town several hours before the
sheriff ,phoned his request to Governor
! Burnquist, all Of which seemed very
strange, for no where in the state" not
even at international Fails, was there
/ the slightest hint of-riot or any form
| of laWlessness there. In sworn state
ment given to a committee, from the
| American Legion Sheriff Mcintosh
sWears that he did not ask for troops,
; but that Adjutant General RhinoW
| called him from St. Paul by telephone
and asked him if he needed troops.
The sheriff maintained that he could
handle the situation, but Rhinow was
SO insistent on sending the militia that
the sheriff finally said to him use
your own judgements All of which
confirms the t. Paul statement which
alleges that the Baclus machine got
for sending the troops came from the
| Twin Cities.
The Twin City papers, all fed froE,
! the Capitol building, carried stories
Of riot and blOOdshed at International
Falls, but no one in the northern city
knew anything about any trouble
there except that 40 railroad men had
quietly and peacefully left their work
rather than have their workday ex-
tended.
When the Twin City papers, were
read the following day at Interna.
tional Falls the surprise and disgust
of the people may be imagined. A
benefit dance was given Tuesday
evening to assist the men and. their
families who were sent from Mime
apolis. 1t was the biggest event ever
pulled off there. The sentiment Of
the people is overwhelmingly in favor
of the men on strike.
Up to Thursday noon not a*wheel
has turned on the M. D. & W..Eroad
Several office men tried to runs a. train.
They pulled out short distance sfron
the station at Falls Junction wIlan the
engine went dead. They had ne
elected to put water in the tanl and
the engine was without steam: s: The
little yard at Falls Junction, where
the M. ID. & W.. connected with the