START LAB DAILY Filmed & Processed by the Library Photographic Service University of California Berkeley 94720 RIE : > i= lilo : I= A i: : I= l= IE is IE LLL LLG LH LH ii rm ill [HI] fr fim Tm Timm ITT OCUMENT WL Th ete pad pass ) i) MUtro Ad made | & Nery yi C Position 2848 Filming Unit no. pF Lens no. Em 229 THE MASTER NEGATIVE ,FROM WHICH THIS REPRODUCTION WAS MADE, 1S STORED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICE, ROOM 20, MAIN LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA 9 4 7 2 0 FOR ADDITIONAL REPRODUCTION REQUEST MASTER NEGATIVE NUMBER = 30 3107 EIN wy DI LI a ca ~ oe * . MAN, if CHURCH, PULL *s SN—PRONY vom P-8 vue x . . BABAR VIB - & yaw 6 F ve 8 shers, ‘8 .CARWAR at - we erga WJ LMA | wea = oro Monthly, $5.00 © year. Nii “ve WILLIAM H Ii LJ PULL LH iT Entered at the Pestofice, Chicagh, &s pr Negbos' H. Kerr & Co, Publ i i i T > Roem ~. PASTOR OF THE FIRST M. E. BY REY. a ha r—————— —— dak cote St en i AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO MY BELOVED FATHER-IN-LAW REV. JOHN WILLIAMS PASTOR OF THE FIRST M. E. CHURCH, CRESTON, ILL. WHO WAS FOR THIRTY YEARS IN HIS EARLY LIFE CONNECTED WITH THE DAILY PRESS OF NEW YORK CITY, AND WHO DID LOYAL SERVICE AT THAT TIME IN AROUS- ING PUBLIC SENTIMENT TO THE NEEDS OF THE TOIL- ING MASSES ~ wr nat ane a had An dA A eB ST SRI ar * BY a ler RE I 5 Nr Su AA am ie eT Py i. 8 INTRODUCTION reformer need hesitate in using the statements herein made. They can all be verified again and again. With all my heart, I bid this book God-speed! May it be read in a million of homes, from the White House to the dug-out, and from the palaces of mil- lionaires down to the hovels of the humble poor. May its plain, honest facts banish the flagrant misin- formation with which the secular and even the relig- ious press has been teeming for weeks, and may it be the mission of this book to stir the heart of this whole nation until the “white slaves” of industrial tyranny be emancipated and receive the treatment becoming the sons and daughters of the Most High. Joun MERRITTE DRIVER. Marion, Ind., July 3oth, 1894 : f 1 § ovr rt sh hE Sisk a 5 CONTENTS. PAGER l CHAPTER L INTRODUCTORY .. so sesesenonasesssesssasesocnssse 11 CHAPTER IL Tue TowN OF PULLMAN....... Sasi rian niaieretiies = 18 CHAPTER IIL PULLMAN AND DEBS....... oes aun swans verses 39 CHAPTER 1V. HISTORY OF THE STRIKE. .cocoovecenacccccorececs 33 CHAPTER V. CHARACTER AND INCIDENTS OF THE STRIKE. esesss 38 CHAPTER VL FALLACIES IN PULLMAN’S STATEMENTS..coccccece: 47 CHAPTER VIL ' CUTTING WAGES cco covernsnssssnsnanossonececs 68 CHAPTER VIIL RENTS, WATER, GAS, ETC.covcvnreonnnransnneees 93 CHAPTER IX. SHOP ABUSES:coccscecesss ‘ene snsnnnssissnesnve 300 CHAPTER X. . 118 PERSONAL—LESSONS—REMEDY. ceeeesassrecenans APPENDIX ceo socossceasscssnssvonse ees sess se sto 127 a Kile >. - o fade y - - xa le pu Ay — . wha “ NDE EPC NN ry Sty tpn _. ve mt Pr poi o— —————— INTRODUCTION. This book is packed with facts. For these facts the author is not responsible. It is true, his soul was stirred, but cruel facts stirred the soul of even the Son of God. If sometimes the author's spirit flames with indignation, let it be remembered that it is against heartless tyranny, and in defense of long silent and outraged innocence. He speaks with authority. He is a resident of Pull- man, and is familiar with almost every face and fire- side in the town. Like his Master, he has gone about doing good, among the rich and poor alike. He knows Pullman and his lieutenants. He knows He knows Debs and his most trusted followers. what both sides have done, when, and how, and why, and with what results, In a sense, therefore, he knows more about the whole conflict than either Debs or Pullman. Each knows his own side only. The author of this volume knows both sides. The book is reliable. The author means to neither minify nor magnify. He would be a mere photog- rapher Assuredly he has not fallen into the error of exaggeration. No student, lecturer, preacher or 7 Ae, LIBRARY OF THE LELAND STANFORD JR. UNIVERSITY. AA. ybu qi tat [1g (0 . te PA, ~The Strikers’ Relief Headquarters at Kensington. By Cri, 1804, bi Hh a ht dei ew. ©. 4 ii “ I, OCT 25 1900 LE LK TSE al A A \ I = ae 11! ied h - HH AE Im pre) | | i) a IE il SE ! WILLIAM H. CARWARDINE - PASTOR OF THE FIRST M. E. CHURCH, PULLMAN, ILL. - “The laborer is worthy of his hire." 7 FOURTH EDITION CHICAGO CHARLES H. KERR AND COMPANY 1894 £ i, nl on mer —— tn SEY nd v : tt fii i ( i ih - 2c bad i il 3s $ fl x ’ A > ~ dy { | } f X 3 4 q" i { - “ 1 | | i \ q ( oy id J LR ; ard {ld 3 a i 3 #3 xf {] i 1 i f g Sil £ 3 | [77] ry Hf 7 fy” i" 5 Xn Ri 3 or] i SY ! i 4 gid ty | g oo i ! 1 e Eig i! pa irr s 4 i wo Sv {l g bp eed A) 8 .' Al Q ie: : | | r E i at ni { RE | gy gE] qr it i, ff1 tr sh, Miata i! f og] | ol] . hi 1 4 i | : { il a 3 t | { “i ft THE PULLMAN STRIKE. CHAPTER L INTRODUCTORY. The Pullman strike is the greatest and most far- reaching of any strike on record in this country. It is the most unique strike ever known. When we take into account the intelligence of the employees, al- ways the boast of the Pullman Company; the wide- spread advertisement of the town as a “model town,” established as a solution of the industrial problem upon the basis of “mutual recognition;” it is no won- der that the world was amazed, when, under such apparently favorable conditions, in the midst of a season of great financial depression, the employees laid down their tools, and, on the 11th of May, walked out of the great shops to face an unequal and appar- ently hopeless conflict. After seven weeks of patient waiting, the American Railway Union, having espoused the cause of the Pullman employees, declares a boycott on the Pull- | man Palace Cars. This action is repulsed by the 11 —————————— a sir I We oe ca i * TA nim x oy y's oo ‘ s. 7 . 5 3, i" doh £ ra, : wna a i \ Ji Pi i gs v 4 A v a RT . : ET ——— AE Ly LC MCP 3 2 . > i by J - » - x i a” n a NL , s » Br aw 3 12 THE PUBLIC DEMANDS THE Fac 7s Railroad Managers’ Association. The conflict is trans- ferred at once to the arena of ganized labor and organized capital are pitted against each other; stagnation of all business interests results; the highways of trade are blocked; the great unoffend- ing public is the innocent sufferer, riots ensue, the military are ordered out, the foundations of govern- ment are threatened; the strong arm of th forth, the public deman crisis reached, Now the public mind rev What made these intelli strike? Were they rash they driven to their cou over which they had no c them in their action? These and a hundred other to me by every mail from al Ten days after the empl sermon from my pulpit, terest in Pullman and C Public commerce; or- e law is put d for peace is heard, and the erts to the original cause. gent employees ‘at Pullman and inconsiderate, or were rse by certain conditions ontrol, and which justified questions are coming I parts of our country, oyees struck, I delivered a which created profound in- hicago, and which has since been copied broadcast in newspapers all over the United States, Owing to this fact, I am accosted on all sides for information concerning the true condij- tion of things in this model town, For two years I have been the pastor of the Pull- man M. E. Church, and closely related to the and social life of the town, been a silent Spectator of t moral During that time I have he life and character of 2 di a AL SAA Ramac® sa 13 THE RIGHT OP THE PULPIT TO CRITICISE the town. I have studied gg Mea av Dy gl from the standpoint i of the industrial problem, sis > I wish to be fair and impartial. I dps ge things to admire as well as QALY Wii i thies have gone out to tiie stri Sing Se Ee id men have a cause more just—never at . ih equal pretenses grind men more id ol I contend that I have a right to puolicly ji 2 blic man or a public institution, so long as ER from the path of truth or make tale Riding willfully knowing them to be oy ° : deplored this strike more than myself. wy = og ht have been averted. But so long pb i oe saw fit to take this action I believe 2s oo ga of all concerned to look the issue oh . in the face, without equivocation or San, re the matter in its true light, and endeavor o isp a settlement of the difficulty as speedily rin i apology as a clergyman for discussing this es As ministers of the i right to occasionally turn from the : i biblical truth and consider these great q Sant ial, moral and economic interest. He w ) eo ht of the clergy ‘a discuss these matters of ; a concern has either been Se » ise government totally foreign to the free atmosp . i . © ———— rr ne " NR 0 TRI Ca 14 PREACHING THE GOSPEL American institutions, or else he has failed utterly to comprehend the spirit of the age in which he lives Sometimes we preachers are told to mind our own business and “preach the gospel.” Allright; I have preached the gospel of Christ, and souls Have be redeemed to a better life under the preaching of at gospel. I contend now that in the discussing of this theme I am preaching the gospel of applied Christian- ity—applied to humanity—the gospel of mutual Tecognition, of co-operation, of the “brotherhood of humanity.” The relation existing between a man’s body and his soul are such that you can make very littl headway appealing to the soul of a thoroughly li : and healthy man if he be starving for food o " not only preached, to the multitude, but he Zins on to eat. And I vabily believe that if he came to Cl . cago to-day, as indicated by the erratic yet ol Stead, he would apply the whip of cords to the rec of some of us preachers for not performing our f 1 share of duty to “his poor.” 1 fun ‘Let not ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure; Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful smile The short and simple annals of the poor.” a ARI ANAT a IBLE ilies which really live in family privacy. In the north end of town there are rows of houses where there is no front door for the family living upstairs. They are required to pass through the alley into the yard, up a back stair to reach their homes. In some parts of the town there are houses where, if you desire to reach the family living upstairs, you are compelled, night or day, to pass through the apartments of the family on the lower floor. This destroys the sanctity of the home and is not conducive to the morality of the town. Indeed, asI know to bea fact, the morals of Pullman are not up to the standard that they might be. . An unpleasant feature of the town is that you are made to feel at every turn the presence of the corpo- ration. As Peter 'Quinon, of the Pittsburg Times, well says: “The corporation is everything and everywhere. "The corporation trims your lawn and attends to your trees; the corporation sweeps your street, ‘and sends “a man around to pick up every cigar stump, every bit of paper, every straw or leaf; the corporation puts two barrels in your back yard, one for ashes and one for refuse of the kitchen; the corporation has ‘the ashes and refuse hauled away; the corporation provides you new barrels when the others are worn out; the corporation does practically everything but sweep your room and make your bed, and the cor- poration expects you to enjoy it and hold your tongue.” This is a corporation made and a corpora- PN aac RR an aad a TINSEL AND SHOW 25 tion governed town, and is utterly un-American in its tendencies. The great trouble with this whole Pullman system is that it is not what it pretends to be. No one can but admire many of the beautiful features of this town. To the casual visitor it is a veritable para- dise—to the passing student of the industrial prob- lem, it has a fascinating appearance; but like the play, there is a good deal of tinsel and show about it. It is a sort of hollow mockery, sham, an institu- tion girdled with red tape, and as a solution of the labor problem a very unsatisfactory one. The great * trouble with the town, viewed from the standpoint of an industrial experiment, is that while it possesses some excellent features, still its deficiencies over- balance all its beauties. It belongs to the map of Europe. It isa civilized relic of European serfdom. We all enjoy living here because there is an equality of interest, and we have a common enemy, the Com- pany, but our daily prayeris, “Lord, keep us from dying here.” An eminent writer in Harper's Monthly, in 1884, on “Pullman,” declared that at that time, ten years ago, its great faults were: “Bad adminis- tration in respect to the employment, retention and promotion of employees. Change is constant in men and officers, and each new superior appears to have his own friends, whom he appoints to desirable posi- tions. Favoritism and nepotism exist; natural dissatisfaction, a powerful prevalence of petty ‘ a WET pr > Wve my Sl etre ————— oe 2 ————— ~ ri } | their wrongs. At this juncture a committee waited | i \ } : appointed, the committee again appeared at the city office, where Mr. Pullman delivered to them his first statement, with which the public is familiar. In that t ( | | ( 1 previous dealings with them, and they could not dis- \ : his refusal to reduce their rents was unjust. They | were suspicious and in no condition to be trifled with. I am sure Mr. Pullman had no idea of the true state of affairs and did not fully realize how unjustly a Mery \ i : statement he refused to accede to the demand of the | his employees had been dealt with, and the magni- — - 36 DISCHARGE OF THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE tude of the petty annoyances to which they had been subjected. On the morrow, three men who were members of the committee were “laid off.” While it was no un- common thing in the shops for men to be “laid off,” still it had come to be looked upon as amounting in many cases to a virtual discharge. Cases have been cited to me of employees, who, having incurred the displeasure of those in authority, were “laid off,” and returning again and again for work found that they were really discharged. What made the matter worse in this case was that the men laid off discovered that it was the direct action of the acting superintendent’s retaliations upon them for complaints uttered by them against him the day pre- vious at the city meeting. The discharge of these men was resented by the whole committee as a vio- lation of Mr. Pullman's agreement with them. Furthermore, the grievances were investigated dur- ing the day,but were investigated on an ex parte basis. The committee of investigation was composed, among others, of Vice-President Wickes, General Manager Brown, Manager Middleton, Chief Accountant Wilde, Mr. Campbell of the Repair department and Mr. Runnells, leading counsel for the company. No one appeared as a committee of defense for the men, to see that their side was duly represented. The grievances were made light of and treated as trivial and inconsequential. Three men stated to me HOW THE STRIKE BEGAN 87 personally that as they each came out of the Man- ager’s office they respectively felt, to use their own language, like a “set of fools.” In this condition of things, the employees met that | night (Thursday) in a secret all-night session com- | posed of about forty-six men representing the different | local unions. They voted unanimously, in view of i the unsatisfactory treatment they had received at the hands of the Company, to strike the following Sat- : urday. It seems that in their midst was a spy; their deliberations and decision reached the ears of the | company early Friday morning. They went to work i “at 7 A. M. Abut 9 A. M., intelligence was conveyed | — to the leaders that their action was known to the company and that the company had decided to lock } up the shops at the noon hour. It is claimed by the | men (whether true or not I do not know) that a | telegram from the city to lock up, was intercepted by j an operator in sympathy with the employees and |! thus the word was given to them. Rather than have a “lock-out” the men passed the word from one to an- other to “walk out,” which they did orderly and delib- erately. About six hundred remained until the noon hour, a few returned until the evening, when notices were posted on the shop gates to the effect that the shops would be closed indefinitely and the works closed down. Thus began the great Pullman strike. > am Ray Aw Sy - CHAPTER V. eee WARACTER AND INCIDENTS OF THE STRIKE. From the 11th of May, 1894, until the present writing (July 23rd, 1894) the Pullman strike has been a remarkable exhibition of orderliness and correct deportment. It has been a “model strike” so far as Pullman is concerned. Up to the evening of July sth, inthe seventh week of the strike, not the slight- est unusual infringement of law had taken place. The universal comment was complimentary to the de- corum of the strikers. For seven weeks the town was quieter than at any other time in its history, less drinking, less roystering, less noise, not even an occasional fisticuffs encounter to enliven the monot- ony of events. Even the patrol forgot to tear madly through our streets as of old. No wonder, for the strike leaders gave outrepeat-, edly at their nightly meetings that order would be positively enforced, and warning was given to keep clear of the saioons in Kensington and Roseland. So determined were the men that the property of the Company should not be molested that they offered to place a cordon of men around the shops to protect them. On the evening of the 5thof July, “/hen the 38 — -— wee Ban Senn . - -~ —— MURDER BY A MARSHAL 39 “Boycott” of the American Railway Union against the Pullman cars was at its height, the Illinois Central railway having decided to run the mail train known as the “Diamond Special,” some difficulty occurred at the Kensington depot, which resulted in the stop- ping of the train. Later in the evening (about mid- night) a mob of hoodlums and fellows of the “baser sort” arriving from South Chicago, set fire to a num- ber of Illinois Central freight cars about a mile north of Pullman. The next morning a mob of the same character gathered at Kensington, marched past Pullman on the railroad track and overturned box cars. A United States deputy by the name of Stark fired wildly into the crowd. William Anslyn, an in- nocent spectator about 250 feet from the scene, was shot. Falling upon his face, he endeavored to rise, when Stark, according to the deposition of eye wit- nesses, advanced and deliberately fired a shot into the back of the prostrate man. Two days thereafter Anslyn died, as the result of the brutal deed. The deputy is still at large. Infuriated by this deed, the mob endeavored to lay hands on the deputy marshal, but he was saved by the interposition of the police. Great excitement prevailed. Threatenings of every description filled the air; rumors of various kinds floated all day through the town. In the afternoon more cars near Burnside were set on fire. In the evening the militia arrived in Pullman and have remained to date. The es ——_— A APT or glen rer p— 2 . 5 or TIE tet — ~~ 40 DAILY PLATFORM MEETINGS presence of the militia was salutary at the time, but their long continued presence and the martial law to which the town has been subjected, I believe, has had a demoralizing effect upon the community. With all due respect to the noble boys in blue, I yet be- lieve that order could have been sustained by the local authorities, and the moral conservatism of the best elements among the strikers and citizens. An interesting feature of the strike has been the regular daily public meeting. For the first two weeks these public gatherings were held afternoon and evening. The afternoon meetings were dispensed with, the meetings confined to the evening. The proprietors of the Turner Hall, capable of accommo- dating an audience of 800 to 1,000 persons, generously donated the use of the room free of charge. As the weather became warmer the meetings were held in the open air, on an adjoining lot, a rude platform having been improvised out of some old dry goods boxes. Here, night after night, immense audiences have gathered to listen to addresses from speakers good, bad and indifferent. It was an open platform, free for all, and many splendid addresses have been delivered to the assembled strikers. All classes of speakers were allowed to address the multitude, among them severa! clergymen. The chairman, Mr. Heathcote, endeavored as far as possible to curb the utterances of those who became too radical in their fiery denunciation of the wrongs perpetrated upon WORK OF THE RELIEF COMMITTEE 41 the laborer by grinding corporations and monopolistic combinations of wealth, Early in the strike, the conduct of affairs was vested in a committee known as the Central Strike Committee, composed of members of each of the local unions. Mr Heathcote is the chairman of the committee, Mr. R. W. Brown Vice-President, and Mr. John Berry, Secretary. As chairman of this com- mittee and as the representative spokesman of the strikers, it is no more than fair to bespeak the high- est praise for Mr. Heathcote, for the calm and care - ful manner in which he has performed the onerous duties of his office. He and his associates have all earned the good will of the general public of this and the surrounding community, in endeavoring to pre- serve order and decorum in the ranks of their fol- lowers. By far the most important feature of the strike has been that of the Relief Committee, organized imme- diately after the strike commenced. It has been in active service ever since, and is the center of attrac- tion to the vast army of strikers and their families. Of this committee Mr. Frank Pollans is the obliging and effective chairman; Mr. J. J. Maguire the thoroughly competent assistant; Miss May Woods has proved herself to be an untiring and accomplished secretary, and Mr. David V. Gladman, the trusted and efficient treasurer. Associated with these friends has been a well equipped and devoted corps of workers of every - 42 DONORS TO THE RELIEF FUND description, whose energies have ‘been taxed to their utmost to meet the demands of their hungry and necessitous fellows. When the committee was organized, a call was sent forth for food and money. The firm of Secord | and Hopkins of Kensington, of which Mayor Hopkins | is a partner, was the first to respond with the mag- nificent gift of 25,000 pounds of flour, 25,000 pounds of meat, and the use for the benefit of the strikers of a room above their store free of rent for the commit- tee on care of the sick so long as the strike lasted. Kt the same time a committee of ladies interested in - the cause of labor, led on by Mrs. Fanny Clarke Kavanagh and Mrs. Dr. Charles D. Bradley of Chi- cago, opened a store donated by the proprietors of the Chicago Daily News, as the city headquarters for the Pullman Strikers’ Relief Fund. From that day to this, from Chicago and all the country, have come daily contributions of relief in cash and provisions. The response of the public to this fund has been remarkable, and has indicated the widespread practical sympathy aroused through the country on behalf of the suffering employees. Among the cash contributions will be found amounts from twenty-five cents to a thousand dollars Among the larger cash contributions may be noted: Typo- graphical Union No 16, $1,000; the A. A. of I. & S. Workers, Lakeside Lodge No. 9, $686; Painters and Decorators Union No. 147, $500; Carpenters’ A — ——— a DONORS TO THE RELIEF FUND 43 Union No. 23, $100; Carpenter's Union No. 1, $100; Thirty-fourth Ward Republican Club, $101; the people of Hammond, Indiana, $500; Carpenters’ Union of Englewood, $100; United Turner Societies of Pull- man, Kensington, and Roseland, $400; Western Avenue Sewer Men, $77.50; Chicago Ticket Brokers’ Association, $78; Chicago Typographical Union, $200; Grand Crossing Police, $46; Hyde Park Water Department, $29; Wood's Circus, $30; Picnic at Gardener’s Park, $15.38; Milk Dealer's Union, $85; Hyde Park Liquor Dealers, $25; Fourteenth Pre- cinct Police Station, $43; Spiegel’s Home Furnish- ing Company, $20; “The Leader,” Chicago, $100; “The Hub,” Chicago, $200. The most princely gift among the down-town establishments .was that of Siegel, Cooper & Co., who gave 200 barrels of flour. Brewers and Maltsters’ Union No. 18, $50; Swedish Concert, $50; Local Union 553, Fernwood, $78.25; Chicago Fire Department, $909.75; German Sing- ing Society, $140; cheque from Anaconda, Mont., $250. The donations of provisions have been legion; everything imaginable, from a bottle of ink to a car load of flour. No delicacies or luxuries, but the sub- stantials of life were given in abundance. the articles donated may be mentioned innumerable sacks of flour, hams, potatoes, coffee, peas, soap, milk, meat, one caddy of chewing tobacco and seven pounds of smoking tobacco to solace the minds of Among be “bat bc Se Sat ey PEATE 3 Bl | YORI NL Sev AE Ny UY 44 MINOR FEATURES OF THE STRIKE anxious strikers. From two firms came boxes of shirts, and one Oppenheimer, realizing that strikers must not go hatless, donated a box of hats. To these gifts of cash and provisions must be added the care of the sick. Three hundred dollars has already been spent for the care of the sick. In case of death the burial expenses are paid’ if necessary. Certain physicians of Pullman and surrounding towns have kindly given their services free of charge, and most of the druggists have given donations of medicine. To summarize, the to- tal amount of money (not including provisious) given to the Relief Fund up to July 21st, 1894, was $15,- 000.00, the total expenses to same date, $14,000.00, leaving a balance in the treasury of $1,000,00. Be- sides this, Mr. S. Keliher, Secretary of the A. R. U., has another $1,000 subject to the order of the local Central Committee. In the distribution of provisions, the greatest care has been taken to see that justice is equally dispensed to all. At this writing, 2,700 families are being provided for, counting six to a family. Some minor features of the strike may be noted. It has naturally caused endless discussions pro and con among the residents of the “model town.” Class distinctions have always been a marked feature of the little community, and the influence of the strike has only served to intensify these distinctions. Out- side of the great mass of the employees and their families there is a little coterie of individuals termed I mam Li WN we" > mY cp | WHITE RIBBONS AND FLAGS 45 in 4 late edition of the Chicago Evening Post, the aristocratic element of the town, whose Sondmsasions may be called the beautiful little hostelry known as the Florence Hotel. Here the officials and the elit of the community assemble and discuss the ieetion Soon after the white ribbons were donned by the striking employees and their sympathizers as su : gested by Mr. Debs, those who were opposed to of strike wore a miniature American flag. Does i mean that they who wore the flag indicate eres that the striking employees are un-American endors : of lawlessness and anarchy? Does it mean that oe Pullman strikers are treasonable in their attitude of a quiet and determined demand for justice and a fair wage? Let it be remémbered that no correspond- Ing town of its size in the country can boast of mor well organized, active, patriotic societies than a town of Pullman,—the G. A. R., the P. O. § : A. the P. O. D. of A., the Sons of Velarans oH There is as much if not more patriotic fervor fo the old flag and American institutions to the square inch in Pullman than in any other town in the tes And who is it that compose these organizations? is these very men and their wives and daughters Who are known as the Pullman strikers. As for me I would rather wear the white ribbon with the Awierican fla Sver it-—Ametican labor protected by the stars py stripes in its demand for justice from the inhumanit of grasping corporations. My friend Rev. F. iy = 40 WHO ARE THE REAL PATRIOTS? ison, pastor of the Hyde Park M. E. Church of Chicago, spoke truly at a late mass meeting when he said, referring to this subject, “The American flag ought to be the best guaranty that an honest day's work should receive an honest day's pay. If any one class more than another was entitled to wear and carry the American flag, it was the workingman. The men who had borne the flag to victory in the late war were American workingmen. They won free- dom for all.’ The speaker said that if ever he went on a strike he would wear both the white ribbon and the American flag. At Pullman he had seen the white ribbon and the G. A. R. button on the same breast, and both emblems were in good company. These are true words, and it may be well to add that there are thirty-seven old soldiers among the Pullman strikers who wear the Grand Army button. CHAPTER VL FALLACIES IN PULLMAN’S STATEMENT. So peculiar are the relations of the Pullman Com- pany to the town of Pullman and its employees that it is not an easy task to one unfamiliar with the sit- uation to point out the sophistries and misleading points in Mr. Pullman's statements to the public. A Chicago man, who is a well known writer for the press, remarked to me after carefully looking over the ground, that it would be a very easy matter to write up a strong argument in favor of the Pullman Company; and on the other hand, an easy matter to make out a strong case in favor of the employees. But to give a fair and impartial statement, showing wherein the Company had dealt wrongly with its em- ployees, required a thorough knowledge of the situa- tion. This is true. There are three statements before the public from the Pullman Company’s standpoint. The first was given on May gth by Mr. Pullman to his employees, in answer to their committee, who waited on him two days before the strike. The second was given to the public on June 12th by the Company, just previous to the putting into 47 mgs TW vt LS p———— I RI PT eit 48 EXCUSE FOR PUBLIC PREJUDICE effect of the boycott on the Pullman cars by the Amer- ican Railway Union, and the third statement was given on July 13th by Mr. Pullman himself under date of New York, in defense of his attitude in re- fusing to arbitrate. These statements are all so plausible upon their face that I am not at all surprised that so many have been inclined to criticise the ac- tion of the employees and endorse the apparently magnanimous position of the Company. Furthermore, the attitude of the Chicago press has been such as to completely bewilder the thoughtful and intelligent citizen who desires to know the truth, and to poison the minds of that element in our midst whose sympathies naturally gravitate to the side of wealth. I presume that if I had lived in_Chicago instead of Pullman,and knew nothing about the Pullman strike except what I read in three of the leading Chicago newspapers, I would have raised my hand in holy horror against these wicked Pullman strikers and all belonging to their side, and would have sustained Mr. Pullman and his company. But living as I do in Pullman, having studied the situation carefully for two years, and being absolutely independent of the company and employees, I know enough to enable me to read between the lines of these beautifui Pullman statements and note the fallacies of their position. "I hold Mr. Pullman responsible for the whole situ- THE FEUDAL SYSTEM 49 ation by virtue of his presidency of the company, and the marvelous influence he exercises over the whole Pullman system. Helis the King, and he demands to the full measure of his capacity all that belongs to the insignia of royalty. It is about as difficult for an _ ordinary man, one of his employees, to see Mr. Pall-. “man as for a subject of Russia to see the Czar. Every ‘official of his company is absolutely subject to his authority. He expects it. He will haveit. I have been surprised to hear those who have sat in his presence describe the lordly manner in which he treats even those who are nearest to the throne. Sometimes he meets with gentlemen among his officials who object to this subserviency. Instances have been related to me of gentlemen who have re- belled against Mr. Pullman’s absolutism and resigned rather than endure it. Of course this is Mr. Pull- man’s right, but it seems to me that imperialism on the part of a gentleman so powerful in influence as Mr. Pullman is unpleasant to say the least, and capable of producing harm whether intentional or not toward those in authority under him. It is unfortunate to work for a corporation realizing that if you once dis- pute the will of the king, off goes your head. Im- perialism on the part of the king, breeds imperialism in the court. Even subordinates become infected with the disease, and great harm is thereby produced among the subjects. If the public will reflect upon this they will see how, under a system like that upon - 5 = 5 — ——— EE EN E—— TR - ———————————————— i ————— SO ——- vv Fe — — Ee ———— a - w Ee — - —_—— cbt ct 1 “nau ——— 50 THE “REGULAR WEEKLY LETTER” ! which Pullman is founded, great dissatisfaction can N easily be produced among the employees. Upon \ 3 careful examination I find in conversation with the employees that one half the trouble in the shops has been produced by unfair and tyrannical dealing on Is the, part of certain foremen and others in the local 18 administration. Mr. Pullman certainly must be aware of these things, and, if so, why did he not see that { they were remedied long ago? If he did not hear ) of or know these things, then somebody has either 4 willfully misrepresented the true state of affairs to ‘ him, or colored the statements to suit themselves. Iam in a position to know that information of every- thing going on in the town of Pullman, social, polit- ical, shop talk, town talk of any importance, and so on, is conveyed by letter every week to headquarters il from the town proper. I have no objection to that. But still I don’t like it. I accept it as a peculiarity / of the system upon which the town is established. \ For instance, during my first year as pastor a certain ] unfortunate occurrence took place in connection with hi a gentleman, a member of my church and an em- ) ployee. Before the week was out, I was roused from hg 7 my sleep one night by a gentleman in the employ of i! the Company, who, inthe presence of my wife and ag ‘myself, took a stenographic report of the affair. The ! gentleman informed me that it was necessary to have ‘a correct report so that he could embody it in his regular weekly letter to the president. That was SI es TR ———— ER —— TVYRANNICAL PETTY OFFICIALS 51 an eye-opener to me. I dislike espionage. But as long as it is a part of the system, it's all right, and [ will not complain. But it produces unpleasant re- flections. From this standpoint, I hold Mr. Pullman respon- sible for the situation. But while I doso, I am ready to allow that perhaps he was not cognizant of the true state of affairs from the reason assigned above. I do not hesitate, however, to place a large measure of responsibility upon the general and local manage- ment. The authority vested in officials of such a large corporation as this, gives opportunity for the exercise of great power. When a few officials are given the right to employ or discharge men, to set the prices of labor and to decide a thousand questions concerning the details of a vast business indissolubly connected with the welfare and financial prospects of 3,000 men, I contend that such officials should be ab- solutely free from favoritism, tyrannical dealing, or unfairness. While I make all allowance for motives of jealousy and anger, still I submit it to the public and to the directors and president of the Company, if it be not reasonable to believe that favoritism, tyr- anny and unfairness do exist in the local manage- men, when 2,000 men universally declare such to be the case. Let us note some points in Mr. Pullman’s state- ments. oint [.—He says: «A little more than a year ago the shops at Pull- —————— ’ FE terre a — a ————————— —— ow = ry 52 AMOUNT OF SAVINGS DEPOSITS man were in a prosperous condition; work was plenty, wages were high and the condition of the employees was indicated by the fact that the local savings bank had of savings deposits nearly $700,000, of which nearly all was the property of the employees.” “A little more than a year ago” would take us back to June, 1893. According to the Report of the Pull- man Loan & Savings Bank for July 25, 1893, as pub- lished in the Pullman Journal, the official organ of the Pullman Company, there was in liabilities, the following: Capital stock paid in.............$ Surplus fund.............. Undivided profits... .............. Lag Savings deposits subject to notice. . . 631,354.25 Individual deposits subject to check. 368,365.76 Demand certificates of deposit... . . .. 100,000.00 a 2,538.26 Certified CREEKS. ou vines svrinsies unis ee Cashier's checks outstanding. .. .. .. 2,972.94 Total.......... ser ue re $1,200,524.04 According to the above, there isa slight difference between Mr. Pullman's $700,000 and the bank state- ment on “Savings deposits.” Merely a matter of $68, - 645.75. Now the question arises, was the $631,354.25 entirely the amount deposited by the employees, mechanics and laborers? It is a well known fact that some of the officials are depositors in the local bank. The salaries of these gentlemen are large, many of the heads of departments draw good pay, and these naturally deposit in this bank. Further- more, the local storekeepers are depositors also. aT re SO Hp Siu 0 FALLACIES IN MR. PULLMAN’S ESTIMATES 53 Many storekeepers in Roseland, Kensington and Gano deposit therein, also treasurers of lodges. One gentleman in the employ of the company is said to have $30,000.00 deposited. I am acquainted with one employee, who informed me that he sold his farm in an adjacent state before coming here, and deposited $3,000.00 therein. If all or any of this was counted as the savings of employees, then it would be com- paratively easy to make such a glowing statement. While I presume that part of the above enumerated items were credited as “individual deposits subject to check,” still I hold that some of them were credited to “savings” deposits. And further, there are many working pe ople not employed by the Pullman Com- pany who place “savings deposits” in the Pullman Bank because of i's reliability. If, for illustration, I deposit $10.00 to-day on my own account as savings, and to-morrow deposit $200.00 on my own account, money entrusted to me by my church to meet future expenses, it would not be fair to reckon my account as “savings de- posits” of the employees, and base a statement there- on for the general public. As a matter of informa- tion, and an interesting fact connected with the subject under discussion, I am informed by a gentle- man well qualified to speak, that among the employees, the class who save the most money out of their wages are the common laborers. The foreign element in our midst are far more saving than our native Amer- mg > I SIRI FETT A —— Eb WES es SE T_T A ve 7 ; : 54 SURPLUS AND Ss TARVATION er mechanics, They live, many of them merican mechanic would not wish to live, an sequently save more mone than our mechanics, Avsic. 4 ong in gain, if $700,000 indicated the amount actually elonging to the employees in 1893 : that they were in arrears, as the Com affirm, $70,000 on rent at the time of as an d con- y out of their scant earnings then how is jt pany elsewhere the strike, M i e, Ma 1894? If the employees were worth $700, 000 > Aug i gust 1893, and in May 1894 had not only drawn it all out of the ba nk, but were ~ . rent besides $70,000 In arrears on Sn i: ; ’ certainly proves that their wages were at they were graduall i NS naithyyis y moving toward the ge” point, as affirmed so ; often by th em : Shrices I make no pretenses as a Sly but Bh right from wrong. This statement, thought- fy y pondered by the public, from my point of view § serious, when we remember the vast wealth of 1S company, the great sur i . plus at its command ba d (for i ons 1892, $3,250,389.07), its two per cent Paste y fe ($600,000) over and above all ex » and then think of its ¢ i : ruel wages of its employees, Ride Bor ao came to this town last summer made his e at the luxurious Floren : ce Hotel, and fo i bal : rthwith fe dobajond Wrote a little pamphlet entitled, “The Diary ao ullman,” in which, after eulogizing it as a = n that is bordered with bright beds of flowers green velvety stretches of lawn, shaded with ———— JELFFUL COMBINATION, MUTUAL RECOGNITION ~~ 55 trees, and dotted with parks and pretty water vistas, and glimpses here and there of artistic sweeps of land- scape gardening; a town, in a word, where all that is ugly and discordant and demoralizing is eliminated, and all that inspires to self-respect is generously pro- vided,” he closes his book stating that the town of Pullman “has illustrated the helpful combination of Capital and Labor without strife or stultification, upon the lines of mutual recognition.” This book is endorsed by the company and is handed to every visitor to Pullman who desires a copy. Now if, the times are so depressing as to compel the employees who have been long faithful to the company to eat up their little savings, why, if this company believes in “mutual recognition,” do they not themselves bear a little of this burden of “depressing times?” Why does not Mr. Pullman stand before his board of di- rectors, who represent the 3,246 stockholders of the Pullman Company, of which, 1,800 control the funds of educational and charitable institutions, and of which 1,494 are women, among them, as we are told, Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, and demand of them upon the basis of morality and right that instead of declaring a quarterly dividend of 2 per cent in these terribly depressed times, they declare a divi- dend of one and one-half per cent, and place the $114,000, representing the other one-half percent, to the credit of the pay roll? This may not be “business,” but it would be “mu- a RW WR ewe aE 56 WHAT THE SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN SAYS tual recognition.” While the Pullman Company claims on %e one hand that its whole system is purely finan- oe » with not one ounce of real philanthropic blood flowing through its veins (which is certainly true of os Sonning President), still it has caused hon Send s of dollars’ worth of complimentary literature to cattered abroad for these many years, throughout te country, like the above pamphlet, giving a quasi- rayne to the alleged fant that the town is estab- - Solavion of the industrial problem upon e asis of “mutual recognition.” In support of ny position on this matter, I quote entire an edito Hal taken from the columns of the Daily Republica : of Springfield, Mass., under date of Wednesda . 11. It hits the nail on the head. It is gratif learn that my position is not altogether Coaaid is supported by one of her Uns the country: y one of the most reliable journals of PULLMAN PROFITS AND WAGES. “ fae smoke of the present battle has cleared ve ii 1erits of the original controversy between a i and bys employees will remain as a sub- os sits is pa lic inquiry and discussion. Closely A 1s point is the financial condition of the palisan mpany. Its operations for the last two al years, ending July 31,resulted as follows: — — ——r— —————— ———— PHENOMENAL PROFITS OF THE COMPANY 57 1892, 1893. Earnings, $8,061,081 $9,200,685 Royalties, profits, etc., 1,041,275 2,189,211 Total revenue, $10,002,356 $11,389,890 Operating expenses, $3,438,863 $3,825,940 Other expenses, 1,013,104 1,037,508 Dividends on stock, 2, 300,000 2,520,000 Surplus, $3,250,380 $4,000,448 «Thus, after declaring a dividend on the stock of 8 per cent, the company had left a surplus in 1893 large enough to have warranted an extra dividend of over 10 per cent, and in 1892 it could have declared an extra dividend of 8 per cent, above the 8 per cent actually divided. Ever since 1876 this company has paid dividends of from 8 to 9 1-2 per cent, and rare has been the year in which it has not carried a large sum to the surplus account, which in the main has not been invested in the plant of the company, and is presumably available in large part for division among the stockholders—an aggregate sum to date of some $24,000,000, or within $12,000,000 of the entire amount of capital invested from the stock. Mr. Pullman personally is a very wealthy man, said to be worth some $25,000,000. «This is a very remarkable showing of profits from manufacturing industry. Its parallel for richness is hardly to be found in the country, outside of the sugar trust and one or two other combinations. It cannot be found among the railroads or among any of the ordinary manufacturing or mercantile enterprises. It is the biggest gold mine probably uncovered in the country before the advent of the ‘trust’ idea. “\When the great strike and riots of 1877 were precipitated by a reduction of 10 per cent in the er ——— — _— ——_—————— A 3.57 —— i. a — — te — a ———— ——————- Suite 58 WHY SHOULD LABOR STAND ALL THE LOSS? wages of the employees of the Baltimore and Ohio and other roads, Mr. Garrett’s company was paying 10 per cent on its stock; and 7/ke Republican held at the time that the company should have put at least a part of the reduction upon capital, reducing the dividend rate to, say, 9 per cent, after which wages might be brought into consideration. And at that time 10 per cent on money was far less above the general average of rates than it is to-day. “It may be a question, therefore, for philanthropists and labor reformers to consider, whether Mr. Pull- man, in view of the extraordinary profits he and his company were accumulating, was or was not morally bound to share more generously with his men in the effects of the hard times. He believes in paternalistic methods, and has put them in operation at his works to a degree not equaled anywhere else in America. What could be more in consonance with this policy than at such a time to dip back into the surplus of $4,000,000 made in the single previous year and keep up the wages of employees who are so carefully housed and otherwise looked after as so many dependents at Pullman? It may not be true in other cases, but it is certainly true of such a system of paternalism, that wage reductions can not be justified in the face of such profits as the Pullman Company exhibits.” Point 2. Take another item in Mr. Pullman’s statement. He says: “Our pay rolls for that year (1893) show an average earning of over $600 pér an- num for every person, man, woman or youth, on the roll.” Following the reasoning adopted above, it might be asked, Was this estimate based upon the earn- ings of mechanics and laborers alone? The local CONTRACTS TAKEN AT A LOSS 56 Pullman pay roll is said to include all except the ager and assistant manager. The pay roll includes 1 force, heads of departments, all Then, again, let the man the large clerica monthly hands, foremen, etc. : the general public remember that included in the earnings of these men for 1393 was the immense amount 2 money earned for over time. The winter of 1893 was one of the busiest in the history of the com pany, The employees labored day and night. For Weeks at a time I did not see the men connected with my church, except on the Sabbath. The employees, of course, were allowed extra pay for the over-time,and this naturally swelled the amount of the pay-roll. This, of course, would make it easy to estimate the above. oe Point 3. Mr. Pullman also says in his statement that he took certain contracts for building cars at a loss and that he did so simply to keep his men em- pe is no doubt and never has been in the minds of his employees that he took certain contracts at a loss. Behind this statement, which has gous forth all over the country, Mr. Pullman has maintained an apparently impregnable position; and the public naturally says: “How can Mr. Pullman pay the wages of 1893, while at the same time he is losing money on certain contracts for building cars?’ But it must be borne in mind that the great bulk of work done in the Pullman shops was the repairing as —— a wr . ' { 60 MOST OF THE WORK REPAIRS of old cars shipped in from all over the country; cars that had been doing service for the World's Fair traffic, It is safe to say that sixty per cent of the work done in the shops at the time of the strike was repair work, and not new work. The repair work was Mr. Pullman’s own work, done by him under con- tract with the railroad corporations running his cars. + When their employees were cut 33 1-3 per cent, in . some cases 40 per cent and in others 50 per cent, it was for work done not only on the comparatively small amount of new contracts in the shops, but principally on the repairing of old cars. Furthermore, I under- stand that a certain amount of this repair work is done at the expense of the railroads running the cars. Of course the company, while it cuts wages, does not repair cars for the roads at a less figure than heretofore on account of “hard times.” Let the public also bear in mind that while the girls employed in the laundry department of the great shops (no small part of the business) were cut in their wages, nevertheless the price of berths on the Pullman Palace cars was not reduced to the gen- eral public. If you ate your dinner in a Pullman Palace Car, and wiped your mustache upon a Pull- | man napkin, laundered by these girls, you did not ‘ have to pay less for your dinner as a result of their | reduction in wages! money on contracts. It seems that there is another side of this loss of An interview with one of the >” — on ——— LOSS BY MISMANAGEMENT 61 brightest men ever in the employ of the Pullman Company, indicates to me that while money has.been lost on a few contracts, and wages thereby cut, still thousands of dollars were squandered in the shops last year by mismanagement. For instance, there was a loss per car of a certain amount. It is thought that the system of keeping tally on all lum- Word comes suppose ber used in car construction is faulty. to change the whole system. That change does not remedy the evil, is, on the contrary, productive of a lot of useless red-tape, and the result is that there is a change that involves a practical loss of $9 to $10 per car. My informant further states that during the winter of 1893, vhen the shops. were running night and day in certain departments, machinery would run for hours without any actual work, merely be- cause of some notion from headquarters. Changes in machinery and constructions of machinery were made, regardless of cost and, in the estimation of my practical informant, unnecessarily. Further, he declares that the engineer's office, departments of estimate and figures on construction of cars, is a useless expense (as it was then run), entailing a drain of $2,000 per month at least on the Company’s exchequer. Probably these losses may have had something to do with the reduction of wages. If so, it would have been more just to have laid the responsi- bility where it belonged and cut gentlemen with high salaries rather than take it out of the “wage-earners.” i ——— wo 62 SENATOR SHERMAN’S OPINION So peculiar are the methods of the Pullman Com- pany in transacting its business, that the attention of Congress was not long ago called to it by no less a personage than Senator Sherman, of Ohio. To quote the language of a Washington correspon- dent of the /nter Ocean, it seems that the movement was “initiated inthe Senate before the strike began, and it had been a subject of serious consideration by Mr. Sherman for many years. He proposes, in short, that the Pullman Company shall be brought within the provisions of the interstate commerce act, and that Congress shall enact a law requiring that cor- poration to give the public better accommodations at lower rates. He would require the Pullman Company to keep the upper berths up if not sold, and would reduce rates one half. The subject is one as to which there is very likely to be a unanimity of senti- ment in Congress. The Pullman Company has so widely advertised its disposition to charge extortionate rates and to refuse to accommodate the public, that if Mr. Sherman shall press his measure, that corporation will find that it will not have a state legislature to deal with.” Senator Sherman said to this correspondent: “I regard these rates as simply infamous. It 1s outrageous for us to be compelled to pay such high prices for such poor accommodations as we receive in our trips to and fro about the country. They give you a short, narrow berth, so close and uncom- fortable that in many cases one would rather sit up nl LIE. ds be AER a Sn. Phe VE, ee BAe a + EF Sl A MOST OUTRAGEOUS MONOPOLY 63 all night than submit to the inconveniences of the compartment. If you get a lower berth and no one has the upper, the porter insists upon putting down the Ld and so increasing your misery rather than giving you the benefit of the air. I do not know why this is so, unless it is an effort on the part of the com- pany to make their prestige all the greater and the more unendurable. - “I regard the Pullman Company and the sugar trust as the most outrageous monopolies of the day. They make enormous profits, and give their patrons little or nothing in return in proportion. It is per- fectly clear to me that there is a way to reach the sleeping-car problem with ease through government action. States have in many instances adopted reg- ulations intended to reduce the evil of extortionate charges on the r ialroads, but there are few, if any, railroads that run sleepers through but one state, and thus these laws are of no avail, for nc state can regulate any corporations beyond its own limits, “The United States can easily control the charges for sleepers, just as the railway fares have been reg- ulated by means of the interstate commerce law. I believe that that act has been amply enforced without very much trouble, and I can see no reason why a similar act should not be passed with reference to the sleeping-car problem. A bill of a dozen lines would suffice, fixing the rate per mile to be charged by these companies and providing a penalty for overcharging. I think the rates should be reduced one-half. The Pullman Company, for instance, is very rich, made so by the enormous and disproportionate profits on its cars. With half that profit the company could make a great deal of money and give the public better service. “Perhaps you do not know, but it is nevertheless a fact, that the Pullman Company charges each i yg Hd — eT Wiis A SI———— —————— | | | ! 1 { | | | | | 5 oo RAILROADS SHOULD MAKE THEIR OWN CARS 65 64 A SPECIMEN OF FETTY EXTORTION sleepers have expired,and there is no reason why the ; : : K : A —— Tl this goes into the pockets of Pullman in 2ition so of the sleeping car, who is now dead. Hae was obliged the rates paid by he Passeine ar bnasy be to sell out to the Pullman Company and they have held vee an i run po. Fo I the Taopaly with Qreat he 3 Deon have Bn 1o fo » aN 3 : ( now, I believe, run out, and althoug e Pullmans 1k gets several times that sum in a4didionifrem the pb b have taken out letters for some improvements, I think “| . ~ lic. That $10 paid by the railroad is counted mio | it would be perfectly easy for the monopoly to be \ § the running expenses of the road, and is Syeni pity broken. I think that this abuse can be reached, and 4 paid by the passenger in the fare he gives for bis ride. : I propose to press this matter to some sort of conclu- } So the traveler pays twice, "eh reality, Jor his ues sion. It seems to me that the American people have ionable accommodations on board a s eeper. . . Up non heavy rates myself frequently, for when we go Drise aa ns snough, especially as | out to our home in Ohio we have to pay, for my wife, my daughter and myself, as much for sleeper rates as : for the entire railroad fares. The berths are so close . and uncomfortable that we have to spread out over a good deal of space in order to avoid being made ill by I J— . I may be regarded as presumptuous in quoting as freely from Senator Sherman's interview, The same sentiments have been expressed by the Pullman er ' the journey.” The Senator also referred to the question of tip- ping as a species of petty extortion. He continued: — “It is a small matter in the individual case, but it is an extortion to pay the porter for each trip you take. The trouble is that these men are not paid enough by the company. If they were paid adequate salaries the passengers would not be obliged to come forward to help them out. 1 really think the men need the money in most cases,and I always give, be- strikers individually and upon the public platform. But when uttered by a United States Senator they carry with them a weight of influence far beyond that given to them by the poor wage-earner. It is pleasant to have a United States Senator on your side. And, moreover, it is good to quote that powerful journal the /nter Ocean, as uttering sentiments in harmony with those entertained by the Pullman strikers. So cruel and fearfully unjust has been the attitude of this cause I do not want to feel or to appear mean about the matter. There is a sort of compulsion about it, though, that is very disagreeable, and it could all be avoided.” Another matter referred to by the Senator is inter- esting reading: “There is one matter that should not be overlooked Pe in this consideration. The main patents on these newspaper to the labor man and the Pullman em- ployees in particular, during the past nine weeks, that itis like an oasis in the desert to quote it against this grinding and “nothing to arbitrate” corporation, It seems to me thatevenif Mr. Pullman did take contracts for new work at a loss, this did not, in | A Ms — A ep nar AGH ogre % x ———————— ? . Rh - Ps 66 NO NEED TO INSPECT THE BOOKS form a valid excuse for view of the foregoing facts, Money was lost, 1 the continual cutting of wages. in prosperous times, not on the net “hecause afterward a snug have no doubt, labor and material, but sum of ‘general expense’ —of a fancy plant, salaries of clerks, superintendents, and all attaches of he general office—were thrown into the bill of contract, to say nothing about the immense losses and waste But the company can take con- in experimenting. »__and make it back In money tracts—'‘ lose money through rental. Point 4. Mr. Pullman offered to allow the em- ployees the privilege of inspecting his books. This is true, but the employees had no need to con- There may have been a few who did sult his books. i not believe he lost money on certain conttacts, the majority of them accepted his statement as cor- There were those, however, who believed that rect. “doctored” to in some way or other the books were suit the Company's side of the question, and still others that there was a double set of books kept by the company which would make it impossible to get at the facts in the case. While this may not be true, still it indicates the suspicious condition of wind en- gendered by the Company's past treatment ol its em- ployees. And further, with such a complicated and intricate system of bookkeeping as that of the Pullman Company, how could working-men be expected to arrive at conclusions therefrom? — ——————. — —— — on MR. PULLMAN’S INGENIOUS EVASION €7 Point 5. In his final statement Mr, Pullman re- fers to the question of arbitration, and very ingeni- ously evades the whole question at issue. He says: “How could I, as president of the Pullman com- pany, consent to agree that if any body of men not concerned with the interests of the company’s share- holders should, as arbitrators, for any reasons seem- ing good to them, so decree, I would open the shops, employ workmen at wages greater than their work could be sold for and continue this ruinous policy indefinitely or be accused of a breach of faith? Who will deny that such a question is plainly not a sub- ject of arbitration? Is it not, then, unreasonable that the company should be asked to arbitrate whether or not it should submit such a question to arbitration?” Now, it was never asked of Mr. Pullman that he consent to arbitration with the condition attached that he open his shops and employ his men at wages greater than their work could be sold for. Nor was he asked to continue his ruinous policy indefinitely. When approached by the Committee of the Com- mon Council, all that was asked of him was arbitra- tion on the question as to whether or not there was anything to arbitrate. If his position was right, then he had nothing to fear. It is absurd to attempt to treat the relation between a giant corporation and its army of organized workmen quite on the old simple footing of one employer and his one hired man. Arbitration alone can settle these difficulties. I submit if here is not a basis of arbitration: 1. Less cut in wages. 2. rents. 3. Equalization of wages. 4. Reform of abuses prac- ticed in the shops. Reduction of —————— / | i § } \ i } CHAPTER VIL CUTTING WAGES. Let the general public remember one thing which has caused the Pullman employees to stand in a wrong light before the world. They are quoted as wanting the wages of '93 for work done at a loss. When the employees agreed to ask for the wages of 93 they did what a great many people do, they intended to ask for a certain thing and failing in that t o compromise on what they really did want. They felt their cause \ was just and if they failed to get the restoration of the \ scale of 1893, they expected that the Company would \agree to lessen the severity of the cut in wages (say to make it about 25 per cent, instead of 33 1-2 per cent), and then to reduce their rents, equalize their wages, and change the innumerable petty abuses to which they were being subjected in the shops. Mr. Pullman, however, was too sharp for them, and in- stead of generously and openly deciding to do what every just person agrees ought to have been done, he found it very convenient to take the men at their word and, without any compromise, evade the main issue under the specious plea of not being able ta 68 WAGES AND RENTS ABOUT EQUAL 69 pay wages of '93 on the basis of losing contracts. It is generally agreed that the maximum average wage paid at the time of the strike was $1.85. As to the lowest wages, it is difficult to average. The wages are paid every two weeks. Twa checks are given to each employee—one a rent check, the other a pay check. Wages are paid at the bank. When they go to the bank to receive their two weeks’ pay the half month's rent is taken out, and the pay check cashed. The scenes enacted at the bank during last winter were pitiable. Not only was the current rent urgently demanded, but back rent was asked for under circumstances in many cases entirely uncalled for. After deducting rent the men invariably had only from one to six dollars or so on which to live for two weeks. One man has a pay checkin his possession of 7wo cents after paying rent. He has never cashed it, preferring to keep it as a memento. He has it framed. Another I saw the other day, for seven cents. It was dated September, 93. The man had worked as a skilled mechanic at ten hours a day for twelve days, and earned $9.07. He keeps a widowed mother, and pays the rent, the house being in his name. His half month’s rent amounted to $9.00. The seven cents was his, but he has never claimed it. Another em- ployee had 47 cents coming to him on his pay check, and then was asked if he would not apply that on his back rent. He was indignant. He replied: “If Mr. Pullman needs that 47 cents worse than I do, let him have it.” He left it. re a a a —— NT , 70 NO REDUCTION IN RENTS Many employees took advantage of the present law governing wages, and retained a part and Sernetiries all their rent money to sustain their families. Thus it was that the employees fell in arrears in rent to the extent of $70,000. ~The average cut in wages was 33 1-3 per cent; in some cases it was as much as 40 per cent, and in many was fifty per cent. These cuts in wages with- out corresponding reduction in rents were very severe, and largely produced the dissatisfaction which re- sulted in the strike. As for those who had always earned good wages and were living in the better class of houses, these cuts bore down upon them with increasing severity. One man, an expert in certain kinds of work, not neces- sary to mention, as it might injure him, was cut hon thirty-five cents an hour to twenty-three cents, an was about to be cut lower. These wages, even when cut, were not so bad, but the great trouble in 50 many cases was they could not put in full time. This man, all through the winter, earned just barely enough each pay day to meet his rent. His wife, taking in board- ers and roomers, was thus able to keep the wolf from the door. A first-class mechanic worked ten hours a day for two weeks and then only eurned $9.90. Laborers in the fall and winter earned nine cents an shifting lumber. : : this le question of wages the public must bear in mind that the wage difficulty was not the go ——g— WAGES NOT THE WHOLE TROUBLE 7 whole trouble. Other things being equal, the men could have borne with more grace the reduction of wages. But there was personal abuse and tyrannical dealing in the shops, no reduction of rents, the loss of time, and a hundred minor abuses inherent in the system, that make the question of wages in Pull- man different to that found in any other place. There is but one town of Pullman in America, and that is sui generis. . - While all the employees were cut in wages, many were still able to live, gentlemen as they are, who on principle, were. willing to bear almost anything rather than complain. A goodly number had no particular complaint at all, but while opposed to the strike, they were in hearty sympathy with those upon whom the burden of the cut was most severe. The cuts seemed to fall unequally on different classes of employees, the scale was changed so often that the men were in a constant condition of wonderment as to what would be the next move. The worst feature was that while the most of the work was.done by piece work rather than time work, they did not have the opportunity to put in full time. For two or three months in the winter the hours of labor were seven hours a day. Later, as work increcsed, the time in- creased to ten hours per day. The employees com- plained bitterly of their loss of time, all through the winter. I heard it on every side. In a large estab- lishment like the Pullman Shops there must necessa- ” INSPECTORS AND MORE INSPECTORS rily be a large force of foremen, under foremen, sub- bosses, as well as heads of departments and higher officials. Instead of decreasing these foremen and under bosses, while cutting wages, these sub-bosses and inspectors were increased to such an extent as to make it positively unbearable in certain depart- ments, . The employees were cut on an average of 331-2 per cent in their wages, many of them 40 per cent and not a few 50 percent. Trimmers were compelled | to work on a car by contract so low, that after the Ee wages was worked out, it would take three to five days od re to finish the car, and not one cent allowed to them thereon. First-class mechanics would work ten Es hours a day for two weeks and receive $9.90. La- \ borers were known to labor for nine cents an hour / for ten hours’ work, and earn the glorious sum of ~ ninety cents per day. Inspectors or sub-bosses were placed over little gangs of men, to see that the same quality of work was squeezed out of the already cruelly reduced employees, as they had always been doing. It was, therefore, not surprising in many cases that the wages were so low that with the high rents they could not live. Let me illustrate by the case of a mechanic em- ployed in the iron department He works on a cer- tain machine. He earned $1.40 per day. If he has full time (which he has not) he earns $36.40 in one month. yt es owt zy Y f » { i | Ed a FORTY-NINE CENTS A DAY 73 We will say that he is a married man and oscupies a flat of five rooms, for which he pays $14.50 per month. This leaves him $21.90 to clothe, feed and otherwise provide for his family, or about eighty-four cents per day. He can get another flat for $12.50, ina house having four flats to the building, on another street. He can live in the tenement blocks for $9.00 or $7.00. But what man who desires to bring up his family aright desires to live there? You can make the same calculation upon the basis of $1.85, which all agree was the average wages paid at the time of the strike. Out of that $1.85 per day you must deduct rent and water rate, on the basis of $18.50 plus 71 cents, $17.00 plus 71 cents, $14.50 plus 50 cents, $12.50 plus 50 cents, $6.50 plus 50 cents, $8.60 plus 50 cents, brick yards $8.00. Before drawing conclusions, read chapter on rents, and see what your intelligent American mechanic gets in re- turn for the above rents, and which kind of rent he will be most likely to come under. One man, a common laborer with a family to sup- port, said he received for the days he was given work forty-nine cents a day. His rent for the month, in- cluding water rates, was $8.21. There was left out of his pay check less than $3 with which to support his family two weeks. One of the blacksmiths who was at the works for years say, he, when at work, earned forty-five cents in six hours. When the Pullman Company's ultima- pm ein cern ten. etm se tn. s—————— [or F + Hf 4 A BLACKSMITH STARVED OUT tum was piven that the strikers must go to work at the reduced rates or leave Pullman, he declared that he would leave, because if he had to starve he wouldn't starve and wear out his clothes at the same time at Pullman's anvil. He and his companions, he said, were among the first to get out. Another man,a few days before the strike,got a pay check for his month's labor which came forty-five cents short of balancing his rent account. A bill for its balance was made out and the collector was sent with it to his house for payment. What this man was going to live on until his next pay check and next month’s rent were due, he didn’t know, and he did not require much persuasion to quit. The blacksmiths, who formerly made from $4 a day upwards, say that at the time they went on strike, after three cuts in their wages within six weeks, they could not average more than $1 a day. One of them, a man who is counted one of the best opera- tors in the shop, was ‘only able to make $1.03 in three days. Carvers, who are a very high grade of skilled arti- sans and who generally receive high wages, had been, at the time of the strike, cut down until they received only twenty-five cents an hour. Stripers, another high grade of workmen, got twenty cents an hour, while painters got only nineteen cents. A part of the winter they were only permitted to work seven hours. + a - ————— wo HOW THE WOMEN ARE TREATED It seems that these cuts were Worse in some de- partments than in others; and even in the same de- partments there would be a strange lack of equaliza- tion. I will quote here a letter written by Miss Jennie Curtiss, an employee of the Company, which will give, in her own language, a description of the Company's treatment of the employees in the women’s depart- ment. I have read this letter to a young woman, an employee in the «New Work” department, who is very conservative and reliable, and well qualified to testify on these points. She corroborates everything written herein: “Being an employee of the Pullman Company for the past five years, I can truthfully state the follow- ing. There are two sewing rooms in the Pullman works; one is where all the new work is done, such 5 new carpets, window curtains, silk, satin, velvet, and plush draperies made for parlor, dining and chair cars only. We also sew the plush and tapestry with which the seats and backs of the sleepers are up- holstered, and make all the sheets, pillow-slips, table- cloths, towels, napkins and linen of all descriptions used in the dining cars and sleepers. We also make all kinds of berth curtains. «Then there is the Repair shop sewing room, where all of the repairing is done. I have worked in both departments, three years and a half in the new sew=- ing room, and one year and a half in the Repair shop sewing rooms. The wi rk in these sewing rooms is made mostly piece wori: and some day work. I will state some of our prices. I ..carpet, go cents a section. F304 ee ea neeasnnnes ..carpet, 20 cents a section. Pr ——————— TT ™ Bot Tm mh es Se et ccngpnes™ A—— ” ¥ i S— Sp 70 PRICES PAID FOR WORK ON CARPET S “It is true we were making these carpets (under the reduction) by machine, that is about half of them, and the other half of them had to be finished by hand, and the machine sewing did not save ten per cent of the work, and I have known girls that made these carpets by machine at twenty cents a section, to only make five cents an hour. These carpets are cut and made in sections. The carpet is all in one, but it is cut in such odd shapes and slashes made to fit the cars that from one cut to the other we call a section, These carpets are large and small, they run from four to nine sections; therefore a nine section carpet that we received ninety cents a section for in 1893, would be $8.10; in 1894 at twenty cents a section, only $1.80. There have been a great many mistakes made about the prices of these carpets in the state- ments of the papers, and that is why I have tried to explain as much as possible in regard to them. 893 A three window drapery. $1.50 1 94 “l ic if» i S80 1893 A two window drapery 1.25 1894 6s fe ff it 48 1893 A one window drapery 1.00 1894 tt ‘t ‘l il 45 1893 I enclosed section curtain 35 1894 ‘ [3 él it 15 1893 I mattress tick, folding (37 1-2) 40 1894 1 ““ “ ““ 4 18 1803 I $4 single (2 2 1894 2 1 tl fe "5 ( 7) 3 . “These prices are in the Repair shop sewing room, in which place I worked last. They get the same price for the same work in the new room, but the prices on the linen and several other things I can not give. There are numerous other kinds of work we make for the cars, which would take too much time and space to mention, which has all been cut from ANNOYANCES SUFFERED FROM A FOREWOMAN m time to time to the very lowest standard. For four years we were allowed to make $2.25 a day at the prices of 1893, which was very good wages for a girl, but which we well earned, as it was very tedious and confining,and long hours. At the time the shops closed on account of the strike, I was earning on an average eighty cents a day, at the prices of 18094. It was very hard to have to work for such small wages as that, which would afford a person a mere existence. But the tyrannical and abusive treatment we received from our forewoman made our daily cares so much harder to bear. She was a woman who had sewed and lived among us for years, one, you would think, who would have some compassion on us when she was put in a position to do so. When she was put over us by the superintendent as our forewoman, she seemed to delight in showing her power in hurt- ing the girls in every possible way. At times her con- duct was almost unbearable. She was so abusive to certain girls that she disliked, that they could not stand it,and would take their time and leave, who would otherwise have been working there to-day. If she could make you do a piece of work for twenty- five cents less than the regular price, she would do so every time. 'In fact she cut a great deal of work down /erself. 1 have had many a dispute with her myself about cutting down our prices just to get the work done cheaper, thinking she would stand in bet- ter with the Company. She was getting $2.25 a day and she did not care how much we girls made, whether we made enough to live on or not, just so long as she could figure to save a few dollars for the Company. When a girl was sick and asked to go home during the day, she would tell them to their face they were not sick, the cars had to be got out, and they could not go home. She also had a few favorites in the room, to whom she gave all the best work, that they 78 SICKNESS. DEATH AND RENT could make the most money on. We would com- plain of her to the foreman and general foreman, but they all upheld her, and if you were not willing to take her abuse you could go. There is now lying in Mr. Wickes’ office in Chicago a petition signed by fif- teen girls in the sewing room,requesting her removal. There are only eighteen girls working under her. No doubt she will remain in the employ of the Pullman Company, as that is just the kind of people they want at the heads of their departments—one who will help grind down their laborers. My father worked for the Pullman Company for zen years. Last summer he was sick for three months, and in September he died. At the time of his death we owed the Pull- man Company about sixty dollars for rent. I was working at the time and they told me [ would have to pay that rent, give what I could every pay-day, until it was paid. I did not say I would not pay, but thought rather than be thrown out of work I would pay it. Many a time I have drawn nine and ten dollars for two weeks’ work, paid seven dollars for my board and given the Company the remaining two or three dollars on the rent, and I still owe them fifteen dollars. Sometimes when I could not possibly give them anything,I would receive slurs and insults from the clerks in the bank, because Mr. Pullman would not give me enough in return for my hard labor to pay the rent for one of his houses and live. JENNIE CURTISS.” Here is another letter, written by an employee in the freight department. Some pitiable tales are told by the freight-car builders, concerning their hardships during the past winter. 1 have the man’s name and address, but will not use it, for fear of retaliation: I STORY OF A FREIGHT-CAR BUILDER TT “Pullman, Ill, July 22, '04. Rev. W. H. CARWARDINE. DEAR Sir: —1I will try and give you a few facts. I am a freight-car builder, have worked for the Pull- man Co. since the roth of January,1892,and I don't think we asked too much when we asked our wages restored to what they were in 1893, as we did not make any more than a fair living at that time. The highest pay that I made for two weeks in 1893 was $34.72, and I can truly say that my wages for the year did not exceed $1.80 per pay. Up to the be- ginning of the strike, I had run in debt about one hundred dollars; one half of this for rent,the rest for groceries and meat. I have reported for work every day that the shops were open for work, up till the strike began, and never missed even one hour, except when I moved my family here. 1 hdve a wife and four children, and it was for them that I struck, as I think that when a man is sober and steady, and has a saving wife, one who is willing to help along, and after working two and a half years for a company he finds himself in debt for a common living, something must be wrong. Some folks have said that we should have been satisfied. So we would have been, if we had been assured that this cut of fifty per cent was only temporary, and the Company had done the fair thing on the rent at the same time. But nol I was told just befare the strike by one of the foremen that the Company had work for six months,and if we had kept on the Company would have owned us by that time. So with a prospect of working an indefinite length of time at these prices and under an overbear- ing and profane foreman, we struck and will stay out until the battle is fairly won, or we have to step out for good, and I believe if we do have to move out, the Pullman Company will rue the day, because I never saw a better class of mechanics than there are : AE A $0 NO ANARCHISTS IN THE FAMILY in Pullman to-day,and I never lived in a more orderly town in my life,and I don’t believe there would have been one single dollar’s worth of property destroyed in this town if the Company hadn’t gone to the ex- pense that they have, as well as the city and state. I don’t think that George M. Pullman is as well ac- quainted with his children as he pretends to be, or he would have known that there was not one single anarchist in his whole family. Leaving you to use any part of this, or all if you wish, I remain, Very respectfully yours.” “P. S. I was bornin the United States, as were my parents before me and as were their parents before them.” The following statement will give some definite idea to the general reader as to the reduction of wages in the Freight Department: “Pullman, July 23, 1894. Rev. W. H. CARWARDINE. DEAR Sir: —1I have been employed as car-builder in the freight department of the PullmanPalace Car Com- pany for the past twelve years. The best wages that I ever averaged as car-builder was $2.10 per day, and when the strike began my wages averaged seventy cents per day. I have paid $11.57 per month rent for the past eight years. The treatment we have re- ceived from the foreman of the Company has been worse than the slaves ever received in the south. “I shall give you some prices paid. These figures I take from a ledger secured from the general time- keeper from the freight shops. rp FIGURES SHOWING THE EXACT REDUCTIONS 81 Ji 1808... ius sinnnn sna sane. 00, 1888 Car-bullder.. ....covuurvvisinns vt vs ve +a 300 Track builder... ...oveenec ens. FERC Aruck labor... ......coviiecinninns Er Hanging brakes............ Lh wins winnie sie sniln 20 Delivery forgings... ...cc0000040 enix vo 0a 1408 Delivery lumber... .......co000s0eee cars eseBS PEMOIAE «0 ccs coco vannssisnn cine ssmnsniss uO veer “The same car with latest improvements,in Novem- ber, 1893. Car-builder.. .... REVIRRIEIY, . JF Truck tt dirs ir rss sera see sa D0) Track IabIor.. .. ovo vs even iinssnvrnsisnnsveedOD Hanging brakes. ........ovcvisivssscvisens +008 Delivery forming. . .. co vous vn trnnsnsencsesnivine3ds Delivery Jumber. . .. .. ..covsvrovsvrssrsrnee onl Prag, cc. cece cv vnc vinnie mics vevinone sneak Total... ........i... “reese ee» 50.02 vives usb vo ne ae ee $103 “I shall show figures of the car that we struck on, the Wickes Refrigerator, in 1889. Total....... Average wages in 1288.........., Average PO ¢ Car-bullders.. ........conssnessrnvs vane +. $36.00 Bruch aca s brane sree eh ver OO BenekAabor oo. nr ES Hanging brakes... ...... cv vues ssn snr ss van 20 Belivery forgings. ....... oc. oe tacinna i 3H Delivery umber... .... coco vvcicrvsvvar sneer 124B Framiifi@.. or: cot ce cn vn snnvnnnnnnsnns ne snes Total..... 3 er ei en anenevnne Sd 2.08 82 FIGURES SHOWING THE EXACT REDUCTIONS 1803. 1894. “ i i The same car, 1804, with the latest improvements. Tufted head rests, with Springs. ................ $ 8s |$ y : Tufted head rests, without springs............. 65 yo Cal BTIAEr os sv cn snsrss ensast se senves +» HI0.50 RNY 67 i Truck ** sara ea siin aie 60 Sriogeds seats, tufted......... tris hina ee 1.10 pa vie Spring-edge seats, plain...... : Track HADOL. «consis sn ns srssssnnsnivs snares 10 RE aan, gi 3 ; isle ends... oi ie A Sabres a A 70 Hanging brakes... .. iar niaelenee lOO Wall CIES. vcr rnnrrssn sunrise teeter eren anwar 1 a Delivery IOrgIgS. . cco vsrrnsoereesrrznesense 38 SE en - igo Mann boudoir seat, tufted. ............... 3.00 1.70 Delivery amber. . «. coer snvansrrsscrnnnrrens ..04 Mam DOIOIr Soaks DIA: «xu we ssn versrs rrsas 27 ! : ; PRIN. ..earresssrrnsersrssas , 2 1.51 i A i Mann boudoir back. ....cveivvnrcnersenarrneess 4.00 2.8 Diningcar plushseats. ......covunvvvvnveerreees 37 3 E — Dining car leather seats. ..........oeveen 13! : Toll teense LE Db ee OF Dining car leather back. .......cooenviinnnsn .95 34 Reduction of $i .Q Drawing-room sola Seals. . iu nna rans vn veanisien 3.50 2.40 eS Ee 9.7: Smoking room sofa Seats. «.cuveeriiiiiaie ens 3.50 wp: E Average of wages 1889.......... ..$2.00 per day Extra long sofa seats. ........oooouuuaaeenenee 400 23 Average 6 6s ISGH ov 1 ssivn nisin s .Q1 per day Round-end s00a SEALS. . orc cs serssnsrs ssc snsrans 2.75 2078 Drawing-room sofa backs, plain................ 60 39 Drawing-room sofa backs, tufted 2. : o i . eosin tains ce mnind - 2.00 Y.3 Respectfully. Smoking-room sofa backs, double. oo. .oooennes 4.00 2 8 Smoking-room sofa backs, single. .....povneeee : Sofa panels, tufted y a T hos DUI ARES, fUited. . cv vss ren rr enna aie .e 0 . Sofa panels, with arms... ...coininnnenareee go 42 } ; ; 3 : Plush panels, per €ar.........oevasanrennvenres 1.02 4 The following table will indicate the reductions SOfATOlS ccvsconrmsvsnsrnssnnentrannroerr mn) 140 0 2 : Largecar chairs... .. +. : in the upholsterers’ department. I he list of reduc- Pretoett oT rly aa 1 Ye : op » tor ERR ree eee See a 5.50 3.60 tions here used throughout the chapter, are taken ie ge CHE i pe : ‘ 3} i mu S ; fic inde, vont! sunsersenninsnn messes «eel 4.50 2.90 from the statement of the Strikers’ Central Commit- Withet chains DO 100 § 173 : : icker chair, 10, 1,080. 5c cusses cers wnevivennas 1.00 “tee in their report to the A. R. U. Convention. Wickeranfa, ..... concn ersrmrsensicinitiscsiias neat 10 a a i Sa . Cutting carpets, dining Car. cs... coeur They claim that they are taken from the official books Cutting on Aorpons CAF Sse oo i > , slee I oa iisiniein yas 2 o J Cutting carpets, Wilton. ......oiiiiieeenenenes 2 1. of the Company. I have submitted them for cor- 1 Laying carpet and oil cloth... co iiiieeene-s go 3 roboration to a gentleman who has been for many Mulirusies few folding IE Ee a .30 .20 attresses, double : a G0aDbIE. ce series tnnnens 2 1 years a trusted employee of the Company, who is Mattresses, smoking-room. . .... Re go 3 : io SE Mattresses, old single. .........cciieiinrerenens 20 i an entirely disinterested party and isin a position Mattresses, tourist en ra ari ae 23 3 : Loose CRSNIONS. soos tvs riers vamsisnsunissisismpsns. 2: "20 to know, and he says that they are correct: Spring-edge seats, day coaches. .......ooveeneone = ” ze Hard-edge seats, day coaches. .........oevvennee .43 35 2 Backs, day cORCHES .......cucrr ts sssrasnarana 30 27 Puy wos, ciriersieivie Cesare weve see sisaies 2.75 1.90 be yr cer re Saree AS SR es eet x 2.50 1.90 . ay work. ............en acai ale aie sae slate nis tains 2.25 1 80 . Duy work ii fire it nn em msine aisienereie aisis siainininiog 2.00 1.50 ay work, laborers...... aaislacenis niin tin wminies ie ivtes 1.50 1.30 84 COMPARATIVE WAGES IN PULLMAN AND ELSEWHERE Among the painters the following table will give some idea as to their reductions: 1893. | 1894. Ornamental painters .......oececeereeeeeerrreiesss $ 2.75% 2 30 Ornamental Painters. ....evvasessanarnsnrnrreersss 2.50, 2.30 Hardwood finishers........ceevessvrressennmenrnses 2.35] 2.00 Hardwood AniShers......oe ceeess sesenvemervroes 2.3} 1.75 READDETE. so ess ienre unsressiivatienvs £onsn rns 2.2¢| Lso RE a vm—————— Piece work prices have been so reduced that the men can with the utmost difficulty make their day rate. The ornamentation of a Pullman sleeper was reduced from $40 to $25.30, rubbing rough stuff from $22 to $1 5,and all other work in the same proportion. It must be borne in mind that the painters in Chi- cago have by their recent strike secured for them- selves thirty-five cents an hour for eight hours’ work until June 15, and 32 1-2 cents an hour thereafter. The men in Pullman have extraordinary skill, but are paid at the rate of twenty-three cents an hour,2 differ- ence to-day of twelve cents. In other words, the Chicago brotherhood men are getting nearly fifty- two per cent more than the members of the Ameri- cap Railway Union. If it be asked why the men do not leave Pullman, it can only be answered that many of them have already, and that more will follow. But they demand justice where they are. The machinists (Bolt Headers’ Dept.) are asking for the same scale of wages as paid by the Chicago Forge and Bolt Company for precisely the same work. The differences are startling, the Pullman men since the cutting, for example, getting only six and one-fourth cents a hundred for three-quarter bolts, while the Chi cago concern is paying eleven and three-fourth cents. The reduction in this department amounts to nearly fifty per cent. The threaders, millwrights, punch handlers, drill hands, and tool-makers ask for the wages of 1893. These last, who make tools, are cut - PAY OF MOLDERS, FOUNDRYMEN AND BLACKSMITHS 8) in some cases to $1 75 a day, from $2.75 paid last December. In addition, the superintendent of this department is a bookkeeper, merely, and has frequently admitted that he knows nothing whatever about ma- chinery or the requirements of the work. Among the Foundrymen, the brass molders have been cut from twenty to twenty-five cents a day, and the laborers and furnace men twenty cents. The brass finishers lost from twenty-five to fifty cents a day. The molders in the wheel shop were cut five cents a wheel, amounting to $1 and $1.20 a day, while the helpers have fifty cents a day less and the laborers ten to thirty-five cents. In the last year the men in this department have only been given twenty- eight days’ actual employment. The machine de- partment men were reduced twenty-five centsa day. The iron foundrymen who do piece work were re- duced from forty to seventy-five cents for ten hours’ work the day workmen forty cents, coremakers from twenty to eighty cents, men in the chipping room twenty to seventy-five cents, and the yardmen twenty _cents. The blacksmiths suffered a cut between thirty and fifty per cent. Smiths making from $3.50to $4.00 a day were cut down to between $1.50 and $2.50, the helpers suffering accordingly. Among the employees of the PullmanCompany there are a number of young women working in the carpet department, the new linen-room, the linen repair room, the glass-embossing department, and the laundry. Before May, 1893, the various departments were all paid at the rate of twenty-two and one- half cents an hour. The cut reduced this to ten cents an hour, a scaling down of sixty-eight per cent. N 86 PAY OF STREET CAR WOKKERS Many girls providing for invalid mothers or small sisters or brothers have been able to make but six cents an hour. The Illinois statutes compel an eight- hour day for women. The special grievance of the wood-machine hands seemed to lie in their opposition to piece work. They have suffered in some instances a cut of forty per cent, and in no case has it fallen below thirty- three and one-third per cent. Some reductions are appalling. Work on parlor cars formerly worth $35 went down to $5, and on day coaches from $6 to $1.75. The following are the reductions made in the Street Cars department since May 1st, 1893: — Body Builders, Inside Finishers and Trimmers, from $3 per day to $2 per day. Cabinet makers were cut fifty per cent, Wood machinists from $2.75 and $2.25 per day to $2.40 and $1.60 per day. Blacksmiths were cut sixty per cent. Iron Machinists were cut eighty-five per cent. In this shop if a man made a complaint the foreman discharged him, telling him that he would bring one of his own countrymen over, who would do as much work as any six Americans. The shop laborers were cut from $1.50 to $1 30 per day. Painters were cut from $3.00 per day to $2. 10. Stripers and ornamenters cut about sixty per cent. This is a sample of prices for a standard closed car: “1892. | 1803. 1804. Body... ..oooviiinniinienninnnns $ 41.000 $3350 $2500 Inside finish ......vnsiervenvecsrsen 30.00 27.00 22.00 PrMUNG . ves eer evs srrsensarsslivcesssoy 17.00] 12.00 In view of these extensive and repeated cuttings of wages, it is no wonder that sometimes pay checks showed laborers, rated at $1.35 per day, often get- ——— i S— iB vin rennin nla — ———— ait - —— Fo Fea — Jl AER PERI | SA ’ A a—— Ty A Ali Pn rs a a apt lf ho Sat] Kernan moss AER ok lar HOW TO LIVE TWO WEEKS ON EIGHT CENTS 87 ting but ninety-one cents for seven hours’ work, and finishers or trimmers making but $13.70 0r even $6.57 for two weeks’ work, out of which, by the terms of the leases, the rents had to be deducted. As I have said before, there were any number of cases contin- ually, where the pay check amounted to less than five dollars, and in some instances but a few cents left after paying the rent. Imagine how a workman must feel after laboring two weeks, to step up to the bank, and have either two cents, seven cents, eight cents, or forty-seven cents handed to him to keep his family on for the follow- ing two weeks. Not much “mutual recognition” in that! In connection with the cutting of wages it must be remembered that the failure to equalize wages pro- duced great injustice and many hardships among the employees. I have it on good authority that after the Annual Meeting of last year the Company decided upon a general policy of reorganization throughout the whole shops. In view of this, work was slackened in all departments, no new work was taken, the em- ployees were laid off until, along in September, was told by the manager that there were not more than goo to 1,200 men on the list. I understand that the “general policy” adopted was to take advantage of the “hard times,” and open up later with a view to cut- ting wages. It was supposed that the employees, be- ing in debt to the Company in rent,would be glad of 48 STATEMENTS TO MR. PULLMAN COLORED work, and accept “cuts” with better grace than if the shops had not been practically shut down for two or three months. I believe Mr. Pullman and Mr, Wickes were desirous of putting this policy into force gradually and evenly, and I have reason to know that Mr. Pullman did not wish the men to be crowded more than they were willing to endure. His orders were, “Go slow.” His managers “drove fast.” Driven to desperation by repeated slashings and cuttings of the managerial whips, the employees took the bit in their teeth, and upset the coach in the ditch, Mr. Pullman, absent half of his time from the city,scarcely coming to the town more than five or six times during the winter, knew nothing about the true stace of affairs. Statements from every department, weekly and so forth, were sent to him, but before reaching him there is no doubt that they were colored with such a roseate hue that he naturally believed all was well. What an easy thing for him to drop down un- expectedly, post himself on the real state of affairs, and act accordingly! For failure to do that, I hold that he is responsible for the present state of affairs. A word as to equalization. First of all, when the wages of the employees were cut, why did he not cut the salaries of the officials, the clerical force, the heads of departments, the foremen, inspectors, etc. ? True, some of the foremen, when they were taken back to work last fall, did so at less pay than when they went out, but they were the only ones, and that was not CABINET-MAKERS AND UPHOLSTERERS 89 a “cut” similar to that received by the employees later on. Then, again, here is what I mean by equalization. Blacksmith laborers, required to do the hardest kind of work, were reduced from $1.50 to $1.30 per day. Now, on the Passenger Car department a laborer whose work was comparatively light and easy, was cut just the same, $1.50 to $1.30. Icontend, in jus- tice, that the blacksmith's laborer ought to have been cut /ess than the other laborer. Again, cabinet-makers and upholsterers were cut about the same, say from $2.75 to $1.85; some as low as $1.55 to $1.50 day rate. Now, a cabinet-maker should not be cut as low as an upholsterer, for the cabinet-maker has to provide himself with a kit of tools valued from $75.00 to $100. 00, with the danger of loss by breakage, etc., pesides years of preparation for his special work. While the upholsterer’s work is important and requires skilled labor, yet it is not as high grade work as the cabinet-maker’s, Yet they are cut the same, without regard to skill, etc. Even if they are on piece work, they are not allowed to make more than day rate. Insome cases they were both cut so low that they could not even make day rate. Then, again, it must be remembered that in all departments through the shops the scale of wages paid, even in 1893, was below the Union scale in vogue throughout Chicago and elsewhere. During the past year in Pullman, skilled mechanics could not pe ay oan _ A —- km me LA - hl aad 90 FOUR AND ONE-HALF CENTS AN HOUR make as much as day laborers made in 1893, with a few exceptions. Another case in point. A fireman employed in heating the great boilers of the Corliss engine, hard and laborious employment, works the first two weeks of the month for eighty-six hours per week, and the next two weeks for one hundred and twenty-six hours per week, seven days in the week. He thus labors 428 hours per month or about sixteen hours per day, and receives therefrom $40.00 per month pay. Or again, an employee in the iron machine shop is given a job consisting of fifty pieces of iron, each with four holes, which are to be squared and trimmed. It takes him just one hour to finish one piece, and according to the scale given to him by the under- foreman, he will receive four and one-half cents per piece; four and one-half cents for one hour's work, and he a good mechanic, capable of earning $3.00 per day. He appeals to the superintendent, a good man, a practical man; he sees the injustice of the case, agrees to have it remedied, and when the man was paid, he found he had been allowed twenty cents for them instead of four and one-half cents. Now, this'man was fortunate in getting justice, but all over the shops men were imposed upon and mistreated in this way, who got no redress. Mr. Pullman says “nothing to arbitrate.” T ap- peal to the public if there was not “something to ar- ET PUTTING ON THE SCREWS 01 bitrate” here—less reductions, and equalization “of wages. In concluding this chapter, I would add that two- thirds of the abuses practiced in the shops arose over this unmerciful cutting of wages. It seemed to be the policy from high official down to sub-boss, to see how often and how much they could “cut” their men. Employees who occupied positions of influence, were seemingly discharged because they did not “cut” to suit those over them; the imported gentlemen who took the places of those vacated, in order to sustain their reputation for reducing expenses, must necessa- rily “cut” and grind those beneath them. Apparently when gentlemen who had been in the employ of the Company seven, eleven and twenty years, all ca- pable and practical men, of irreproachable character, had pressure brought to bear on them to resign, and their places filled with men, not practical, sonie not as irreproachable in character as they might be, but whose sole claim to position was that they would not hesitate to put the screws on the already reduced employees, then it seems to me that the Pullman Com- pany has forgotten about its “mutual recognition” the- ory, and prefers to have just such as these latéas.at the head of the affairs. And these are the gentle- men who at the first alarm of violence cry to the government for military protection, fill the town on the slightest provocation with the police, and who themselves are so afraid of their mortal existence or mene BAAR MT Pe Le mn — ans——————— - A i Al Ik K » 4 1 Li 1 02 3 z THE REGULAR QUARTERLY DIVIDEND that they move about armed to the teeth, and i Sig communication with the militia. O oe ey ‘ cmpora!l ie Sodas place beside this sad picture chat OhSnarieny fea love so well to contemplate, the Sai ace Car Company, $27,000,000 surplus. Wj on of $30,000,000. Two per cent quar- y dividend of $600,000 in three months! When Mr. P mhe evidently must hav time being the high rents a manded for water and gas in his Pullman in his fi «A few words are p ously spread cha these charges 1s implied that the Pullman employees but to submit. rental of tenem $3 per room per m Pullman has no re lomployees may, and ver their houses ou and business pl ployees or to ot boring properties. the Pullman Company is go ditions which govern any 0 estate, except that the ¢ some things which in Chic If. therefore, it is not admitte of any lan that those of the adjoining towns O Roseland should also be CHAPTER VIIL RENTS, WATER, GAS, ETC. allman said that he had “nothing to e forgotten for the nd exorbitant, prices de- “model town.” Mr. nal statement says: ertinent as to some industri- rges against the Company. One of that rents are exorbitant, and it is have no choice The answer is simple: The average ents at Pullman is at the rate of onth, and the renting of houses at lation to the work in the shops. y many do, own Of rent tside of the town, and the buildings aces in the town are rented to em- hers, in competition with the neigh- In short, the renting business of verned by the same Zon- ther large owner of real ompany itself does directly ago are assumed by the d that the 1ents d by arbitration and { Kensington and lord are to be fixe so fixed, it can hardly be 93 | in Agtew Erne: a tl pi vy 4 seb ha D metic A ps oe — og ’ SET lt sn C—O Xr. i : ac. Ai... - Fr —— RE rr T a A ES EMI. 0 5. - 04 AVERAGE RENT PER ROOM asked that the Pullman Company alone should abandon the ordinary rules which govern persons in 3 n ih this carefully. He says that $300 per room is the average rental. OR fifty-one of Mr. Duane Doty’s book en jh oy Pullman, there are 1,855 tenements in Pu ne Eo few have been added, however, since the pu oe 1 of Mr. Doty’sbook. Averaging five rooms to a oe that would make it $3.71 per room. But it a > remembered that at least one-half the op 3s : now empty, and about one-third of them ives v oy been empty. Last year, on account of the 4 gs Fair, was about the only year 1n the history o n town when the houses were all practically Sen If we should base an average on the actual rents by and the actual number of houses occupied, we ro find a much higher rental than $3 oo per iam it look at facts, not averages. I occupied a Bat 0 oh rooms on Watt Ave., and paid $14 50 rent; at fu : per room, I lost $2.50 per month. I i five room cottage on Morse Meus pe ost $2.50 per mouth. a De hi ati street, but a baite} ee tion, for $18.50; at $3.00 per room, I am losing $3.5 ge Leslie's Jllustrated Weekly, Pe New York, July 26, "94, Mr. John T. Bramhall tru fully says: ee - eat i a pant tnt RENT OF FLATS AND COTTAGES 95 “I had read that the rents of houses here range from $5 to $50 per month, the average being $14; but there are hundreds of tenements ranging from $6 to $9 per month. These rents are considerably less than for similar tenements anywhere else in Chicago. “The above was written several years ago, when rents were higher than they are now. Briefly this is what I found, as verified by the rent receipts, the odd cents standing for the water rate: Flat, seven rooms and bath, $28.96; the same in other Chicago suburbs, $18 to $20. Flat, five rooms, $15.66; flat, four rooms, $14.71; apartments in “block,” a three story tenement building in the middle of a square, containing from seventeen to fifty-four families— three rooms, $9.10; two rooms, $7.60.” I quote from Mr. Doty’s book, writtenin the in- terest of the company: “Single five room cottages rent from $16 to $19 per month, while single houses of from six to nine rooms vary from $22 to $10 per month.” While these are cottages, it must be re- membered that they are not detached, but are built side by side with other brick houses in rows. I pay $18.50 for a five room cottage and seventy-one cents for water, with the use of only one faucet, and no bath-room. Four and five room apartments in two story flats rent from $14 to $15 per month, plus the water at 60 to 71 cents per month. Four room apart- ments on the first, second and third floors of three- story flats rent from $11 to $13. 50 per month, plus the water at sixty cents per month, In the large tenement blocks, where from 300 to 500 people live under one roof, you can get two rooms on A — —— © $1,200, the Methodist 06 “EVERYTHING PAYS RENT” on third floor in the rear for $6.50 plus sixty cents for water, or four rooms for $8. 50 plus sixty cents for water. On the second floor of same building you pay $8.50, plus sixty cents, for three rooms. In the brick yards, a place not fit for any decent human being to live in, you can rent a three room cottage for $8.00. The water is free; one outdoor faucet for every four houses. There are some very high-priced houses in town. Taking all cottages, tenements and flats together, I should judge that the average rental would be more likely to be $18.00 than $14.00. The town of Pullman is estimated to be worth $10,000,000. Everything pays rent. The “Green- stone Church,” as I have already intimated, pays Church, in the Casino building, pays nearly $500. The Y. M. C. A. pays $180 per year. The 1,800 dwellings pay $325,- 000 or more. The market, the arcade, and the stores bring in a good rental besides. Mr. Pullman further says that “the renting of houses in Pullman has no relation to the work in the shops.” Now, what does he mean? Was not the town built principally to rent to the employees? That is the very theory upon which itis established. The em- ployees are positively expected to live in Pullman. ~ Last winter, when work was slack, the shops picked up, and the men were re-employed. The orders then were, as told me by the manager himself, first to take on men renting in Pullman, second those who own { A— | gp ir gy . ns en | feu — i Ha OT £0 NG AW MA (on = AGONY 7 lr He —— LA mi — nIP EMPLOYEES EXPECTED TO RENT 97>, their own homes in adjoining towns, and third those who do not rent in Pullman or own homes elsewhere. That was right. The renters should have first choice. When the shops were filled up, and the houses well taken, then employees could be free to live elsewhere. Sometimes there are certain mechanics whom the Company are compelled to have; they can live where they please. If necessary, I can give names of men who have told me that they were urged and re-urged to move to Pullman, or be “laid off.” The employees, as a rule, are expected to rent the Company’s houses. There are many exceptions, it is true, but this is the unwritten if not the written law of the Company. I know many men who would prefer not to live here, but are practically expected to. If the employees should all move out of town some fine morning when work is in full blast, the Company would soon tes- tify to its position on that point. Mr. Pullman further states in regard to rent that he charges rents in Pullman in competition with Here is a letter written by a Kensington real estate dealer to the Chicago 7imes on this question. I quote: “Kensington, Ill, July 17.—GEORGE M. PULLMAN, Esq., Long Branch, N. J.—Sir: In the publishment of a recent interview with you it is stated that your renting department charges rents in Pullman in com- petition with rents in the adjoining towns of Ken- sington, Roseland, and Gano. If you sincerely believe this to be true, it would be well for you to personally investigate, as with my six years’ experi- rents in adjoining towns. i | | i 08 RENTS MORE THAN IN ADJOINING TOWNS ence in the renting business in the said towns of Ken- sington, Roseland, and Gano, I know it to be a positive fact that flats and Cottages containing parlor, dining-room, two bedrooms and kitchen, with use of water and yard, have been and are rented for $10 and $12, for which similar accommodations you charge $16 and $18 at least. “My statement, undoubted] time by the other renting “Respectfully, y, will be verified at any agents of this district, CORNELIUS G. Boon, Real estate and renting agent.’ There is no question whatever but th and cottages, with pretty garden, can be hired at the neighboring towns of Roseland and Kensing ton at fully twenty per cent less, f The water tax has always been a burden upon the people. at better flats and bath-rooms, Bought under contract for fo 1,000 gallons, it was retailed to the tenants for ten cents per 1,000 gallons. The rates to the tenants individually are given above. took office the price to the tow increased, and now this comp ur cents per Since Mayor Hopkins n of Pullman has been any is said to be mak- ing little if anything on the water. As to the gas, it is a well known fact that we all pay $2.25 per thousand feet, while in Chicago it is sold for $1.25 and $1.00. A few interesting details might be added concern- ing the town. A recent table of the nativity of the wage-earners at Pullman shows the following : Americans ............ L706 LDMED..... ccoveria 753 Scandinavian | UTC Lge ISN... sree 402 German, °° ti BPANIOND reer 170 British and Canadian... 7967 Al others... 161 6,324 09 TAXES ONE MILL ON THE DOLLAR The town controls 3,500 acres of land, lane swamp land, in its original native state ain ed ably not over $1500 per acre. Bon ¥ 2 { dred acres is covered with dwellings an i yb ings, valued at about $3,000,000, and two ! ive to factories, foundry, shops, stee more given up | te ho mills, etc., equaling no doubt about $11, ; i told. It is a fact that has been stated vepeated y: n out denial that this vast property only a the city of Chicago a pittance of $i 5,000.00 i ny by taxes, less than one-tenth of one per on is estimated value. It is assessed apparently pes it rather than by lot. What is the matter with. ——— CRASS) : jv objects to the arbitration of J as and compares himself and company k0 the or ae real estate dealer. This is not a fui Sepnen The Pullman Palace Car Company 1s so esta Tite that all its interests are clearly related one to ia other. The town of Pullman an! the Yams a separable. They are intimately related to on on ” The demand of the men for reduction o i ps reasonable and ought to be heeded; above 2 5 = they are expected to live in iis houses, I os 5s willing while cutting their income, to redu cXpenses. > CHAPTER IX. SHOP ABUSES. In this chapter we deal with one of the Pullman Strike. Shop abuse ment have had no little to do with the present con. dition of affairs. Mr. Pullman spent much money in building his ideal city, bat laid it out with the feudal system, everything belonging to the lord of the manor. It Was an experiment, on Amer. ican soil. Mr. Pullman thought he would make a success of it. But it has practically failed. He got the best class of workmen to be found, and paid the highest wages. They earned them, for they were experts; his laboring people, owing to a surplus, were poorly paid. of the vital causes s and mismanage- Soon the cutting of wages began, and American foremen and workmen gradually made way for cheaper priced men. These foremen, to curry favor with the manager, have tried every means, honest or dishonest, to lessen the expenses of their dep these foremen were good, bad, an These men do not want Americ foreman was commonly artments. Among d indifferent men, an workmen. One Quoted as saying, “ h 100 dve no a ————— in accordance PRACTICES OF CERTAIN FOREMEN 101 use for American workmen; they are too d——d in- dependent.” Complaints of the brotality of these men were carried to the central office without any re- dress whatever, the complainant taking the chance of discharge for so doing. : : A very intelligent communication, evidently writ- ten by one in a position to know,appeared in the dnier Occan about two weeks ago, by one who Signed him- self “Fair Play.”” He tells the truth and puts it very clearly. He takes the ground that the principal cause of trouble is the abuses practiced in the shops. LR] He says: Eat “Here are some facts about the treatment of the men that can be easily substantiated: “1. Certain foremen borrow money from their men, from $5 to $30, and when men complain, discharge them or lay them off. : : $i One foreman near foundry induced his men to buy lots near Burnside, by telling them the owner was a friend of Pullman and would see they were kept at work. Said foreman received commission from real state man. : : _ “3. One department is notorious for its Sano and profane superintendent and corps of clerks. x is 8 fact that they are all sometimes too “tired” to do business properly. “4. Some of the foremen having charge of the ore eign laboring classes use the vilest epithets towar them, and even attempt to kick them. " “5. All foremen who attempt to gain the good 3 of the men by just treatment are discharged as be. ing, in the words cf the manager, ‘too good to the men.’ *’ Se— 4 H ; i} } EP ti —— - , oo a —— a — bop ostc gi ns Wn 102 LETTER FROM 4 CABINET-MAKER In this connection I will give here a letter written to me by an employee whose name | withhold, but can produce it if necessary. He states the case clearly, and is evidently an intelligent and thoughtful man: “Rev. W.H. CARWARDINE, DEAR Sir: —In the cab- inet shop (construction department), where all except laborers are employed on piece-work, the principal trouble is the reduction of prices of December last averaging thirty-three and a third per cent. Some articles were reduced as much as fifty per cent at that time. 1. Saloon doors. Lots 2040 and 2041. Previous to August '93 prices were gradually reduced as often as a man made over the limit, which at that time was under thirty cents per hour, Cabinet-makers, at this time, were rated at fr cents per hour, for a basis to Pay on account where jobs were partially completed at close of the half month. At time of resuming work in December, cabinet-makers were rated at seventeen to nine- teen cents, and prices for piece work were supposed - to be made to enable men to make that rate; wherever a man made over one or two cents per hour above day rate, that particular job was again pruned in price. 2. The writer on seat ends, lot 2040, earned twenty-two cents per hour (March '04); next lot, 2041, were cut twelve and one half per cent, On the other hand, where prices were so low that some men occasionally earned less than one dollar per day, prices were not raised. 3. Mr. ——— on doors earned less than nine cents per hour, “‘The prices paid for work in ’93 were lower than the year previous,and the same may be said of each pre- ceding year, so long as the writer can remember the shop, which is upwards of seven years. In support of this may be mentioned vestibule doors, the prices of which have been revised so many times, each in ————— ee ———— —————— —"— TT — ; FORE 105 LIVELY COMPETITION AMONG FOREMEN the same direction, that they have ranged from $5.00 2 Anas Do oti apoout three fourths of the work | LE last fall has been repair work on Buss Sone Co.'s cars, and the reduction in price has been Ot onthe as on contract work. . ah tases the reduction in Prien the Viiunage / 1e forem: nan ee of work before he igus hat was needed, before he saw the drawing hay Now shelves for a folding table (M. 0 5050 on In one case a price was $2 i : c partitions; after completion he wy Te ia, of the price, which i AN is pris bo ed We 'g2. Partition A foreman informed the ii he no longer set prices for new Wo, ails being ¢ e in the manager's office. During the past wh fer gis shop has depended principally on py Work ana 3 this the foreman’s assistants have bee ew fix prices. This is the result: one max pe for scraping a door, another man recei =) ifs oe the same work, and the assistant bores ps Ying eh highest price is reprimanded, after Whigs Say ors to meet prices o Ee Dy . : eels this ; io ak department, during the pase yous the number of employees have been Feduesi ou seventy per cent; the number of borers a ants remains the same. According ign & Ie AY Mr. Wickes, rather more than one-thir oh in this department averaged for the ny iW of Arid 94, twenty cents per hour and NpWar BT Sion. third was included the assistants of the orgy A number of about seven. This shows oy eran: of the workmen are manufactured by the P | i { | Y ier OF ee 104 LETTER FROM A CAR BUILDER “During slack times it seems an injustice some ten should be kept continuously at work while others work much less than half time. Truly some are bet- ter qualified than others, and probably the Company would make such excuse; but these men who work such short time the Company think sufficient of to keep them on the pay rolls for the sake of paying rent.” Again, I will insert another letter, which tells its own sad story. “Pullman, July 21, '94. REV. W. H. CARWARDINE, DEAR Sir: —I think it my duty to explain my case. My family consists of myself, wife ant four children. We live in three small rooms with only a back en- trance, for which I pay $9.00 per month, and fifty cents for water. I am considered a first-class car builder, and am a sober and industrious man and have always reported for work, whether day or piece work. I was worse off at the time of the strike by $250.00 than when I came to Pullman. In regard to wages of 93, with strict economy we barely eked out an existence, but the first part of '04 new trouble began. The Company, not satisfied, began the war by reducing our wages to a starvation point. At the time we laid down our tools, we were building a car for $19.50 that we should have got $36 for. After the second cut in our wages the stores refused to give us credit, as they knew we could not pay in full from one pay day to another. More trouble began. The Company would not give us our checks at the shops as usual, but sent us to the Company's bank, where they would have a better chance to squeeze us for the rent it was impossible to pay. I have seen myself and fellow workmen pleading with the rent agent to leave us enough to buy some member of the rt to ee | Leo TOO HUNGRY TO WALK HOME 105 1 en family a pair of shoes or some other iguesiy. Then He our last cut came, that was the : Ri broke the camel’s back; we could hoy Ss fi ha longer; I, like a good many others, had to ww og ing my dinner, as what I had to carry Ve I Line sunt through the basket. I have seen one yo ae yanions on the next car to mine, $9 : Som ae Pa of proper food, that he would have » way going home. ; a plainly it was either work and Save or strike and depend on charity Sn fhe i ich The good Lorc ays hich we are bound to do. ys > Ne side of justice, and 1 am sure he will wi ju oh 1 ne us : Y ours Truly. tice do . Much complaint is made in regard tothe Racy o incapable men in positions of authority. Mona often placed in these positions who have no pas : idea of the nature of their work, They may ¢ adepts in something else, but not in the duties Sr trusted to them. Prof. Ely’s criticism of ten Yous ago on nepotism and favoritism throws much lig inh yn abominable abuses practiced in these shops is that known as “blacklisting.” To id own knowledge, 1 have seen some cruel effects of this vile practice. ; vol oy man, whose wife was an esteemed membe my church, and who himself was highly respected by all who knew him, having long held a good Doin in the service of the Company, was Dati for a trivial offense, and blacklisted. Iam acquainte with all the details of the case A strong temperance EE i i 108 A CRUEL CASE OF BLACKLISTING man, very industrious, and yet “bl one of the most cruel cases of known. Fortunately for the strikers, they h splendid evidence against the Comp charge. About December, trouble among the steamfitters, which resulted in the blacklisting of the following forty men. I wi copy here the order, as sent out by the local manager. Pullman, 111. To ALL ForeMmEN:- In connectic trouble we have had with ste construction and repair departments, | give below the names of the men who have left our employ and I hereby instruct that none of these men be em- ployed in these works, acklisted I” It was the kind I have ever ave a piece of any,to prove this 1893, there was some » December 23,7 1894. on with the recent amfitters, both in the CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, No. 1703 Joseph Cohan. 1705 Frank McKevilt. 1706 William O’ Meara, 1707 James H. Matthews. 1711 Edward Sweeney, 1715 John Guthardt. 1721 Martin Tracey. 1720 Tice Mastenbrook. 1722 Charles G. Duffy. 1740 Frank Vincent. 1743 Michael McNulty. 1753 William H. Danaher, 1764 Edward M. Barrett. 4500 Jacob Stockman. 4516 Robert Goebbels. 4563 James A. Brown. 4564 Louis Moss. 4565 Thomas Hamilton, Sash a a katia, > a oo al ok 3 ak > 107 A SPECIMEN BLACK LIST These men were hired, Daniel J. McCarthy. byt would not goto Smith. rk when they John A. wo they rank Pohl. found the 0 a J. Hough. wis had quit. George Elwell. REPAIR DEPARTMENT No. 6976 Frank Engle, Steam fater 6 5 BB. jones, 8 Thomas Johnston, fo Wm. |. Connell, 83 Chas. R. McGinnis, : 83 C. Patton, €é £¢ 7 McCaffery, 4 & ont Martin Craig, go J. C.Warburton, : “ gs B. O. Gara, FIN 7002 Josh Jones, % Help 7 William Mack, % 15 Mike Carroll, ” 16 Frank Oberreich, “ 35 Dave Burrows, % 24 M. Cunningham, “ 25 James Payne, et 32 August Be Simson, Manager. (1 . the > eft his ery best ever employed by the a a > : % one afternoon for some good reas x at strike took place in his a fog ve Ee pe a headquarters, mana- y pi t could not reinstate him. Later was ye Still on the blacklist. I and from the I among the ger was sorr ; ordered out of his house. a have inquired carefully into a 3 SE best authority believe it to be ac have his name. 108 CONTRACTS FOR ROLLING MILL REFUSED This whole matter of blacklisting is worthy of Si- beria. It is a disgrace to American labor. It is a boycott on labor. Capital complains of strikes and boycotts. I deprecate strikes, and I believe a boy- cott to be wrong, and a poor way to win good silts for labor, but capital boycotts a man when she blacklists” him. The “blacklisted” man can not onl not get employment in all of the Pullman shops oy Pullman interests; but cannot even get a Beconiien dation of good character to another employer. a ; A complaint of another nature comes from the Roll- ing Mill operatives. Why does Mr. Pullman continue the policy of refusing ‘profitable contracts for his rolling mill—contracts for work outside of that done for the car system—and thereby keep in idleness for weeks at a time, to the detriment of their families the best class of skilled rolling mill operatives 0 be found in the country? These men are mostly En- glishmen, and all are splendid workmen, who yn po wages while there is employment, but are idle en because of this peculiar policy of the It has been denied . that there is iti 2 tial dation. political intimi- We all know how futile is that denial. Since the Australian ballot system came into vogue, the em- ployees have voted about as they please, but previous to the z i that,and at present in local elections, foremen talk very positively to their men about voting, and give TR tt ce i a E THE COMPANY IN LOCAL POLITICS 109 them to understand what the consequences will be. I had an experience in this direction myself, in the late aldermanic election, when a certain official of the Company went to a foreman and gave him to un- derstand that he was to withdraw his name as a can- didate for a certain office, and “would in all proba- bility be expected to settle it within that day.” This roused the independence of the man, he resisted the threat and continued running for the nomination; he lost the nomination, but defeated the chances of the - Company's candidate. The candidate opposed by the Company was elected. In a few weeks, the in- dependent foreman was asked to resign. He had been years in the employ of the Company, and was one of its most efficient men. Two other employees interested in his candidacy were also asked to resign. Theoretically the Pullman Company never interferes with the politics of its employees, but. practically there have been strong evidences the other way. There is absolutely no recognition of merit in the policy of the Company. Changes are constant. A peculiarity of the town of Pullman is the evanescent character of its life. It seems to be inherent in the system. Many men remain in the employ of the company for years; but no one is safe. There is a constant feeling of insecurity. Men have put in years of hard, laborious work, only to be dismissed with- out a mement’s warning, and then scarcely to receive a word of thanks. This is the strangest thing to me . : : : seam } i 110 INVENTORS DEPRIVED IF RECOGNITION in the whole system. I have been surprised to see how quick, and on what slight ground faithful men are discharged. In such a vast system, perfection is impossible, and injustice may be occasionally done without in- tent. But there is no reason why true merit should not be appreciated and encouraged. Such a Com- pany as this can afford to be generous and sincere in its treatment of its men. Promotion and recogni- tion is reciprocal in its effect. Nothing is lost there- by. And in this connection we might add that the pensioning of its old and tried employees is an un- known factor in the daily life of this Company. Again, the Company is greatly enriched by inven- tions of its employees, for which they give the employee neither money nor credit. Many ingenious inventions and devices are scattered throughout the shops that bring in gaod returns, but not to their inventors. Mr. Pullman, said to be one of the greatest inventors of the age, instead of encouraging a spirit of invention among his employees, and giving them the credit thereof, on the contrary, enforces the law upon them, by which, if they do invent anything in his shops, they shall relinquish all title to the same. A grievous charge made by the employees against those in authority in the shops is that of personal abuse. Foul and abusive language on the part of a foreman or the head of a department, or even by an official, should not be tolerated for a moment. I do AL PNG es agp A gy ae rae WORKING UNDER A BRUTAL FOREMAN 111 not wonder that men whose wages have been fe- duced to such a low ebb, should retaliate when in- sult and abuse is added to low wages. I well remem- ber, when an orphan boy in the city of New York, having to work for six years under an Shusive fore man in the composing room of the New York Loening Post. Of all the men I have ever met, he was the embodiment of tyranny. A man of consid- erable ability, but foul in language and despotic in authority, the daily terror of all who were under his influence. He treated men like dogs, swore at them and abused them without stint. In those days there was engendered in my soul a hatred against tyran- nical foremen and abusive treatment of men which has never left me, and which during the past months of our long and sad winter, made my very blood boil with indignation at what I have seen and heard. - Then it was that I declared if ever the opportunity presented itself to defend the true rights of laboring men. and smite those who unmercifully oppressed them, I would lift up my voice and cry aloud, in the: name of the God of Israel. One other charge of selfish evasion of duty I would prefer against this great Pullman Palace Car Com- pany is that it does not give damages unless abso- lutely compelled to, to those who are injured or die in its service. There are numerous cases in the town of Pullman illustrative of this. A lady whose husband had long | ee eer aa erent ae. ET a Sa 112 EVASION OF JUST CLAIMS been in the employ of the Company, is now a widow. Her husband died from the effects of the breakage of the machine on which he was working, the name of which I will not mention for fear of injuring her case. She has been making every effort to get a settlement from the Company for many months. But procrastination and evasions have met her at every turn, until now she is heartily discouraged. The public will doubtless remember the case of the colored porter who had been seriously injured in the service of the Company, and applied repeatedly for satisfaction. At last when McPherson, the Com- pany's lawyer, secured a strap from him inthe Com- pany’s city offices, the best evidence he had, in sheer desperation he turned and fired three shots from a revolver, neither of them producing any serious damage. Many cases might be enumerated showing how a great and wealthy corporation resorts to every pos- sible method to avoid settling claims of those who have a right to receive help from them. Pitiful are the stories told of the sick and injured who receive little or no compensation -for injuries done. There is an official Doctor and Surgeon, who gives a certain amount of medical service to the injured. It used to be that a sick man was allowed for a certain time $2.00 a day; then gradually it was reduced to $1.00 a day, and that only paid when he could report for work and pick up screws from a heap ——— STATEMENT OF MRS. WOOD 113 of different sized screws on the floor. I will conclude this point with the quotation of a letter giving a statement of the treatment by the Company of a certain Mrs. Wood, a member of my church, whose husband died as the result of wounds inflicted while in the performance of duty asa watch- man. She is responsible for her own statement. The case is a well known one in Pullman and cre- ated great interest at the time. The writer says: “Buckley Wood,of 312 Stephenson Street, watch- man at the Fulton Street gate, was assaulted July 15, 1886, by a man named Pearson, who tried to take a box of tools through the outer gate without a pass, which was required by the rules of the Company, and which Mr. Wood asked for, when Pearson struck him in the face with a hatchet, knocking out two of his teeth and knocking hin down so that he fell strik- ing the back of his head on a stone. He was unable to give an account of the assault for over a week. “Pearson was arrested by a policeman named Thos. Kane and was locked up in the Kensington Station until transferred to Hyde Park. When the case was called, Mr. Wood was not able to appear, and police- man Kane prevailed upon Mrs. Wood not to leave her husband to attend the trial, as the police would see to it that justice was done, which they did by letting the defense choose the jury, which brought in a verdict of ‘not guilty.” They held that Mr. Wood had no right to stop Pearson from taking his own tools from the shops. In which case I think the Pull- man Company should have been responsible, inas- much as they gave him strict orders not to allow any one to take anything from the shops without a pass from their foreman. Police Captain Hunt went with TE as am——_——— ES SY ern a ——— ———p —— § rm A ——— emp ey wo \ 114 KILLED IN THE COMPANY'S SERVICE Mrs. Wood and witnesses to the city to get an indict- ment for the man, but when they arrived the grand jury had adjourned for six weeks,and when they re- turned, Pearson, having been notified of their inten- tions through some source, had decamped for parts unknown, until it was learned he was arrested and convicted, and sent to state prison for two years in the state of Ohio for assaulting an old man about a year afterward. “Mr. Wood was employed afterward in the Paint department, not through kindness of the Pullman Company, but rather that of Mr. Thomas Kennedy, who was then superintendent of the paint depart- ment, and knew that Mr. Wood was not really able to do any work. He let him put in his time doing any little odd jobs he could do; as the Pullman Com- pany did not consider him as being in good enough health to resume his position as watchman, and the books of the Pullman Company will show how many, many days he was not even able to walk to the shop, as through the kindness of Mr. Kennedy, if he once got to the shop, he was not compelled to do any work as long as the higher officials did not see him doing nothing. In that way he lived until the 30th of May following, when he died as surely from the effect of his injuries of the previous July as if he had died the same day. “Mrs. Wood, thinking it altogether useless for a poor widow to try and fight a corporation like the Pullman Company, did not act on advice She re- ceived from many friends to bring suit against them, but tried to make some arrangement with Mr. Sessions, then manager of the works in Pullman, whereby she could have the use of the house in which she lived, but he said he had no authority to let her have the house without paying rent for it. She wrote several times, once through her minister, pastor of the first Seamus di ipicse JPRS SHO— sre SIX WEEKS RENT FOR A LIFE 115 M. E. church, who registered a letter to Mr. Pull- man, but did not receive an answer. She decided to ay the rent and did so, with the exception of six weeks’ rent($26.56)at the time of her husband's death, which they gave her as a free gift in recompense for the life of her husband. At three different times since, when she has been unable to meet the rent bills promptly, she has had notice of eviction, and been compelled to borrow enough money to pay the rent to keep from having her goods put out into the street, once in December, 1893, when she had got behind in the rent, but made arrangements with the town agent to pay the old rent as she could, and let her daughter take the responsibility of the house from January 1, 1894. She did, and paid a rental of $17.- 71 per month from a salary of $1.00 (one dollar) per day, having the remainder to support herself and mother. The January rent she paid cash and for February, March and April she paid it from her pay checks, paying for the four months rent $70.84 and receiving in payment not over $25.00 above rent for the same four months. On the third of May 1t seems that after Miss Wood had been out of work over a week they made the startling discovery that they had credited $12.71 (which she had paid in January)to the account of the old bill (with which she had no connection, as she paid her board until Jan- uary 1), but instead of correcting their mistake, gave her notice to vacate the house on the 3rd of May, for a bill of $12.71 due on January rent, while she held receipts for February, March and April, and when she remonstrated in the Pullman bank the clerk said he had credited it as he saw fit and would not change . it, and she would be compelled to pay it over or leave the house. “Mrs. Wood told the agent she would go to head-’ quarters, when he flew into a passion, and told her if pm — s—— aa— — andgappessamrt. amm— a | Vi i ode canis TI de - w, EW “= oN - ne J 4. ” se pate, Ws gp. "ew 116 NOT ALL SUNSHINE IN PULLMAN she dared go to Mr. Wickes she would be made to suffer for it. She did go to see Mr. Wickes, who told her that something should have been done for her be- fore if he had known of her case, of which he claimed he knew nothing. He told her she should go home and rest contented, that she would not be troubled. Mr. Middleton, the present manager of the works, told her that her daughter would not be troubled for the rent, that she should draw what money was coming to her; after which, on May 21st, ten days after the strike, when she went to draw the money due her, $3.53, she was asked to sign it over for rent, which she refused to do and does not know whether or not she will be compelled to move for non-payment of rent when the strike is over.” Now, in view of these facts, the great true-hearted public, believers in fair play, will see that it is not all sunshine in Pullman. This great undercurrent of dissatisfaction,culminating in the strike of May 11th, had some underlying causes back of it. Some of the things I have mentioned may seem trivial, but like the lesser streams emptying into the greater, and swelling the impetus thereof, so these countless lesser abuses and tyrannies have wrought out their awful and disastrous results. How long will great corporations continue to deal thus inhumanly with employees? “1 do not and never have hesitated to place the re- sponsibility of the strike upon the Company. The public must bear in mind that while the action of the employees seemed hasty, still they had great cause for action. To say that it was produced entirely by the —— THE STRIKE NOT IDIOTIC 117 «labor agitator” is to insult the intelligence of the finest body of mechanics gathered together in any one place in the United States. Icontend that when a body of men such as we have here, lay down their tools and leave the work bench, as did these men, that they are actuated by some great underlying mo- tive, and that it will not do to call them idiots and fools. - Jo These employees were ina very sensitive an tate of mind. A long winter, with its count- icious s : J just less causes for grievance and dissatisfaction, was behind them. They had been so ground between *he upper mill stone of “low wages” and the nether mill stone of “high rents,” the continued oppression of the “straw bosses,” the smothered but still unsup- pressed dislike of the general and local management, which has added to rather than sought to alleviate their troubles, and a system of surveillance that seems to be indigenous to the very atmosphere of the place, that they were in no condition to be trifled with by the Company. pu—" ——————— “ ——— TE a oa sm in en ew = = a NC rr — il CHAPTER X. PERSONAL—LESSONS—REMEDY. Suffer a few words of personal allusion. When I delivered my sermon on “The Pullman Strike,” ten Says after its employees walked out of the ops, I ih floes that it would have created the interest It was rather an audacious act to perform, because owing to the peculiarity of the paternalistic CE ment of Pullman, no one feels like openly Cid the Company. The time having arrived, I spoke on what were my honest, candid convictions witht thought of fear or favor. My position was ‘peculiar I did not endorse the strike, and never have. 1 did not endorse the boycott. Repeatedly have oY! this But I stood for justice. If the workingmen petiove in strikes and boycotts, all right. They have found that strikes may do, but boycotts will not do. But these working men use the weapons seemingly most useful, as they think, for their purpose. But I look back of all this, and say,“Let us unearth the cause!” Strike at the root. Don’t revile and curse these erie ployees! Vituperation of strikers will do no good. Study the situation, and give them in their demand for jus- tice your sympathy and moral support. Stir up one 118 Rad cepacia SE TOA a=? | i PUBLIC SYMPATHY AND PREJUDICE 119 ) half of society to behold the wrongs of the other half. ih If you have a theory that will solve their problem, | bring it forth, and let them see it—don't cry anarchy b or leave them to the tender +k and run away from them, mercies of the militia and the police. Quell the mobs—shoot all law-breakers in time of ut do not call all ugtrikers” anarchists. I was surprised to find how i the fear of anarchy and mob rule blinded the eyes of true men and women to the injustice that had wrought | all these things. We had better look at the evil calmly, and remedy it; or the evil in the future will break forth again in awful fury, with far more disas- I have found my position has not been | altogether a pleasant one. While I am commended | on all sides by the better classes, who daily deluge | me with letters, interviews, questions, etc., and | while I am regarded with infinite kindness by the , striking employees, still I find plenty who are ready to chide me. : : I must not forget here to acknow ful appreciation the sympathy and co- my beloved friend and brother pastor, the Rev. Wil- bur F. Atchison, pastor of the Hyde Park M. E. Church, and his talented wife, Mrs. Rena-Michaels Atchison, formerly Dean of the Women's College at Evanston, and now Secretary of the State Woman's Suffrage Society of Illinois. In them I have found true sympathy for the cause of the laborer. We have fallen on serious times. nh mo —————— awful peril. B Holding this position, Cp trous results. ledge with great- operation of ry . Fo MR hE i a ——— A TE 120 THE COLLAR OF SERVITUDE The inequalities of life as indicated in the social fabric of modern society are simply fearful. In many respects we are living in the grandest age this old world has ever seen. And yet, with our boasted prog- ress and advancement, I realize that something is radically wrong in a condition of society that permits some to be so poor and others to be so rich. It certainly looks as though the poor were growing poorer and the rich becoming richer. No person who has ever read Sir Walter Scott's wonderful story of “ Ivanhoe” can forget the picture of Gurth, the Swineherd. Describing him, Scott says: ‘One part of his dress only remains, but it is too re- markable to be suppressed. . It was a brass ring, re- sembling a dog's collar, but without any opening, and soldered fast round his neck, so loose as to form no impediment to his breathing, yet so tight as to be incapable of being removed excepting by the use of the file. On this singular gorget was engraven in Saxon characters an inscription of the following pur- port: ‘Gurth, the son of Beowulph, is the born thrall of Cedric of Rotherwood.’” What a picture! What a change to-day! And yet, while we have moved some little distance from the day that lives again in the glowing pages of Sir Walter, nevertheless Gurth, the son of Beowulph, is with us yet. While he wears not the collar of Cedric of Rother- THE GROWTH OF CLASSES 121 wood, yet he is to all intents and i Sane) or “White Slave,” of the “eprporation, trust % “millionaire lords,” many of whom it may be sai are in these days of growing social inequality, the Cedrics of Rotherwood of modern society. : : We as a nation are dividing ourselves, like ancient Rome, into two classes, the rich and the oe ne oppressor and the oppressed. And on the si “ : the oppressor there is power and protection, hs legislation and military support. Should this pe icy continue for a generation or two, there can be no doubt at all that working men who in timesiof war and invasion are the protectors of our Bibesties and homes, would refuse to take up arms in their de- fense. We are following in the tracks of ancient Rome, instead of learning useful lessons from her failures and deteats. No country can prosper, do govern. ment long perpetuate itself and its institutions, which does not administer judgment and justice alike to all of its people. Napoleon said God was Always on the side of the heaviest battalions, but God Himself has said that He is on the side of righteoustiess and justice for the poor and needy, and that He will avenge their cause against the oppressor. ’ The oppressed of to-day are white laborers an mechanics who, evidently, though without a Sg. preme Court decision, have no rights which million- aires and moneyed corporations are bound to respect. And with the oppressor there is power. But asis y Fy ’ ' ‘ po I Se 122 DEEP UNREST IN SOCIETY invariably the case, proven by ancient and modern history, the oppressor is the heaviest loser. Men and nations sometimes oppress to their own hurt. An estimate of the money losses in the present strike up to July 9, '94, puts them at $6,560, 500, of which the laborers have lost in wages $1,500,000. And this does not include the loss to the business and commerce of the country, nor the cost to the federal and state governments of the military occupation. And all this grows out of the oppression of one man who was once a poor mechanic. He has gained wealth, and risen into power on it so that he can now take ad- vantage of the necessities and poverty of his fellow- men to crush and oppress them. Whatever the fathers who organized this govein- ment intended it to be, we, their successors, have evidently drifted very far away from the original in- tention of the founders. It is no longer a govern- ment of equal rights for all. The present strike may be overcome by federal bayonets and bullets, but the trouble will not end here. There is deep unrest in the lowest strata of society, the real burden-bearers of our country, which augurs ill for capitalistic op- pression in the future. The United States is to be the theater for the presentation of the best possible re- sults of human government. We are giving an object lesson in government to the world. And these results are to be developed within a very few years, too. I therefore deprecate, though necessary, the use of fed- > 23 COURTS OF ARBITRATION SUGGESTED 1 eral troops in this strike as a precedent, pregnant wih Capital seems to be organ ized to destroy the independence of habor and Soe i .florts at elevation; and labor is organized ey itself, but to retaliate on capital. petuated. One force yed, or a common evil in years to come. only to protect These conditions can not be per or other must yield or be it Me iliation mus gi a a common ground of agree- ment between capital and id a ol ‘st at all, they must live as husban ; i of the other, each for Eos wig interests and welfare. My suggestion 1S Th oe should be National and Bi AR hy in cases of appeal, revie gh irl having final jurisdiction 1m » es whether of review or original. 1say courts, no 5 i mittees of inquiry. If international Osun or i thus settled, why should 2 gle x he The strong arm of the law should ¢ hn cratic millionaire as well as the dependent me a ‘t his case and abide by the decision. ei > this strike, there is an obstinate : then the federal or state governments should take possession of the railroads, the Ulan . the coal mines, or the manufacturing outs ie them in the interest of the whole people, a a the interest of obstinate corporations. ; ge good and the peace of the country deman By torarbitrate, er — ——_————— 9 124 USE YOUR BALLOT ARIGHT The man or body of men, corporation or labor union which refuses to arbitrate their differences traitors to their country’s best interests hers 11 her laws, instigators to riot, and otis of : principle that is good and pure and holy and ind able. They should be dealt with to the utmost Hi and with utmost rigor of the law. ai = Suen other lessons impressed upon the mind of mses i crisis through which ed, § dangers of combined wih = pe wi tions, the unrest of society, the oa pa new legislation, and the expediency of —~ ro political action. Sha : I appeal to the great body of the laboring class in view of the developments of the past few ts hereafter and forever to use your ballot aright : : is the God-given privilege of every ASE te ; purchased at the sacrifice of blood, tears and oy erty, and which is the birthright of 4,000 Sr P slow and painful evolution from degradation decor and tyranny to the liberty of this latter he century. A ballot unknown in ancient days, in the Mosaic economy, and Roman history; a ballot that first began to make its appearance when the Barons at Runnymede demanded the rights of Magna Charta from King John of England, when Oliver Crom rose against the despotism of Charles I., with his Star Chamber, and when Martin Luther dew a blast RESTORE A FREE GOVERNMENT 123 that awoke all Europe to the dawn of the Reforma- tion; a ballot that was not born. until the urgent de- mands of a home government once more created a rebellion, and the American Colonies were established, and that masterpiece of human composition, the Dec- laration of [ndependence, given to the world; a ballot, forsooth, that did not reach its majority until Abra- ham Lincoln broke the manacles that enslaved 3,000, - 000 black men, and signed that Magna Charta of human liberty, the Act of Emancipation; a ballot that represents a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, free homes, free schools, free press, a united people, the right of every man un- molested to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience; the greatest gift given by God to man outside of his blessed Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and one that can give us, if we use it right, the grandest type of government under the sun! 0, workmen of America, use this gift aright, for principle, not party, for men who are patriots and who are able to represent your best interest! Love There is no better in this world. your country. rotect Love and uphold our constitution, and ever p the flag for which our fathers, my father, died. Go forth, little book, like a piece of driftwood tossed out on the watery main of life, and may God's blessing go with you. You have been written in the true spirit of my blessed Master, who scourged when ~~ - amt ——_ ——— wl o— " oe Ce : ad 3 f— Su. rn Rn WN spa may op SA al a ACN CI g— . ry -_ i EO = 126 MISSION OF THIS BOOK it ‘was necessary, whose soul burned with heated indignation against the oppressors of the poor, who compared false prophets to whited sepulchers, and yet who spoke words of loving kindness to the down- trodden, and helped to smooth the weary way of life to burdened souls. Yours has been a labor of love, May you reach the homes of wealth, and awaken them to their duty, may you fire the hearts of reform- ers to greater deeds, may you stir the minds of legis- lators to the need of better laws, and may you, above all, help to bring the great mass of the laboring mil- lions to realize that the secret of their greatest hap- piness and the settlement of all our industrial troubles lies in the upholding of the true principles of that Christianity, irrespective of creed, which was given to the world by Him who not only said, “Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you,” but also that The Laborer is Worthy of His Hive, THE END. WANTED-MEN.AND WOMEN ) \) AND WOMEN who believe in human rights, who can see how human rights are now endan- gered, and who want to do their part in the defense of 1 3 : here we can human rights, are urged to let us know where find them. : Our work is the publishing of books of social reform; books like this one that expose acts of oppression and injustice, and books that point to some way for bring- ing about better social conditions. We need fifty thousand agents for this book, to bring the American people, that the lessons of Pull- it before Hundreds of agents already man may not be forgotten. are earning good pay in the circulation of the book. If you do not need to make money in this way, cir- culate the book and give the profit to the Pullman sufferers. Write us for prices by the dozen, hundred and thou- sand, and write for our list of other books of reform. We want particularly the address of every reform lec- turer in the United States. CHARLES H. KERR & COMPANY, Publishers, 175 Monroe Street, Chicago. gt pr. Wc r+ Ny - ~ — FL 1 | J 0 i SEG A A : $i J wil bl i iy i ht O YOU KNOW that hard times come from scarcity of money and that this scarcity is the result of hundreds of miilions of dollars being all the time hidden in safes, pockets, safety depositories, and the people's stockings? Yes, true, but why is money so universally hidden? Because people, through the enormous number of bank failures, hive lost confidence in banks—as was the case in the early part of 1893, when 714 banks failed. No wonder that the people were panic stricken and drew out of the banks in June and July of that year over 400 millions of dollars. Mark the result. At that time over 800 manufacturing institutions shut down and threw out of employment over 467,000 workmen. That number has increased to millions of enforced idlers and here we are. Idleness, destitution, crime; and the rich buying up the peo- ple’s little properties at their own price, while the poor become poorer, and the rich, taking advantage of the disturbed conditions, rapidly become millionaires. ‘Do you want to know how to stop bank failures, financial panics, shutting down of business and the throwing of millions of people out of work? Then read by the Hon. Thos. E. Hill, author of Hill's Manual, who clearly shows how the government may own and safely operate the banks to the advantage of all the people instead of their few wealthy stock- holders. Added to the book is a glossary of financial terms and explanations relating to monetary affairs which makes the work, in roi a dic- tionary of finance. This glossary comprises many statistical tables, and readily answers hundreds of perplexing financial questions never before explained in any book, relating to alloys in coins, banks, how organized, difference between state and national banks, bimetallism, bills of exchange, bullion, checks, clearing house certificates, coins and coining, coins of all nations and their values, currency, currency certificates, deben- ture bonds, demonetization, drafts, fiat, financial history of the country, free coinage, funding, gold, where obtained, amounts in ex- istence, where it is, government bonds, interest in different states, legal tender, letters of credit. money and amount for each person on earth, monometallism, National bank failures, public debt, seignior- age, silver, where obtained and in what amounts, stocks, subsidiary sil- ver coins, treasury notes, United States notes, etc, etc. Price: paper, 25 cents; cloth, 75 cents; leather, $1.00. Sent post- paid on receipt of price. Oharles H. Kerr & Company, Publishers, 175 Monroe Street, Chicago. ’ ee —— a — i ———— ——. stn lO — —— - rr THE MASTER NEGATIVE,FROM WHICH THIS REPRODUCTION WAS MADE, IS STORED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICE, ROOM 20, MAIN LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 9 4 7 2 0 FOR ADDITIONAL REPRODUCTION REQUEST MASTER NEGATIVE NUMBER 0 3