The Pullman boycott : $b A complete history of the great R. R. strike — John Shaqi
The Pullman boycott : $b A complete history of the great R. R. strikeBurns, W. F.
History
The Pullman boycott : $b A complete history of the great R. R. strike
Burns, W. F.
Pullman Strike, 1894
And thus the second day of the great strike came to an end.
June 28th added nine more roads to those already tied up.
The Chicago & Northwestern; Chicago & Alton; Union Pacific; Denver & Rio
Grande; Chicago & Eastern Illinois; Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago;
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and the
Stock Yard Terminals, making in all twenty-two roads out and twenty
thousand men on strike in the city of Chicago, and not one act of
violence committed that could be charged to a striker.
The Mobile & Ohio at this time succumbed to the boycott and sidetracked
its Pullman cars promising not to haul them again until the strike was
settled. This rail road is a large corporation, and its surrender to
the American Railway Union was considered a great victory, and the
directors at once ordered the boycott raised as far as this line was
concerned.
Minneapolis and St. Paul was now beginning to feel the effect of the
boycott.
The Northern Pacific was the first in the fight, and the same plan of
action outlined at Chicago was followed at these points when the time
came to make up passenger trains. The switchmen refused to couple on the
Pullman's and were discharged.
The mediation committee at once took up the matter with the manager,
asking him to re-instate the discharged men, which he refused to do, and
as a result the entire system from the Pacific coast to Minneapolis and
St. Paul was called out.
This plan was adopted and carried out on all the rail roads entering the
Twin cities.
The boycott was no longer a fight in the interest of the Pullman
employes alone but had resolved itself into a gigantic contest between
organized labor on the one side, and organized capital on the other, and
although up to this time there had been no violence, no loud
demonstrations, no threats of any kind, the Illinois Central demanded
troops to protect their property, and the militia was ordered out. On
the Pan Handle the Cincinnati Express had the cars of Mr. Pullman
detached, and the officials cried "riot" and asked from Sheriff Gilbert
of Chicago a posse to protect the U. S. mail. This was furnished, and
although the mail cars were not molested in any way, the officials
refused to allow the mail to go forward without the Pullman sleepers
attached.
Seven more railroads had now come under the ban of the boycott making in
all twenty-nine at the close of the fourth day.
On June 29th President Debs issued the following appeal to railway
employes of the country.
"The struggle with the Pullman company has developed into a contest
between the producing classes and the money power of the country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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