Mr. Wright: "Then the sole purpose of the American Railway Union in taking the action it did was to oppose the Pullman company and it was not actuated by any desire to injure the other railway organizations?" Mr. Howard: "That is it exactly. After the action taken by the General Managers' Association we had to act as we did or lie down." Mr. Wright: "Did the officers of the American Railway Union advise the men on roads other than those using Pullmans to go on strike?" Mr. Howard: "The men on all roads represented by the General Managers' Association were advised to go out on strike." Mr. Kernan: "Was this order extended to roads not using Pullman cars or which were not represented in the General Managers' Association?" Mr. Howard: "No, sir." Mr. Kernan: "Were there any such road?" Mr. Howard: "Yes. General Manager Clark, of the Mobile & Ohio, sent us word that his road would drop the Pullman service if the men would continue at work. We advised the men to return to work under those conditions, but the men at St. Louis argued that such action would weaken their cause and refused to take our advice in the matter." Mr. Worthingford: "How did you advise all other organizations to go on a sympathetic strike?" Mr. Howard: "We did not advise nor even request other organizations to declare a strike. We invited the heads of all labor organizations to come here and aid us by their advice or in any way they saw fit to help us. I think Mr. Debs sent the invitation. When the representatives of the other labor organizations met here, we went before the body and explained the entire situation. They asked Mr. Debs what he wished them to do. He replied that he did not ask anything of them but left it to their best judgment and conscience to take such measures as would help bring the trouble to an end. Mr. Debs read a communication which he had prepared to present to the general managers, and asked the representatives at the conference if they would act as a board of arbitration or assume the role of peace-makers. President Gompers of the American Federation of Labor, seemed afraid that such action would involve the other organizations in some way and hesitated to accept our request to take the communication to the general managers. We then concluded to ask Mayor Hopkins to present our communication. The mayor willingly granted our request." Mr. Kernan: "Was any written record kept of that conference of the heads of the labor organizations which was held at the Briggs House?" Mr. Howard: "I do not know." Commissioner Kernan: "What records have you of the proceedings of your convention as to who invited the heads of other labor organizations to meet here in conference, and what they were expected to do?" Mr. Howard: "I think it was decided at the convention of the American Railway Union, which met here June 12, to extend such an invitation. I know it was talked over then."