the cleveland era-第28节

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uthorities　at　some　points。　For　instance；　a　detachment　of　regular　troops　in　Montana　captured　a　band　coming　East　on　a　stolen　Northern　Pacific　train；　and　militia　had　to　be　called　out　to　rescue　a　train　from　a　band　at　Mount　Sterling；　Ohio。

Coxey's　own　army　never　amounted　to　more　than　a　few　hundred；　but　it　was　more　in　the　public　eye。　It　had　a　large　escort　of　newspaper　correspondents　who　gave　picturesque　accounts　of　the　march　to　Washington；　and　Coxey　himself　took　advantage　of　this　gratuitous　publicity　to　express　his　views。　Among　other　measures；　he　urged　that　since　good　roads　and　money　were　both　greatly　needed　by　the　country　at　large；　the　Government　should　issue　500；000；000　in　〃non…interest　bearing　bonds〃　to　be　used　in　employing　workers　in　the　improvement　of　the　roads。　After　an　orderly　march　through　parts　of　Ohio；　Pennsylvania；　and　Maryland；　in　the　course　of　which　his　men　received　many　donations　of　supplies　from　places　through　which　they　passed；　Coxey　and　his　army　arrived　at　Washington　on　the　1st　of　May　and　were　allowed　to　parade　to　the　Capitol　under　police　escort　along　a　designated　route。　When　Coxey　left　the　ranks；　however；　to　cut　across　the　grass　to　the　Capitol；　he　was　arrested　on　the　technical　charge　of　trespassing。　The　army　went　into　camp；　but　on　the　12th　of　May　the　authorities　forced　the　men　to　move　out　of　the　District。　They　thereupon　took　up　quarters　in　Maryland　and　shifted　about　from　time　to　time。　Detachments　from　the　Western　bands　arrived　during　June　and　July；　but　the　total　number　encamped　about　Washington　probably　never　exceeded　a　thousand。　Difficulties　in　obtaining　supplies　and　inevitable　collisions　with　the　authorities　caused　the　band　gradually　to　disperse。　Coxey；　after　his　short　term　in　jail；　traveled　about　the　country　trying　to　stir　up　interest　in　his　aims　and　to　obtain　supplies。　The　novelty　of　his　movement；　however；　had　worn　off；　and　results　were　so　poor　that　on　the　26th　of　July　he　issued　a　statement　saying　he　could　do　no　more　and　that　what　was　left　of　the　army　would　have　to　shift　for　itself。　In　Maryland；　the　authorities　arrested　a　number　of　Coxey's　〃soldiers〃　as　vagrants。　On　the　11th　of　August；　a　detachment　of　Virginia　militia　drove　across　the　Potomac　the　remnants　of　the　Kelly　and　Frye　armies；　which　were　then　taken　in　charge　by　the　district　authorities。　They　were　eventually　supplied　by　the　Government　with　free　transportation　to　their　homes。

Of　more　serious　import　than　these　marchings　and　campings；　as　evidence　of　popular　unrest；　were　the　activities　of　organized　labor　which　now　began　to　attract　public　attention。　The　Knights　of　Labor　were　declining　in　numbers　and　influence。　The　attempt；　which　their　national　officers　made　in　January；　1894；　to　get　out　an　injunction　to　restrain　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　from　making　bond　sales　really　facilitated　Carlisle's　effort　by　obtaining　judicial　sanction　for　the　issue。　Labor　disturbances　now　followed　in　quick　succession。　In　April；　there　was　a　strike　on　the　Great　Northern　Railroad；　which　for　a　long　time　almost　stopped　traffic　between　St。　Paul　and　Seattle。　Local　strikes　in　the　mining　regions　of　West　Virginia　and　Colorado；　and　in　the　coke　fields　of　Western　Pennsylvania；　were　attended　by　conflicts　with　the　authorities　and　some　loss　of　life。　A　general　strike　of　the　bituminous　coal　miners　of　the　whole　country　was　ordered　by　the　United　Mine　Workers　on　the　21st　of　April；　and　called　out　numbers　variously　estimated　at　from　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　to　two　hundred　thousand；　but　by　the　end　of　July　the　strike　had　ended　in　a　total　failure。

All　the　disturbances　that　abounded　throughout　the　country　were　overshadowed；　however；　by　a　tremendous　struggle　which　centered　in　Chicago　and　which　brought　about　new　and　most　impressive　developments　of　national　authority。　In　June；　1893；　Eugene　V。　Debs；　the　secretary…treasurer　of　the　Brotherhood　of　Locomotive　Firemen；　resigned　his　office　and　set　about　organizing　a　new　general　union　of　railroad　employees　in　antagonism　to　the　Brotherhoods；　which　were　separate　unions　of　particular　classes　of　workers。　He　formed　the　American　Railway　Union　and　succeeded　in　instituting　465　local　lodges　which　claimed　a　membership　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand。　In　March；　1894；　Pullman　Company　employees　joined　the　new　union。　On　the　11th　of　May；　a　class　of　workers　in　this　company's　shops　at　Pullman；　Illinois；　struck　for　an　increase　of　wages；　and　on　the　21st　of　June　the　officers　of　the　American　Railway　Union　ordered　its　members　to　refuse　to　handle　trains　containing　Pullman　cars　unless　the　demands　of　the　strikers　were　granted。　Although　neither　the　American　Federation　of　Labor　nor　the　Brotherhoods　endorsed　this　sympathetic　strike；　it　soon　spread　over　a　vast　territory　and　was　accompanied　by　savage　rioting　and　bloody　conflicts。　In　the　suburbs　of　Chicago　the　mobs　burned　numerous　cars　and　did　much　damage　to　other　property。　The　losses　inflicted　on　property　throughout　the　country　by　this　strike　have　been　estimated　at　80；000；000。

The　strikers　were　undoubtedly　encouraged　in　resorting　to　force　by　the　sympathetic　attitude　which　Governor　Altgeld　of　Illinois　showed　towards　the　cause　of　labor。　The　Knights　of　Labor　and　other　organizations　of　workingmen　had　passed　resolutions　complimenting　the　Governor　on　his　pardon　of　the　Chicago　anarchists；　and　the　American　Railway　Union　counted　unduly　upon　his　support　in　obtaining　their　ends。　The　situation　was　such　as　to　cause　the　greatest　consternation　throughout　the　country；　as　there　was　a　widespread　though　erroneous　belief　that　there　was　no　way　in　which　national　Government　could　take　action　to　suppress　disorder　unless　it　was　called　upon　by　the　Legislature；　if　it　happened　to　be　in　session；　or　by　the　Governor。　But　at　this　critical　moment；　the　Illinois　Legislature　was　not　in　session；　and　Governor　Altgeld　refused　to　call　for　aid。　For　a　time；　it　therefore　seemed　that　the　strikers　were　masters　of　the　situation　and　that　law　and　order　were　powerless　before　the　mob。

There　was　an　unusual　feeling　of　relief　throughout　the　country　when　word　came　from　Washington　on　the　1st　of　July　that　President　Cleveland　had　called　out　the　regular　troops。　Governor　Altgeld　sent　a　long　telegram　protesting　against　sending　federal　troops　into　Illinois　without　any　request　from　the　authority　of　the　State。　But　President　Cleveland　replied　briefly　that　the　troops　were　not　sent　to　interfere　with　state　authority　but　to　enforce　the　laws　of　the　United　States；　upon　the　demand　of　the　Post　Office　Department　that　obstruction　to　the　mails　be　removed；　and　upon　the　representations　of　judicial　officers　of　the　United　States　that　processes　of　federal　courts　could　not　be　executed　through　the　ordinary　means。　In　the　face　of　what　was　regarded　as　federal　interference；　riot　for　the　moment　blazed　out　more　fiercely　than　ever；　but　the　firm　stand　taken　by　the　President　soon　had　its　effect。　On　the　6th　of　July；　Governor　Altgeld　ordered　out　the　state　militia　which　soon　engaged　in　some　sharp　encounters　with　the　strikers。　On　the　next　day；　a　force　of　regular　troops　dispersed　a　mob　at　Hammond；　Indiana；　with　some　loss　of　life。　On　the　8th　of　July；　President　Cleveland　issued　a　proclamation　to　the　people　of　Illinois　and　of　Chicago　in　particular；　notifying　them　that　those　〃taking　part　with　a　riotous　mob　in　forcibly　resisting　and　obstructing　the　execution　of　the　laws　of　the　United　States。。。　cannot　be　regarded　otherwise　than　as　public　enemies；〃　and　that　〃while　there　will　be　no　hesitation　or　vacillation　in　the　decisive　treatment　of　the　guilty；　this　warning　is　especially　intended　to　protect　and　save　the　innocent。〃　The　next　day；　he　issued　as　energetic　a　proclamation　against　〃unlawful　obstructions；　combinations　and　assemblages　of　persons〃　in　North　Dakota；　Montana；　Idaho；　Washington；　Wyoming；　Colorado；　California；　Utah；　and　New　Mexico。

At　the　request　of　the　American　Railway　Union；　delegates　from　twenty…five　unions　connected　with　the　American　Federation　of　Labor　met　in　Chicago　on　the　12th　of　July；　and　Debs　made　an　ardent　appeal　to　them　to　call　a　general　strike　of　all　labor　organizations。　But　the　conference　decided　that　〃it　would　be　unwise　and　disastrous　to　the　interests　of　labor　to　extend　the　strike　any　further　than　it　had　already　gone〃　and　advised　the　strikers　to　return　to　work。　Thereafter；　the　strike　rapidly　collapsed；　although　martial　law　had　to　be　proclaimed　and；　before　quiet　was　restored；　some　sharp　conflicts　still　took　place　between　federal　troops　and　mobs　at　Sacramento　and　other　points　in　California。　On　the　3rd　of　August；　the　American　Railway　Union　acknowledged　its　defeat　and　called　off　the　strike。　Meanwhile；　Debs　and　other　leaders　had　been　under　arrest　for　disobedience　to　injunctions　issued　by　the　federal　courts。　Eventually；　Debs　was　sentenced　to　jail　for　six　months；*　and　the　others　for　three　months。　The　cases　were　the　occasion　of　much　litigation　in　which　the　authority　of　the　courts　to　intervene　in　labor　disputes　by　issuing　injunctions　was　on　the　whole　sustained。　The　failure　and　collapse　of　the　American　Railway　Union　appears　to　have　ended　the　career　of　Debs　as　a　labor　organizer；　but　he　has　since　been　active　and　prominent　as　a　Socialist　party　leader。

*　Under　Section　IV　of　the　Anti…Trust　Law　of　1890。


Public　approval　of　the　energy　and　decision　which　President　Cleveland　displayed　in　handling　the　situation　was　so　stro