Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1905 — THE GREATEST STRIKE. [ARTICLE]

THE GREATEST STRIKE.

The anti-saloon people of Richland township (Earl Park) secured a majority of 22 on their remonstrance last week, and after July 1, 1905, Earl Park will be c “dry” town for the next two years nt least. The expert examination of the county offices in Newton county has been completed and the report shows that ex-auditor Jones owes the county $10; ex-treasurer Ade, $13.01; ex-clerk Drake 1875.76. All the other officers are reported O. K. A special election will be held in the First Congressional district next Tuesday to elect a successor to James A. Hemenway, who was recently elected U. S. senator to succeed Fairbanks. Major G. V. Menzes is the Democratic candidate and Judge John H. Foster is the republican candidate. Both sides are claiming that their man will be elected, but the result will no doubt be very close. Winamac Republican: The bondsmen of Obencbain, the defaulting treasurer of Cass county are circulating a petition to permit them to pay a portion of the shortage and to drop the remainder. The nerve of this request is truly remarkable. It is not probable the county commissioners of Cass county could any more legally relieve these bondsmen of their just debt to the county than they could relieve any taxpayer of a half or a quarter of his taxes due.

“How soon we are forgotten when we’re gone,” Rip Van Winkle Jefferson was wont to say. The present great teamsters’ strike, in Chicago, which threatens to be of vast proportions recalls the great railway strike in 1894 which President Cleveland put down with the Federal arm; and that is spoken of as the greatest strike in the history of the country. It was not. The greatest strike in the history of the country—and may we never see its like again—was the railway strike in July and August of 1877. It embraced the whole country, causing a general paralysis of business, numerous riots, much . bloodshed and great loss of property; compelled the mobilizatjon of the militia in most States and made necessary the use of all of the Federal troops that could be spared. It began with a strike of the train hands on the Baltimore & Ohio road, July 14, and it was not until the last of the month that the transportation lines of the country could generally resume business. In the height of the strike 100,000 men were out, and six or seven thousand miles of railroad were, from first to last, in the hands of the strikers. Laborers in other industries improved the opportunity to go on strike, the coal miners in particular uniting in a general strike, which wae more determined and prolonged than the railroad strike, and which involved h greater number of men. The strike was preconcerted though .there was no organized combination. The general determination was to make a test that would give a definite sanction to certain powers for the adjustment of wages; and while there were particular differences in the complaints the common incentive was the last reduction of 10 per cent, in wages ordered by the management of nearly all the railroads taking effect in June and July. It will be remembered that those were /hard times.” Wages had been cut three times on the B. & O. road, where the strike started, and men complained that they were obliged to so wait between

trips as to make the wage return vastly less than its face. Following the coal miners 1 strike supplementing the railroad strike came the trade unionists. After them the socialists or communists were in evidence. Then came the tramp class aud back of all the dangerous classes. There were riots and bloodshed in many cities from Pittsburg west. The destruction of property was enormous. Alleghany county, Pennsylvania, had to pay the Pennsylvania road $2,000,000 for its property alone destroyed there. There was much actual suffering and it was widespread, particularly among the coal miners. Wages had been low generally and work scarce—conditions the converse at all points to those of the present time. Out of the strike came many political movements. All in all it was by far the most formidable uprising that has ever occurred in this country. Beside it, the present strike in Chicago—formidable as it is—is as a mere nothing.—lndianapolis News.