People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1894 — A PLEA FOR THE POOR. [ARTICLE]

A PLEA FOR THE POOR.

Gov. Altgeki Appeals for Aid for the Starving at Pullman. I Falling to Interest George M. Pullman in Behalf of His Destitute Ex-Em-ployes, He Asks the Public for Help. SUCCOR is needed. Chicago, Aug. 22.— Just before returning to Springfield Tuesday night Gov. Altgeld issued a proclamation to the people of Illinois, asking them to send contributions to relieve the starving strikers at Pullman. He also addressed a letter to <Lhe county commissioners, calling their attention to the suffering in Pullman and urging them to furnish immediate assistance. The letter to the county commissioners is expected to secure food enough to keep the strikers alive until responses to Gov. Altgeld's proclamation begin coming in. The appeal is as follows: •To the People of the State of Illinois and Especially Those of the City of Chicago: There is great distress growing out of the want ol food in and around the town of Pullman. More than 1.000 families, or in the neighborhood of 6.008 people, are utterly destitute—nearly four-fifths of them are women and children. The men have endeavored to get work, but were unable to do so. 1 have made a personal examination of the case and learn from the officers of the Pullman company that prior to the strike they had 3,260 names on the pay-roll; yesterday they had 2.220 people at work, but over GOO of these were new men, so that they have only about 1.600 of their old employes at work, leaving about 1,660 that have not been taken back. Several hundred of these have left, but the remainder are unable to go away and have nothing to eat. I find that immediately after the beginning of the strike a relief association was formed to provide for the needy, and the books of this association show that 2.463 applications were made by the Pullman employes, mostly heads of families, to this association for aid—in fact, nearly all of the employes except the few hundreds who left have Deen supported by charity for nearly three months. "As a rule they are a superior class of laboring people, industrious, capable and steadv, and some of them have worked for the Pullman company for more than ten years. Those who have been given work can get food, but are still in such an impoverished condition that they cannot help their neighbors if they would. The relief society is unable to get more supplies. On last Saturday it gave to each family two pounds of oatmeal and two pounds of cornmeal, and having nothing left it suspended operations, leaving the people In an absolutely helpless condition. The county commissioners of Cook county, as overseers of the poor, have rendered some assistance, but owing to a limited appro- . priation they can furnish relief but for a short time. • We cannot now stop to inquire the cause of this distress. The good people of this state cannot allow women and children by the hundred to perish of hunger. I therefore call upon all humane and charitably-disposed citizens to contribute what they can toward giving relief to these people. I am satisfied that any contribution sent to the Pullman relief committee at Kensington, 111., will be judiciously distributed. i find their treasurer has given bond to properly account for all moneys received. 'Aug. 21. 1 John P. Altgeld. Governor.' 1 The correspondence between Gov. Altgeld and George M. Pullman in relation to the destitution in the town was given to the press by the governor. It began last Sunday, when the governor sent a telegram to Mr. Pullman from Springfield in resoonse to a number of appeals made to him by strikers for assistance. In this dispatch the governor tells Mr. Pullman that although the state of Illinois has not the least desire to meddle in the affairs of the company it cannot allow a whole community within its borders to perish of hunger and informs the president of the company that unless relief comes he would either have to call a special session of the legislature to make an appropriation or else issue an appeal to the humane people of the : state to give bread to the company's former employes. He adds: “It seems to me you would prefer to relieve the situation yourself, especially as it has just cost the state upwards of £50,000 to protect your property.” In a letter written Tuesday to President lhillman, the governor makes a statementof tliegcondition of the starving people, based on his tour of investigation and inquiry made the daybefore at Pullman. He tells Mr. Pullman that something must be done at once and adds: “I repeat that it seems | to me your company cannot afford jto have me appeal to the char- ! Ry and humanity of the state to save | the lives of your old employes, no | matter what caused the distress. He makes the suggestion that the company cancel all rents due to October 1, I and work some of the men half time, | so that all can get something to eat for ! their families. In reply to this letter Mr. Pullman makes a long statement blaming those who are idle for being' in their present condition and declaring that the company did not know there was any such extended distress as represented to the governor. He says the full force has been engaged for the work in hand and makes the allegation that a considerable number of the men had persistently refused to apply for work at any time, considering themselves still on strike. Gov. Altgeld makes a caustic reply to Mr. Pullman’s letter refusing to enter into a discu-sion of the merits of the controversy and asserting that if the president had seen what the governor had seen in Pullman he would be convinced that none of the sufferers had drawn money from the bank a few weeks ago, as alleged by Mr. Pullman in his letter, he concludes with the statement that as Mr. Pullman had refused to do anything to save his old employes from perishing of hunger the governor would be compelled to appeal to the humanity of the people of Illinois to do so.