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coarser than seventeen meohes to the square inch,
galvanized. Admiral Walker suggests tnat cop
per and brass wire also might he utilized, lor
the hospitals 20,000 yards will be needed.
TH E Gorman government has called upon the
Russian government for tho return of the
Japanese mail taken from tho Prinz Heinr lch on
tho Red sea on July 15. The czar is also asked to
disavow the action of tho commander of tho Kus
fcion vessel Smolensk. The British ambassador at
St. Petersburg has also presented the Russian gov
ernment a protest against tho seizure on the Red
pea of tho peninsular and oriental steamer, Mal
Jacca. This vessel was carrying British stores
for the naval establishment at Hong Kong. Rus
sian authorities insist that they have information
that a largo amount of contraband was being
Shipped from England through tho Red sea to
Japan.
LONDON cablegrams, under date of July 21,
state that another British owned vessel
wn as tho Pak Ling has been seized in tho
Rod sea. Tho Pak Ling sailed from Middlesbor
ough, England, Juno 18, and from London July 2,
bound for Yokohama. The London correspondent
for tho Associated press says that he interviewed
many prominent persons in close touch with the
government relative to tho seizure of British ves
sels by tho Russians and that there is a re
markably hostile feeling against Russia of a
strongth and bitterness almost without precedence
since tho Crimean war. This correspondent adds:
''Even tho most consorvativo who have been in
tho service of tho government for many years
and who openly deplored tho haste with which
they thought Great Britain had been plunged into
tho Transvaal war tonight frankly declared for
a policy of reprisal against what is regarded here
as Russia's violation of treaties and her piratical
attack on British commerce."
T WAS announced during the afternoon of July
20 that the great packing house striko had
been settled. This strike began at noon on July
12 'and affected all the large packing houses of
the country. More than 60,000 workingmen were
idjo during that time and it is estimated that the
striko cost the packers in tho neighborhood of $1,
000,000. Referring to the settlement of the strike,
tho Associated press says: "Tho whole contro
versy will be submitted to a board of arbitrators,
both sides agreeing to abide by whatever decision
this board may reach. Pending the decision of
tho arbitration board tho men will bo taken back
to work as rapidly as possible by the packers, and
it is further agreed that all tho old employes shall
bo reinstated -within forty-five days from the date
work is resumed. If any of the former employes
are still unemployed at the expiration of that
time, such persons are to have the privilege of
submitting their cases to tho arbitration board
for settlement. The strikers will return to 'work
as soon as thoy can be notified of the peaceable
adjustmont of the trouble, and it Is expected by
Friday morning everything will be in normal
shape at all tho plants in the different cities
where the employes were on strike. Half an hour "
after the decision had been reached tonight to
arbitrate M. J. Donnelly, the strike leader, was in
long distance telephone communication with tho
loaders of tho strike in outside cities and had noti
fied them that a satisfactory settlement had been
reached and directed the strikers to return to
work as soon as possible."
THE settlement of this strike was, according
to tho Associatod press, brought about by
tho allied crafts at tho stock yards who would have
become involved In the controversy had it con
tinued longer. Leaders of these unions who
represent about 14,000 men sent a final appeal to
tho packers asking for a conference between the
packers, tho strikers and themselves. This ap
peal received a favorable response, resulting in
the conference in which an agreement was
reached.
TH E agreement is signed by Thomas H. Con
nors, Thomas E. Wilson, and Edward Tildc-n
'tne committee representing the packing compa
nies. It is approved by W. J. Donnelly, William
M Sterling, John Floersch and Thomas R. Kidd
on behalf of the Amalgamated Meac Cutters and
Butcher Workmen of North America. The agree
ment is also signed by tho following representa
tives of the packers: Armour & Co., by Arthur
The Commoner.
Meeker; Nelson Morris & Co., by Edward Morris;
Schwartzschild & Sulzberger Co., by J. B. Maurer;
Swift & Co., by L. F. Swift; National Packing Co.,
by J. P. Lyman; Cudahy Packing Co., by 33. A.
Cudahy; Libby, McNeal & Libby, by Edward Til
den. AN AGREEMENT entered into between the
representatives" of the strikers and the
packers is as follows: "Wages and working con
ditions of all employes now on strike to be sub
mitted to arbitration, each party to this agree
ment having the privilege of bringing before the
"arbitrators for decision any question of wages or
conditions or any other grievance they may have
and both to abide by the decision of the arbitra
tors. The packing companies signing this agree
ment to retain all employes now at work who
wish to remain and will reemploy all employes
now out as fast as possible, without discrimina
tion. Employes are to return to work at the
wages received when going on strike, pending the
decision of the arbitrators; arbitrators to consist
of three practical packing house man, to be se
lected as follows: One representative of the
packing companies; one representative of the
Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen
of North America; these two to select a third
member. The two first shall meet within forty
eight hours after resumption of work, proceed to
elect the third member and shall meet daily for
that purpose until this duty has been completed.
When the third member has been selected the
three shall meet daily unless adjournment be had
by unanimous consent until the final conclusion
has been reached and the award made. Any
former employes not re-employed within forty
five days from date work is resumed to have the
privilege of submitting his or her case to arbi
tration on questions of discrimination, decision
of arbitrators to govern."
THE Portland mine in Colorado, which has
been closed several times by the"" military
authorities, because the owners of the mine em
ployed union labor, was again required to sus
pend operations July 21. The Denver, CoJo., cor
respondent for the Associated press says: "The
mine has been giving employment to about BOO
men. gkmads of soldiers have arrested forty of
these, including the entire .mechanical force at the
three working shafts. This comprised engineers,
firemen, master mechanics and skilled men in oth
er departments. The men thus summarily re
moved from their labors are accused of no crime,
the only accusation being that they refused to
sacrifice their membership in the Western Fed
eration of Miners and take out Mine Owners' as
sociation, working cards. Six of the forty men
arrested were declared to be 'all right' by the
military board and were released. Twelve others
were released on their own recognizance. Each
of the remaining, twenty-two, when questioned,
admitted that he had intended to quit work on
the Portland, but denied knowledge of the others'
plans. It is alleged that the union men working
in the mechanical department were to walk out in
a body. There are said- to have been about 100
union miners still at work in the Portland who
- have not taken out Mine Owners' association
cards, and they will be required to secure such
. cards or leave the district."
TIE packing house strike, an agreement for the
settlement of which was made on July 20
was renewed at 12 o'clock, July 22. The working
men claimed that the agreement had been violated
by the packers in that they refused to reinstate
all of their former employes and discriminated
against those who had been conspicuous in the
strike. President Donnelly of the Butchers' Union
issued the following statement: "The .packers
signed an agreement that there would be no dis
crimination in the rehiring of the men This
was accepted by the officers of the organization
in good faith. On the return of the men this
morning they were lined up like cattlo. The fore
men and superintendents would walk through the
Hne and pick out a-man and say, 'You come iip '
The next man would be pushed out of line and
h!d ' he ?m not be active K was always
the active union men whom they could not use
We understood the agreement perfectly and the
strike was only called after the packers had vio!
lated the same. This has been their system ?
the past and that was our main reason for inisO
ing on tho time limit in the agreement in?
spite of this the packers' intentions Tore to hire
only such men as were favorites. They also hirod
men in some of the departments who had not
, VOLUME 4, NUMBER 28.
been employed prior to tlio strike. Superint
dent Pension of tbe Armour canning departing
addressed the employes in tho following lanst m
vthis morning: 'You went away like cattle ami
we will take you back like cattle.' This laniuS
was used both to men and women." b
PRESIDENT DONNELLY sent out notices to all
the packing centers informing the men that
tne packers had violated the agreement and in
structing the leaders to call out all the employes
of the packing houses. The order was obeyed at
12 o'clock, July 22, and the strike was renewed
with increased vigor. Representatives of the
packers issued the following statement: "Much
to our surprise, the men, after reporting for work
this morning and after getting started in nearly
all the houses, were ordered out again. We
thought the officers of the .organization clearly'
understood that the business had been more or
less disrupted during the strike and that some
delays would be required to get started up again
in anything like full capacity. It is the inten
tion of the packers to carry out their agreement
in every particular, and if any house has given
cause for grievance the same can be, and futuro
grievances will be, readily adjusted." It was an
nounced by the representatives of the working
men that they would carr out all the allied trades
in all the packing houses unless the packers yield.
BYRD S. COLER, the well known New York
democrat, writing in the Independent, tells
this interesting story:
"A few years ago, a very few, a prominent
member of congress from one of the great cities
went to his party leader at home and suggested
a policy to be followed by the city delegation on
a great public question.
"'Will it do any good?' the leader asked.
" 'I think it will help the-party, the congress
man replied.
" 'I don't mean that. What effect will it have
on the stock market?'
" 'None.'
" 'Then do as you please about it.'
"The party leader who said this was never
accused of personal 'dishonesty, yet he made a
fortune in a few years. He followed the letter
and spirit of commercialism in politics. The pub
lic welfare did not concern him, and he had no
interest m legislation unless it benefited trade."
IN AN editorial entitled "j rtistic Corruption,"
the Wall Street Journal, commenting upon Mr.
Coler's statement, says:
"Mr. Coler used this story to illustrate the evil
of commercialism in politics, which he says has
reached the danger point. But it serves also to
show the new methods of corruptly influencing
legislation and executive acts. It is no longer
necessary to pay a public official a sum of money
in order to secure c .me special privilege or to
prevent the enactment or enfercement of somo
troublesome law. That method is indeed still fol
lowed to some extent, but itris crude ar.d unsatis
factory. On the part of th? corporation it involves
some fictitious entry in the books to cover up tho
transaction. On the part of the recipient of tho
bribe it involves the risk that always attends tho
handling of large bills- they can generally ho
traced in some way."
But there is a more artistic, a more effective
method of bribery, and the Journal describes it in
this way:
"It is through th.e facilities of the stock mar
ket. Is it desired to secure some franchise or
other municipal privilege? Put the boss in somo
speculative deal the success of which depends upon
the attaining of this privilege. Surely there js no
reason why a boss may not "Invest in stocks,' ana
there is nothing to show tho corrupt connection
between -his 'investment' and tho corporation de
siring something which it can obtain in no other
way than by the short cut of corruption. A wiwra
legislature could be let into 'a good thing in tno
stock market in the same way. A number of legis
lators would thus be made richer and certain finan
cial interests benefited, an J at the same time i
public, however, suspicious it might be, would db
none the wiser. Even an inquisitive and none"
district attorney would find it difficult to trow
the connecting link of corruption. This luna u
commercialism in politics is the most angerou
of all. There is no way, it seems to us, to m'"'s
tne evil except by the honejjt men in the corp" u
tions refusing absolutely to countenance w
methods, and by tho people insisting upon a nib
type of menin public service."
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