Mr. Debs said in his evidence in August, 1895, before the Strike
Commission:
“It is understood that a strike is war, not necessarily of blood and
bullets, but a war in the sense that it is a conflict between two
contending interests or classes of interest. There is more or less
strategy, too, in war and this was necessary in our operations in the A.
R. U. strike. Orders were issued from here; questions were answered and
our men kept in line from here.”
The attorney, Mr. Milchrist, for the government in the conspiracy trial
at Chicago in January, 1895, further said that it was lawful for Mr.
Debs to order our members of the A. R. U. but not others. Mr. Milchrist
said the A. R. U. had spent $3,000 on telegrams. Mr. Milchrist said the
mails were tied up. “Certainly if the trains were tied up,” he said,
“the government is not prosecuting the defendants for an overt act, but
simply for interfering with the United States mails.” It was argued to
the jury by Mr. Debs’ attorneys the law was used against the defendants
as an excuse for working oppression, as there was no telegram or written
or verbal order shown to the jury urging violence or interference with
the mails. Mr. Darrow said: “But when men strike for oppressions against
others and jeopardize their own livelihoods for the sake of those whom
they do not even know, it is so much above the ideals of the railroad
managers that they think it is a crime.”
There were many brilliant arguments, many sharp replies during the
trial. There were many telegrams read to the jury. Here is an exact copy
of one that was read and became a part of the record in the case:
“July 16, 1894.