Brotherhood
A Screenplay by
Mark Dickman
PULLMAN TOWN. DAY. INTERIOR.
The modest home of Pullman worker’s family. Workers and their families are seated in the crowded living room, telling Eugene Debs and his brother Theodore about their lives in Pullman Town.
WORKER 1: Mr. Debs-
DEBS: Please, brother, just call me Gene.
WORKER 1: Gene, I’m a skilled machinist, work
Twelve hours a day; but, all I get is
A paycheck for seven cents. My
Wages are $9.07, but $9.00 is
Taken out to just rent this place.
WORKER 2: I get forty-five cents for six hours
Work as a blacksmith, and I’m
Damned if I’m going to starve
Anymore: to wear out both my
Clothes and Pullman’s anvils at
One and the same time.
WORKER 3: I have a wife and four children,
And its’ for them that I’m
Willing to strike. There’s got to
Be something wrong when a
Man works for as many years
As I have and still finds himself
In debt.
WORKER 4: My brother worked thirty years
For the company, and when he
Was finally laid off, they refused
To give him a pension. Others
Spend their last days in the poor
House. And they don’t pay any
Disability unless you’re maimed
Or die in the company’s service.
WORKER 5: And the foremen constantly
Curse and abuse us. They speed
Up the line whenever they please
And use piece work to lower the
Pitiful wages we get.
WIFE: As our Reverend Carwardine
Once said: “We’re born in a
Pullman house, fed from the
Pullman shop, taught in a
Pullman school, catechized in a
Pullman church. And when we
Die we’ll be buried in a Pullman
Cemetery and end up in a
Pullman hell.”
WORKER 1: During this past winter the
Want and suffering have been
Unbearable. Many of our kids
Lack the money to buy school
Books, or can’t afford shoes
Or coats to attend class.
WORKER 2: In some homes they’re kept in
Bed because they have no coal.
In others they’re sent to bed
Early because there’s no food
For dinner.
WORKER 3: For many there’s no work, no
Hope. The men rage; the women
Are sullen. Most of all, there’s
The hungry, joyless children.
WORKER 4: By now, we don’t even expect
The company to concede to
Our demands. We don’t know
What the outcome will be, and
In fact, we don’t much care.
WORKER 5: We do know we’ve been
Working for less than will
Maintain ourselves and our
Families. And, because of that,
We refuse to slave for that
Damned Pullman any longer!
WIFE: George Pullman runs a town
Like a feudal manor, with him
Our lord and master. Before
We joined the American Railway
Union, unions had been banned
Here. And he banned the eight-hour
Day – claimed it promoted idleness!
DEBS: Up until now, brother and sisters,
I wanted nothing so much as to
Avoid a strike. We’re sunk in a
Depression, and the unemployed
Stand on every street corner just
Waiting to take your jobs. The
Brotherhoods of Railway Workers
Might well not support us; indeed,
They could well encourage scabs.
The General Managers Association –
Which unites all the railroads passing
Through Chicago – forestalled a
Threatened strike here by switchmen
In ’93; and it’s sure to try the same
Thing at Pullman. As at Homestead,
Coeur D’Alene and Buffalo, they may
Well use injunctions and federal troops
In an attempt to crush us. Frankly, we’re
Ready for a showdown with Pullman.
We’re an inexperienced union, most
Of whose workers are raw recruits.
What’s more, a strike will require a
Lengthy fight, and the ARU has little
In the way of strike funds!
WORKER 1: Gene, we joined the ARU because it
Provided us with hope. We’ll make
You proud of us if you only give us
The hand we need. Please help us
Teach that Pullman son-of-a-bitch
That there’s still a Jehovah, a God
Of battle for the working class!
AMERICAN RAILWAY CONVENTION. MEETING HALL. DAY. INTERIOR.
Officers are seated at a long table on a raised platform before the delegates. Debs, Theodore, officers and delegates. The chairman calls on Theodore to address the delegates.
CHAIRMAN: Brother Debs will now address us.
THEODORE: (He rises and walks to the podium in the center of the stage.)
On May 7th a committee of Pullman
Workers met with Vice-president Wickes
To present their complaints about wages
And working conditions. Wickes told them
To return in two days with their grievances
In writing. On May 9th Wickes again delayed,
Promising that he would personally investigate
The shop abuses. Wickes assured them that
There would be no retaliation against members
Of the committee. Nevertheless, the very next
Morning, three members of the committee
Were fired. An all-night session of the committee
Was held to discuss the advisability of a strike,
And they agreed that, unless the three men were
Reinstated, they would vote to strike…
FLASH-BACK. PULLMAN SHOP. DAY. EXTERIOR.
Thousands of workers walk off their job to go on strike. They are calm and peaceful. They post guards around the plant to prevent damage to company property.
AMERICAN RAILWAY CONVENTION. MEETING HALL. DAY. INTERIOR.
THEODORE: So that at noon, on May 11th, three thousand
Workers walked off their jobs in Pullman
Shops, and the remaining three hundred were
Laid off. The walkout was orderly; there wasn’t
A hint of violence. The strikers even posted
Guards around the railroad yards to prevent
Vandalism. Driven to desperation, they were
Compelled to strike. But they did so with little
Hope of success. And today, they’ve come to
Us, brothers and sisters, to ask for our support.
CHAIRMAN: The brother in the first row.
WORKER 1: (He stands to address the delegates.)
I was at the meeting with Vice-president
Wickes and I wrote down the very words
He spoke to us…
(He takes a sheet of paper out of his pocket and reads from it.)
“We of the Pullman Palace Car Company
Have absolutely nothing to arbitrate. Wages
And working conditions are decided by the
Management, alone. Pullman is in business
For profit, and decreased sales requires a
Cut in wares. It’s just as simple as that.”
(Boos and catcalls from the delegates. The chairman uses his gavel to call them to order.)
CHAIRMAN: Brother Debs will now deliver our
Executive Committee Report.
DEBS: (He rises and stands before the podium.)
Brothers and sisters of the American
Railway Union. Every labor leader must
Answer three questions when a strike is
Proposed: Do the workers have just
Grievances?; Have all the peaceful
Avenues for settlement been exhausted?;
And, can we win the strike? Although I can
I can answer the first two in the affirmative,
I have serious doubts about the third.
Nevertheless, the decision has been taken
Out of my hands. I’m no more that the
Servant of you, the rank and file of our
Union. But the forces of labor must unite:
Our strike must spread. Pullman’s revenue
Comes from the rental of his sleeping cars;
And he might be forced to surrender if his
Income is cut off. We, brothers and sisters
Of the ARU, will not move a single sleeper
Until Pullman settles with our union!...
(Applause from the floor.)
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to
Be orderly and law-abiding. Our cause
Is just and the public will be with us. Let
It be born in mind that if the company
Secures workers to handle the trains, it
That right. We have the right to quit, but
Our rights end there. Others have the
Right to take our places, whatever the
Propriety of doing so may be. Keep away
From the yards of other places where
Large crowds may gather. The managers
Seek to make it appear that trains don’t
Run because of our interference. That’s
False, but they do it as a pretext for
Having injunctions granted and sending
In federal troops against us. Respect the
Law and conduct yourselves as such and
Our cause will be crowned with success!...
(A standing ovation, cheers and applause from the floor.)
GENERAL MANAGERS ASSOCIATION CENTRAL OFFICE. DAY. INTERIOR.
News conference. A group of managers and Vice-president Wickes stand behind the podium, before which are reporters from the leading newspapers.
REPORTER 1: It is now the fourth day of the boycott,
All sleeping cars have been cut from their
Trains and side-tracked, and 125,000 men
Are on strike…
FLASH-BACK. RAILROAD YARD. DAY. EXTERIOR.
Hundreds of Pullman workers cut and side-track a Pullman Palace car…
GENERAL MANAGERS ASSOCIATION CENTRAL OFFICE. DAY. INTERIOR.
REPORTER 1: What do you think about the sleeping cars
Having been cut and side-tracked, Vice-
President Wickes?
WICKES: We of the General Managers Association
And the Pullman Palace Car Company
Welcome a showdown with the American
Railway Union. We represent twenty-four
Railroads, with combined capital of eight
Hundred million dollars, operate forty-one
Thousand miles of track and employ two-
Hundred twenty thousand employees. But
If the ARU is itching for a fight, then we’ll
Gladly take ‘em on!
REPORTER2: President Carnot of France was assassinated
By anarchists just two days before the strike,
And yesterday a crowd of thousands stopped
A train on the Chicago and Erie line and forced
Its crew to detach two Pullman cars. Are we
In for anarchy here in Chicago, Vice-president
Wickes?
WICKES: I don’t know about that, sir, but when a mob
Takes the law into their own hands, then I’d
Say its high time for the Attorney General to
Issue an injunction against the rioters!...Let
Me now introduce to you Mr. Matthew
Butterfield, the President of the Cleveland
Brotherhood of Railway Switchmen, who,
With us, opposes this illegal boycott.
REPORTER3: Mr. Butterfield, would you tell us your
Opinion of this boycott of the Pullman
Palace Car Company?
BUTTERFIELD: Our brotherhood is here to settle an old
Account. We were strikers on the Gould
Railroads under the great Martin Irons in
’86, and we haven’t handled a switch
Since then. The very men that are now on
Strike were the ones who filled our places!
REPORTER 1: Vice-President Wickes, we’ve just learned
That a crowd of workers in Chicago halted
Two express trains carrying federal mail.
Governor Atgeld has announced he will
Send the local militia, and Federal District
Attorney, Thomas Milchrist, has recommended
The hiring of Special Deputies. What do you
Think , sir, of these developments?
WICKES: I think it’s about time for President Cleveland
To send in federal troops and for the Attorney
General to issue warrants against the strike
Leaders!
REPORTER 2: Vice-president Wickes, we’ve heard that the
General Managers Association met in closed
Session yesterday at the Rookery Building.
What was the outcome of that meeting, sir?
WICKES: It was the decision of that body to refuse to
Rehire anyone who goes out on strike. Every
One of them will be black-listed; they’ll never
Again work on a railroad. Let that be our
Warning to the ARU!
UHLICH HALL. DAY. EXTERIOR.
421 Ashland Avenue block.
UHLICH HALL. DAY. INTERIOR.
The nerve center of the Pullman strike. Large hall filled with desks, typewriters and adjoining offices. Men enter and leave, conducting business. Couriers arrive and depart with telegrams. Workers seated at desks at work. Debs wears an immaculate tweed suit and hard white collar. He moves gracefully among the workers, conferring with them; then he perches on a desk at the center of the hall to read to them from a stack of newspapers on the corner of the desk. All pause and a hush among them, as they listen to him address them.
DEBS: The newspaper campaign against us is in
Full swing, brothers and sisters, with the
Chicago Tribune right up there leading them
On. Listen to these headlines:
(As he reads, we see the headlines displayed in bold letters on the screen.)
“Anarchist Mob is in control of the city!’
“Dictator Debs Tramples on the Law of the Land!”
Here’s the Chicago Herald’s editorial:
“It’s an absolute necessity that the railroads
Must defeat the strikers. If they yield on a single
Point, it will be a sign of fatal weakness. If the
Strike can succeed, then railroad owners would
Be surrendering their sacred private property to
The red agitators and conspirators of the ARU!...”
WORKER 1: Even-handed, objective reporting, wouldn’t you
Say, brothers?
(They all laugh and shake their head in disbelief.)
THEODORE: (Reading from a newspaper.)
“Eugene Debs is simply a thief who is personally
Profiting off his fellow strikers’ suffering…”
WORKERS: Unbelievable! Ridiculous!
WORKER 3: These days, Gene, you won’t even let
Pay you your salary! What journalistic hacks!
DEBS: Even so, brothers and sisters, the facts can’t
Be denied. After all, this is the first national
Strike in our nation’s history. Never before
Has the working class of our country so
Singularly demonstrated our power to bring
The capitalist exploiters’ system to a halt.
THEODORE: Our efforts to gain support from the railroad
Brotherhoods have had mixed results, however.
Sam Gompers of the AFL refuses to lift a finger.
The Mineworkers promise their full support,
But most of the brotherhoods have pledged
To work against us. Some of them have
Denounced us. Others, like P.M. MacArthur,
Say that they: “…neither have the authority
Nor the inclination to aid the ARU.” And the
Locomotive Firemen have been instructed:
“…to perform their regular duties: not to
Leave their trains…”
WORKER 1: (A courier enters and gives him a telegram, which he relates to them.)
We just got word that the owners are
Intentionally disrupting schedules, hoping
The resulting inconvenience will turn the
Public against us, and serve as an excuse
For government intervention.
DEBS: It’s discouraging, brothers and sisters, but
We have to remember that every single
Concession the railway companies have ever
Made has been wrung from them by the power
Of the working class.
WORKER 1: Just imagine, railway men and their misleaders
Scabbing and denouncing us. It’s enough to
Make a fellow puke.
THEODORE: (Reading from telegrams that have just been delivered by couriers.)
The Central Labor Unions of New York and
Chicago have both endorsed our boycott!
(Cheers and applause from the workers.)
DEBS: The word should go out that every true
Man and woman now quit and remain
Out until the fight is won. Our cause is
Gaining ground and success is in sight.
We must not falter. Labor must win now
Or never if our victory’s to be complete.
GENERAL MANAGERS ASSOCIATION. NIGHT. INTERIOR.
Vice-president Wickes sits behind a desk before which Attorney General Richard Olney paces back and forth.
OLNEY: We have finally obtained an Omnibus
Injunction against the ARU leaders.
With the Sherman Antitrust Act as our
Authority, it prohibits them from any
That aids the boycott or urges men to
Join the strike.
WICKES: Excellent work, Attorney General.
This will bring them to their knees.
OLNEY: Under the Act, the court has the
Power to enjoin a public nuisance
When it threatens the public good.
A railroad is a public highway and
The withdrawal of labor interferes
With the public good, consequently,
The boycott is subject to injunction.
Furthermore, any act in conjunction
With others that encourages the strike
May itself constitute a conspiracy
In violation of the Act.
WICKES: Conspiracy…I like the sound of that…
So if one man quits work or even
Suggests to another that he do likewise,
He’s guilty of being part of this conspiracy?
OLNEY: Exactly, Mr. Wickes!
WICKES: “…out of this conspiracy we shall make
A net that shall enmesh them all…”
OLNEY: The growth of all labor and radical
Organizations must be checked by
Law and order. And, in this case,
Nothing less than force – the might
Of Federal troops – will be required
To crush this damn boycott!
UHLICH HALL. DAY. INTERIOR.
Debs, perched on a desk, reads to Theodore, Clarence Darrow and the ARU executive board from a thick stack of newspapers.
DEBS: (As he speaks, there are FLASH-BACKS to newspaper headlines, newspaper pundits and angry clergymen preaching from the pulpit.)
Despite no sign of violence, and the
Fact that the mail trains have
Continued to run – Judges Woods
And Grosscup have issued an
Omnibus injunction against us. In
The headlines of the leading
Newspapers and from the pulpits
Of churches throughout the land
Comes the frantic cry for “Law and
Order”. Why, one minister of the
Gospel, here, identifies the injunction
With the word of God!...
(His listeners laugh and slap their knees.)
Here’s the Chicago Tribune’s banner
Headline: “STRIKE IS NOW WAR!”
And Reverend Dixon of Brooklyn claims:
“There are more anarchists today in
Chicago than in St. Petersburg. We
Should send ‘em all back to Russia
Where they belong!”…
(More laughter and guffaws.)
THEODORE: Nevertheless, the injunction threatens
To take from us our one and only
Weapon: the organized withholding of
Our labor. We still have the right to quit
As individuals, but if we do we’ll be
Blacklisted. We’ll never find work in
This damned depression.
DARROW: These federal judges have the power
To punish violations of an order that
They, themselves, have issued. What’s
More, we were denied our due process
Right to respond to the issuance of that
Order. We have to bear in mind that, on
The one hand, violation of the injunction
Could result in jail sentences for our
Leaders. While obedience, on the other,
Will result in tens of thousands losing
Their jobs.
THEODORE: It would be crushing to the morale of
The entire labor movement; be a signal
To employers across the country to join
In the attacks against their own workers.
DARROW: The situation is getting desperate. More
And more scabs are being brought here…
FLASH-BACK. OFFICE BUILDING. DAY. EXTERIOR.
FLASH-BACK. OFFICE BUILDING. DAY. INTERIOR.
One of the many offices opened across the country to recruit strike-breakers. Desperate men waiting in long lines and being interviewed for scab jobs.
UHLRICH HALL. DAY. INTERIOR.
DARROW: (As he speaks, we see FLASH-BACKS to the incidents he is describing.)
And our men are being arrested for
Merely refusing to turn switches, or
Refusing to board and fire engines. As
Absurd as it may seem, such acts have
Ruled to be in contempt of court!
DEBS: It’s the court, itself, that deserves
Our contempt!...
BOARD MEMBERS: Here, here!
DEBS: We of the executive board have no
Other choice but to defy this dastardly
Injunction!
OFFICE. DAY. INTERIOR.
Large Office. Press Conference. Attorney General Olney and Vice-president Wickes stand behind the podium, before which are aggressive reporters and cameramen. Olney has been speaking to the reporters
.
OLNEY: The leaders of the ARU have now been
Indicted for conspiracy. President Cleveland
Has ordered the entire command at Fort
Sheridan to Chicago for the following
Purposes: To protect Federal property; to
Prevent the obstruction of the U.S. mails;
To prevent interference with Interstate
Commerce; and to enforce the decrees
Of the Federal Courts.
REPORTER 1: Governor Atgeld has wired the President
That Federal troops are unwarranted, that
You’re violating our state’s rights and
Establishing military rule in Illinois. What
Do you say to that, Mr. Attorney General?
OLNEY: Gentlemen of the press, we have been
Brought to the very edge of anarchy and
Its’ time to determine whether our laws
Can end it. If it takes every dollar in the
U.S. Treasury and every soldier in the U.S.
Army to deliver a postcard to Chicago, then
I guarantee, gentlemen, that that postcard
Will be delivered!
REPORTER 2: Vice-president Wickes, Mr. Debs, the
Head of the Executive Board of the ARU,
Has stated that: “…the first shots fired by
The Army will be the signal for all-out
Civil War!...” What do you say to that,
Gentlemen?
OLNEY: Surely, that’s an invitation to anarchy,
Is it not? Mr. Debs, gentlemen of the
Press, has, himself, made our own case
For us!
DAY. EXTERIOR. VIEW OF FEDERAL TROOPS ASSEMBLED ON THE LAKEFRONT.
LELAND HOTEL. DAY. EXTERIOR.
LELAND HOTELS. DAY. INTERIOR.
A hotel room shared by Debs and his brother, Theodore.
DEBS’ VOICE: (As he looks out their hotel window at the Federal troops.)
Why, between Jackson Ave. and the Lakefront,
Troops are encamped by the thousands!
THEODORE’S VOICE: Yes, President Cleveland had finally brought in
The Army.
LELAND HOTEL. DAY. INTERIOR.
DEBS: And on Independence Day – on the Fourth of July –
Of all of the days of the year!...
THEODORE: The Attorney General’s got his wish.
He threatened to prod the president
Into securing an injunction and using
The Army to enforce it; warned us that
If he could crush the strike here in
Chicago, it would fail across the rest of
The country, as well.
DEBS: Our government is fast becoming a
Military despotism run by the railroads.
The on the courts, politicians, the State
Militia and the Army. As kids in Terre Haute,
I never dreamed it’s come to this!
THEODORE: Ours has been a long road as brothers
To have finally arrived at this impasse,
Here, in Chicago, Gene.
DEBS: Yes, the memories we share, both as
Brothers and as members of the
Brotherhood…I remember when I was
First admitted as a member by Josh
Leach, the founder; remember his big
Rough paw on my shoulder, the kindly
Look in his eyes. He told me: “My boy,
You’re a little young, but one of these
Days you’ll make your mark. You might
Become the head of our great Brotherhood.”
THEODORE: You worked night and day for the Union-
DEBS: And you were always there by my side.
THEODORE: “Sleep is a waste of time.” you’d always
Say. I’d often have to turn off the light
And force you into bed. And you’d ride
The engines back and forth across the
Country as an organizer.
DEBS: Yes, my grip was always packed. I
Rode them rails over mountains and
Plains, slept in the cabooses and was
Fed from the lunch pails of the stokers.
Then I worked, myself, as fireman, was
Exposed to the hardships of the rails;
With the men in their early morning
Watches. How could I fail to feel the
Burden of their wrongs?
THEODORE: And your example spurred me on, Gene.
Together, we learned the work of
Organizing can’t be limited to any single
Craft, but it must include every industry,
The entire working class. Why, the
Capitalists are organized in their General
Managers Associations and their Chambers
Of Commerce, so why shouldn’t the workers
Organize and unite?
DEBS: Not only are they organized as businessmen,
But they own the courts, the politicians and
The press, and use them against us. First,
The issue an injunction, second, they send in
The Army, and lastly, they mount their
Campaign of slander. In their writs, banner
Headlines and they flash of their bayonets,
The class struggle is constantly revealed.
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE. DAY. EXTERIOR.
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE. DAY. INTERIOR.
Courtroom. Judge Peter Grosscup presides. Prosecutor Milchrist is seated at a table before him to the right. Debs, Theodore, the other defendants and defense attorney Darrow are seated at a table to the left. Debs wears a tailored suit, hard white collar, black tie, boutonniere and gold-rimmed glasses. Darrow, in sharp contrast, is clothed in a crumpled, baggy suit that looks like it’s been slept in. The jury is seated to their right. The trial is in its final session, having gone on now for over a month.
BAILIFF: Hear ye, hear ye, this court is now
In session, the Honorable Peter
Grosscup presiding…
JUDGE: (Brings the court to order with his gavel.)
The court will now come to order…
Prosecutor Milchrist, are you
Prepared to continue your
Examination of the defendant?
MILCHRIST: (Rises to conduct his examination.)
I am, your honor. I recall Mr. Eugene
Debs, President of the American
Railway Union to the witness stand…
(Commotion in the courtroom as Debs rises and enters the witness box, where he is sworn in by the bailiff.)
JUDGE: (Brings the court to order with his gavel.)
I demand order in the court!...
(The courtroom is silenced.)
MILCHRIST: The defendants have been charged with
Conspiracy to obstruct a train carrying
The United States mail. In a case of
Conspiracy, like the one now before us,
The prosecution bears the burden of
Proving the existence of a conspiratorial
Agreement, overt acts, and the specific
Intent of each of the defendants. The
Overt acts alleged in the indictment
Consist of the following incidents…
FLASH-BACK. RAILROAD YARD. EXTERIOR.
Thousands of strikers stop a train. They force the crew to detach its Pullman cars and side-track them.
MILCHRIST’S VOICE:
On July 2, a crowd of over a thousand
Strikers and their sympathizers halted
A freight train on the Rock Island Line.
United States Mail cars were among
Those detained…
FEDERAL COURT. DAY. INTERIOR.
MILCHRIST: Are you aware of this incident, Mr. Debs?
DEBS: Yes, I most certainly am.
MILCHRIST: And you are the President of the American
Railway Union, who helped organize, called
For, and did everything in its power to
Further the boycott of the Pullman
Palace Car Company?
DEBS: Yes, I most certainly did. But I never
Advocated that our members stop
Freight trains, much less ones carrying
The U.S. mail. On the contrary, I, on
Numerous occasions, warned our
Members not to congregate at
Railroad stations.
MILCHRIST: But you, nevertheless, together with
Your fellow union leaders, organized
And urged that your men withhold
Their labor in the form of a boycott
Of the Pullman Palace Car Company,
Did you not?
DEBS: Yes, I did, and would do so again!
MILCHRIST: That is all, your honor. The prosecution
Rests its case…
(Milchrist returns to his seat behind the table on the right.)
JUDGE: Mr. Darrow, are you prepared to
Continue the case for the defense?
DARROW: (He rises to answer the Judge.)
Yes, I am, your honor.
JUDGE: Then please proceed.
DARROW: I call Police Chief John Brennan
Of Chicago…
(Police Chief Brennan rises and enters the witness box, where he is sworn is by the bailiff. Darrows approaches the witness box.)
Police Chief Brennan, did you not
Witness an incident, on June 26th, in
Chicago, in which hired deputies fired
Into a group of strikers when there was
No disturbance taking place nor any
Reason to discharge their weapons?
FLASH-BACK. CHICAGO STREET. DAY. EXTERIOR.
Deputies fire into demonstration of strikers marching down the street with banners.
BRENNAN’S VOICE:
Yes, I witnessed that incident, sir.
DARROW’S VOICE:
And would you describe the result of
This unprovoked shooting?
BRENNAN’S VOICE:
Several men and woman were killed, sir.
FEDERAL COURT. DAY. INTERIOR.
DARROW: And the perpetrators have been arrested
Charged, have they not?
BRENNAN: They most certainly have, sir.
FLASH-BACK. RAILROAD YARD. DAY. EXTERIOR.
Deputies board trains and steal items from the Pullman cars.
DARROW’S VOICE:
On another occasion, on June 28th, once
Again in Chicago, did you not witness
Hired deputies stealing property from
Palace Cars belonging to the Pullman
Company, Police Chief Brennan?
FEDERAL COURT. DAY. INTERIOR.
BRENNAN: On that and several other occasions I
Witnessed such brazen acts of theft.
DARROW: And did you ever witness theft on the
Part of any of the defendants or the
Striking railroad workers?
BRENNAN: No sire, I did not.
DARROW: Thank you, sir. That will be all, Police
Chief Brennan…
(Police Chief Brenna returns to his seat in the courtroom.)
The defense now calls Mr. James Revel…
(James Revel, a young man dressed in a work shirt and overalls, rises and enters the witness box, where he is sworn in by the bailiff.)
Mr. Revel, you are employed by the Rock
Island Railroad Line, are you not?
REVEL: Yes, I am, sir.
DARROW: On July 1st, at the freight yard where you
Are currently employed, did you not
Witness a group of hired deputies setting
Fire to one of your lines freight cars?
FLASH-BACK. RAILROAD YARD. DAY. EXTERIOR.
Deputies set fire to railroad cars.
FEDERAL COURT. DAY. INTERIOR.
REVEL: Yes, I did, sir.
DARROW: They were arrested and later identified,
Were they not?
REVEL: Yes, I picked them out of a line-up.
DARROW: And did you also witness deputies on
That same day cutting fire hoses in close
Proximity to the burning freight cars?
FLASH-BACK. RAILROAD YARD. DAY. EXTERIOR.
Deputies cut fire hoses near burning freight cars.
FEDERAL COURT. DAY. INTERIOR.
REVEL: Yes, I did, sir.
DARROW: And, to your knowledge, were these
Deputies ever charged?
REVEL: Not to my knowledge, sir. And I made
Several inquiries about the matter.
DARROW: Mr. Revel, why do you imagine deputies
Hired by the railroads, themselves, would
Set fire to their own employer’s property?
MILCHRIST: Objection, your honor. The question calls
For speculation on the part of the witness.
JUDGE: Objection over-ruled. Answer the question,
Mr. Revel.
REVEL: It’s just my opinion, sir, but I believe the
Railroads would only do such a thing to
Discredit the union or to collect insurance
On obsolete equipment. The railroad’s got
Everything to gain by violence they can pin
On the strikers, and the union’s got
Everything to lose.
DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Revel. You are excused…
(Revel returns to his seat in the courtroom.)
The defense now calls Colonel Pingree…
(Colonel Pingree, in military uniform, rises and enters the witness box, where he is sworn in by the bailiff.)
Colonel Pingree, you are an officer in the
United States Army, in a unit now stationed
In Chicago, are you not?
PINGREE: Yes, I am, sir.
DARROW: And is it true that you are currently being
Held by the army for courts-martial?
PINGREE: Yes, I am, sir.
DARROW: And with what have you been charged,
Colonel Pingree?
PINGREE: Insubordination, sir.
DARROW: And what, exactly, were the acts of
Insubordination alleged, Colonel Pingree?
PINGREE: I, together with several of my fellow
Officers, met to discuss whether the
Strikers were rioters or whether they
Had just cause for their demands.
DARROW: And what was the conclusion of your
Discussion, Colonel Pingree?
PINGREE: We concluded that the union had
Just cause for their grievances and
That we’d been drafted to break
Their strike. We were being used to
Crush the union, not to quell a riot!
(Applause in the courtroom. Cries of “Here!, here!)
JUDGE: (Bangs his gavel repeatedly.)
I demand order in the court!
Another such outburst and I shall
Clear the courtroom entirely!...
(Order is restored in the courtroom.)
DARROW: Thank you, Colonel Pingree. That
Will be all…
(Colonel Pingree returns to his seat in the courtroom.)
The defense now calls Simon Crain…
(Simon Crain, dressed in a suit and tie, rises and enters the witness box, where he is sworn in by the bailiff.)
Mr. Crain, you are currently employed
As a reporter for the Chicago Herald,
Are you not?
CRAIN: Yes, I am, sir.
DARROW: And you have recently written a lengthy
Article on the Pullman Strike, have you not?
CRAIN: Yes, I have, sir.
DARROW: Could you tell us some of the things you
Have learned?
CRAIN: With the feudal conditions that caused the
Strike, the nation-wide tie-up of railroads,
And the intervention of the government
With its injunctions and Federal troops –
The Pullman Strike has been the biggest
News story of the year. Thirty civilians were
Killed, twice that number injured, and more
Than seven-hundred men were arrested. At
The height of the strike there were nearly
Fourteen-thousand law enforcement officers.
DARROW: And, as a journalist, what do you think about
Your fellow journalists’ coverage of the strike?
CRAIN: Most of it makes me ashamed of my profession.
It’s been scandalous!
DARROW: In what way has it been scandalous, Mr. Crain?
CRAIN: In the overwhelming company bias of most of
The reporting, and the wild, uncorroborated
Charges made against the striking workers.
DARROW: But there has been fair strike coverage, and
Wide-spread sympathy for the strike, has
There not?
CRAIN: Yes, sir. The support among the public has been
Overwhelming! And the Daily News has provided
A store for the relief of the strikers, and the
Inter Ocean was constantly on the attack against
Against the company’s inhumanity.
DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Crain, you are dismissed…
(Crain returns to his seat in the courtroom.)
My final witness will be Mr. Eugene Victor
Debs, President of the American Railway
Union…
(Whispers in the courtroom, as Debs rises, enters the witness box, and is sworn in by the bailiff.)
You and your fellow defendants have been
Charged with conspiracy to interfere with
The U.S. mail, Mr. Debs. A conspiracy
Requires the existence of an agreement
Among the conspirators, overt acts and the
Specific intent to perform those acts. Mr.
Debs, did you ever interfere or urge anyone
To interfere with the U.S. mail by halting
Trains of the Rock Island Railroad?
DEBS: No, sir. On the contrary, on a number of
Occasions, our union offered to help move
Mail cars that had gotten tied up.
DARROW: So there were no acts in furtherance of
The alleged conspiracy…Now, Mr. Debs,
Did you and your fellow defendants – “in
The secret watches of the night” – ever
Band together to plan on obstructing the
U.S. mail?
DEBS: No, sir. On the contrary, all of the meetings
Of the American Railway Union, since the
Strike began, have been public and open to
The press.
DARROW: So there was no agreement of the defendants
To conspire…Then why, Mr. Debs, do you think
You are being charged with conspiracy?
DEBS: It’s simply the last in a series of legal maneuvers
To crush our strike and destroy our union.
DARROW: And what were the earlier attempts to crush
Your strike and destroy you union?
DEBS: First, there was their injunction against the
Union; then, their use of the police, armed
Thugs and the army to enforce it; and, finally,
There is this conspiracy show trial.
DARROW: And why do you think the forces of capital,
The state and its courts, in the final analysis,
Have been brought to bear against you and
The American Railway Union, Mr. Debs?
DEBS: All great strikes demonstrate that the state
Is controlled by capital; and the aim of the
Capitalist state, in the final analysis, is to
Crush any and every challenge to its rule
By the working class.
DARROW: Mr. Debs, will you please explain to us
The nature of the capitalist system?
DEBS: I’d be glad to, sir. Class struggle is at the
Heart of capitalism. Why? Simply because
One class, the capitalists, owns the tools
And machinery with which wealth is
Produced; while another, the working class,
Employs them at the point of production.
The capitalist owns the tools he does not use;
While the workers use the tools they do not
Own. And by virtue of the capitalist’s ownership
Of these, the means of production, he can
Exploit the labor of the working class. The
Capitalist buys and sells the labor-power of
Of the workers, the one as cheaply and the
Other as dearly as possible. The worker can’t
Work unless the capitalist hires him. And if he
Does get work, he offers his labor-power in
Exchange for a wage that represents but a
Fraction of what he produces. Once in the shop,
The factory whistle and foreman are his taskmasters.
Then suddenly – without warning – the factory
Closes or he is fired. He still has to pay rent, pay for
Food and clothing for his family. But he can’t live
Without work, so he is hardly ‘free’. He is, in fact, a
‘Wage slave’. Between capitalist and worker there
Can be no ‘common interest’. They are forever locked
In a life-and-death struggle, one that reform can never,
By itself, eliminate. Only when the present system of
Private ownership is abolished – so that the workers,
Themselves, own the means of production – can they
Ever attain their freedom as a class. And this can only
Be accomplished if they have their own party with
Which to organize: a party of the working class,
Irrespective of sex, race, creed or color…
DARROW: Do you have any final words with which to address
The jury, Mr. Debs?
DEBS: (He addresses the jury.)
Yes, sir…I have no apologies or regrets to express.
Candor compels me to characterize the entire
Court’s proceedings as a persecution, not a
Prosecution. Nor is there a scrap of evidence to
Convict any one of us. I believe Mr. Milchrist, the
Prosecutor, is a decent man who believes in the
Law. In this case, however, he acts as a puppet in
The hands of the railroads. Not a single man guilty
Of obstructing the U.S. mail has been indicted.
Only we, their leaders, have been dragged into
Court under the tyrannical doctrine of conspiracy.
Every single meeting of our union, since the strike
Began, has been public and open to the press.
Unlike the meetings of the General Managers
Association, none of our meetings have been
Held in private. So, I ask you, members of the jury,
Who is it that is really guilty of conspiracy?...
(He pause, removes his spectacles, and places them into his breast coat pocket. Then he once again faces the jury.)
Members of the jury, years ago I recognized my
Kinship with all human beings, and made up my
Mind that I wasn’t one bit better than the least
Of ‘em. I said then, and I say now, that while
There’s a lower class, I’m in it; and while there’s
A criminal element, I’m of it; and while there’s a
Soul in prison, I shall never be free…
McCHENRY COUNTY JAIL. DAY. EXTERIOR.
McHENRY COUNTY JAIL. DAY. INTERIOR.
Debs and Theodore are seated on the cot of their cell separated by a large pile of letters.
THEODORE: Overnight, the strike has made you
Into a national celebrity, Gene. Why,
We’ll have to hire a secretary just to
Keep up with all this mail!
DEBS: And the books and pamphlets they’ve
Been sending me. They say the post
Office is nearly buried under ‘em all!...
(He reads for a letter from the pile.)
This one’s from an ARU brother who
Asks: “Brother Debs, is there any
Difference between the Democrats
And the Republicans? Are the Democrats
Really the ‘friend of the working man?...”
THEODORE: I’ll take a stab at that one, Gene… First,
I’d ask him: Were the Democrats opposed
To the use of injunctions, Federal troops
And the jailing of your ARU leaders for the
Purpose of crushing our strike? What do
They say about the disenfranchisement of
The Negro in the Southern states? And are
They opposed to capitalism, from which the
Exploitation of the working class arises?
DEBS: The answer is obvious. Both Democrats and
Republicans represent the capitalist class,
Alone. With either in power, the capitalists
Are in the saddle and the working class is
Under it. We need a party of our own, a
Party of the working class…Here’s another
One from a mother who asks: “Would women
And children be treated differently under
Socialism?”
THEODORE: Under capitalism, a woman is her husband’s
Property. She isn’t even allowed to vote. And
If she’s able to get a job, it’s at far lower wages
Than a man.
DEBS: And a working man’s son can rarely attend
High school, much less college. As soon as he’s
Big enough, he’s forced to help support his family.
THEODORE: With all this correspondence to answer, when will
We ever finish our appeal?
DEBS: I’ve got a first draft, here…
(He reaches under his cot for the manuscript.)
Can I try it out on you, Ted?
THEODORE: Sure, Gene…
DEBS: (He reads aloud.)
Brothers and sisters of the American Railway
Union, through these prison walls I greet you.
This appeal is made particularly to you, with
Whom I began my career as a wage worker,
With whom I’ve spent twenty-seven years of
My life, and for whom I’ve an affectionate
Regard that will only cease with the end of my
Days. In every trying hour of my early years,
You stood staunch and true behind me and
Raised me up so that others might know me,
While you remained obscure, the unapplauded
Soldiers of the rank and file, who move this
World and who should be its aristocracy. My
Brothers and sisters, an injustice has been done
To us by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Through the power of injunction, Federal troops
And the incarceration of your officers, it has
Attempted to crush our strike…But you can
Replace me and your officers with others. No one
Is indispensible. For, if you’re looking for a Moses
To lead you out of the wilderness, you might as
Well stay right where you are. I wouldn’t lead you
Into the Promised Land even if I could: because if I
Could lead you in, someone else could surely lead
You out. Your leadership must be in a party of the
Working class. For your emancipation can only be
By the act of the working class, itself.
THE END