Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-20
ORGANIZING THE STRIKE.
One of the Brotherhood Tells all About
the Preliminary Plans.


the Preliminary Plans.
WASHINGTON, July ia telegraph
operator who announces himself as one
of the officers of the local organization of
the Telegraphers' Brotherhood and au-
thorized to speak officially, cemmmuni-
Gates the following information to the
Associated Press: ''The rumor which was
spread abroad soon after the strike began
that false announcement of the death of
Gen. Grant was the signal for the operators
to strike is untrue. The order to strike
was prepared last night at the same time
that the letter to Gen. Eckert was drawn
up. 1t was communicated to the Brother
hood before : O'Clock this morning by
means of an ordinary cypher, simple
transpositiOn of words. The Executive
Committee of the Brotherhood have
not the authority that has
been attributed to them. They have
been acting within instructions which
were formulated by a convention of dele
gates held some months ago in Western
city. The only discretion to be exercised
by them previous to the Inauguration of
the strike was in the matter of the date
on which the bill of Grievances" should
be presented to the companies and this
discretion was limited to the time be-
tween June Is and August 10.
The paper would have been
presented on the 18th instant but for the
reason that that day was Sunday. The
following day, Monday, the 10th inst,
was accordingly selected 1t was part
of the instructions of the Executive Com
mittee that in case the demands of the
Brotherhood were not conceded within
tOrty-eight hours after the presentation
OF the bill of grievance that strike would
follow. 1t was contemplated that notiti-
cation to this effect should accompany the
document, but the committee were more
conservative than their instructions, and
no threat nor limitation of time for a re-
ply accompanied the presentation. After
the strike should begin, however, the en-
tire management of it was vested in the
Executive Committee. They have power
to order its discOntinuance, if they deem
it advisable, and such an order will be
obeyed. Nothing else will end the
strike. except the disintegratiOn of
the Brotherhood. When the Execu-
tive Committee of the Brotherhood
understood from their reception by Gene
raj Eckert and the publication of his let
ter to Superintendent ClOwry what the
policy of the Western Union Company
would be, they prepared the order for the
strike. The present action of the opera
tors has been discussed in their local
iOu8tS SilCt ldSJ OCJODcIs LdCu uclC-
gate to the convention at which definite
action was agreed upon took from his
local organization a complete bill of
grievance. From these different bills the
convention selected the points of greatest
interest to the fraternity at large, and
prepared the document presented by the
Executive Committee on Monday.
After this paper had been agreed
upon by the convention it was sub
them unanimously ratified. The same
operator says that there was no unanim-
ity OF sentiment among telegraphers in
favor of striking until after the publica-
ton Of the recent order of the Western
Union Company regulating the hours of
labor. This order was construed by the
men as tending so greatly to their disad-
vantage. After that the membership be-
came united, and large accessions to
their ranks followed.