The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-04-30

which you act, said Mr. Gould, there was
no difficulties existing between my COM
parry and the lahorerS.a This was said for
the purpose Of informing tie committee
that the statements about to be made were
made voluntarily Ny Gould then entered
into detailed statement OF the organiza-
ton of the Missouri Pacific, and quickly
came down to the recent labor troubles
and the part he had taken in them.
He said he was away on West
Indian cruise when the strike es
CURED, and such information as he had,
had reached him through official reports.
He would be glad to tell the committee
every thing he knew, but deemed it proper
to say that the facts were not within his
own knowledge. He went on to recite the
story of his interview with Mr.. Powderly
and the committee prior to his West
Indian cruise, during which he said
the knights declared that the Mis-
souri, Pacific had lived up to its
agreement and agreed not to strike
again, but to come to him imam fashion,
and settle any future grievances they
might have. Then the, strike came after
:. our men told Mr. Hoxie that they had
no grievances, and were told to striken
He then produced and read the tele-
grams passing between Messrs. Pow
derby, Hoxie and Hopkins. At the
date of the strike he had 14,315
employees, while the strikers num-
bered only 3,717men, principally employed
in the machine shops aleng the tracks and
genefallyin the lower branches. What
followed the striker" asked Mr. Gould
showing signs of deep feeling. ''They
seized ST. Louis, Kansas City, Soda
liza, Texarkana and our terminal ia
cilities; they took possession and said
road. That is what they said," ex-
claimed Mr.. Gould, i'll voice exhibiting
traces of strong agitation. sOur loyal en-
ployes could not run train, and were de-
prired of the power to earn their wages.
That was what followed the ,strlke-f9rci-
BILE possession. / can't call it any thing
else; something the Gar of Russia would
hesitate to do with his millions of soldiers
behind him.. y
Mr. Gould interrupted the reading to re-
mark that he thought the correspondence
showed pretty clearly that they had led the
Horses Up TO tie Watering trough, but eopld
not make them drink; that the shops Wefe
open, but the men refused 10 go to work
Then he entered into an account of his
conference with Messrs Powderly and Nc
Dowell of the knights of Labor, which did
not differ materially from the statements
of these gentlemen before the c5iflnlitt96:
Mr.. Gould thought that the acts of the
the representations made to him and
their pledges to him; that the
private instructions of Mr.. Pow
derby were different from his general
circulars. Mr.. Gould maintained that he
acted in good faith, but he thought it was
bad faith and too much liberty on the part
of Messrs. Powderly and Mcdowell when
they made public his note of Instructions
to Mr.. Hoxie to arbitrate the troubles.
He had not consented to it's publicity at
that time. Mr. Gould read a personal let
ter Yh 1H 81 be wE9te g g M. Fo a,..
matter of arbitration was wholly within
the discretion of Mr.. Hoxie, and ;nforming
Mr. Powderly that he (Mr. Gould) did not
| want to be understood by his telegram to
Mr. Hoxie in which he said that we see
no objection to arbitrating troubles with
employees, past. and future as saying
that there should be arbitration; it Has
only a consent to arbitration CT his Mr..
Gould's) part, and that Mr.. Hoxie was left
| free to act or not.
Mr. Gould read the circular ordering
the resumption of work, and remarked;
THAT was the address they issued when
every thing seemed TO be lovely, and it
| Was followed by this pronunciameito on
| April 81 He then read in a tremu-
| lous, voice, but showing symptoms Of
| indisnati0n, ant emphasizing such
passages as "Gould, the giant fend, is
! the ruins of our homeS,n Martin Irons Cir
cular deneuncing him to the. workmen Of
the world. That" he said, us Che re.
spouse the Knights of Labor made to the
continuing bond of fellowship we had held
/ out.n
In answer to Mr.. Burns Mr.. Gould said
that his telegram to Mr.. Hoxie referring to
arbitration was not even advisory in its
nature; he meant to leave the entire matter
in Mr.. Hoxie;s hands aud hold him respon
sible fer the results. He regarded the
employees Of railroad company as
being on a different foundation front
the employees of manufacturing
business. He had always claimed that
every ensploye from president down clothed
himself with certain public duties and it
was his duty to do his part toward OPP
Grating the road, He (Mr Gould) found
that he had enough to do TO manage
friend there (Mr. Powderlyj Undertook
a great deal more; he attempted to regu-
late all the railroads. all the shoe-makers
] all the bakers-every trade. That was too
broad-Shouldered and he did not wonder
that his friend had broken down under it
As to arbitration, he believed that volun-
| tary arbitration would be better-lnore
sought lothian Compulsory Arbitration:
Mr.. Gould said he was perfectly willing
to give the arbitration scheme proposed by
/ Congress thorough and fair tria if it be-
come law. Mr. Gould said he was always
willing, and SO we're TIE Missouri Pacific
officers always ready, to arbitrate differ
ences between the company and employees;
but did not propose to deal with the men
as the order 6f tile Knights Of Labofj be-
cause there were 10000 men in the empoy
of the company who were not members OF
the order Of Knights of Labor.
I Mr. Burns called attention to the order
referred to in the testimony Wednesday
directing that no Knights OF Labor shotild
be employed as foremen. Mr.. Gould denied
/ any knowledge of that order, but justified it
on the principle of not putting on guard any
except those who could be trusted. MIR.
Grain inquired az to the report that cons
struct1on companies issue stock to them
selves out OF proportion to the work done,
but Mr.. Gould denied any knowledge OF
such transactions. He was asked his
opinion as to tho cause of the strike, and
the only reason that Occurred 10 him was
the desire of some of the leaders to obtain
notoriety and consequence. He denied any
knowledge of stock operations based on the
strike. He had not made a transaction
since January 1, and was sure the directors
had no dealings in Missouri Pacific Stock
MI, Cultivate asked Mr.. Gould whether
the interests of the company or the public
welfare would have suffered by the &C
ceptance of Mr. Powderly's proposition to
arbitrate as indicated in his telegram to the
knights of Labor people in st. Louis: Mr..
Gould answered.
Il did not understand that there was any
agreement made with Powderly There
was not when he left my house. I did not
know what he was going to do. After he
went out had long discussion with Mr..
Hopkins, who remained, as to what Pows
derby would do, and / said that he
would do nottingham he had not the
courage. What he had said he would do
was to issue an order declaring that
the strike was with9iit cause-that the men
were in rebellion-and taking away their
charter 1t was on that statement that
gave MIN copy of my dispatch to Hoxie.
Next morning when it came out in the
papers from him that there was an entirely
different thing done, it was of that | com.
planned, because I did not agree to it in
that shape, and would not have agreed to
it in that shape.n
Mr.. Cultivate asked if there could have
been any injury to the company had it ac-
cepted Mr.. Powderly's view of the case.
Mr.. Gould replied that he did not know
whatsubjects their arbitration would cover.
IF it covered the question whether we
should discharge men whom we had en-
ployed after the strike we would not adj
init that to be a subject Of arbitration
Mr.. Olthwaite-1hen did you intend OF
want to have any arbitration or effort to
settle any difficulties with Knights of La
Dor who had struck or were out Of your EN-
/ 1lr.r-1 80 II IL