Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-15

no gsme OF oiun. l speak for 500, 600 or
canned men, who are ready to pay out their
isst iarthing in order that justice may pre-
vail"
''You have it in your power to make friend.
OF tnese men by acting the part of q man by
taxing the matter In your own hands. Will
you do so and end this strike in the interest
of humanity and our common country? II
Is your duty to remove every obstacle, assert
your authority, and take this matter in your
own hands, settle every grievance, restore
every man to his place except those who have
oeen engaged in the destruction of property
or broken laws. DO this. and YOU can then
make rules and agreements with vour men
which forever preclude the possibility of an.
other such disastrous conflict.
Very truly yours.
&c. W. PowpERLr, G. NJ. W."
The foregoing letter was enclosed in one
to Mr. Mcdowell In which he WAS instructed
10 see Gould once more with reference 20
settlement OF troubles in the Southwest. If
Gould Is willing to make amicable settlement
or hold out hopes of arrangement in the near
future. Powderly's letter was not to be d.
.ivered to Gould, but If he still refused the
letter was to be delivered and Gould given
Till O'Clock on the day of delivery TO answer
finally one way or the other. Mcdowell.
presumably after vainly trying to obtain
satisfactory settlement with Gould, enclosed
Powderiy's letter OF instruction and his letter
to Gould into the latter's hands.
Gould, in reply to Powderv, SAYS:
Your letter to me embraces two subjects,
one relating to me personally and the other
to the relation of the Knights of Lat or TO
the railroad company of which | am presi-
dent, md, IN some degree, representative of
Its Onbllc and sban g.
to the first subject very briefly.
1.-The circumstances above given under
which your letter was delivered, as well as its
tenor and spirit, place the purpose in writing
1t beyond any far doubt 1t would seem to
be an official declaration that the knights of
Labor had determined to pursue me person
ally unless the Missouri Pacific Company
should yield to its demands in what you call
strike on that road. In answer to these
personal threats, beg to say am vet free
American citizen. | am past 40 year. of age,
was born at Roxbury, Del. Co., in this State.
| began life in lowly life, and by industry.
temperance, and attention to my own busi-
ness, have been successful, perhaps beyond
measure of my deserts. If, as you
say, L am now to be DESTROYED,
by the knights of Labor, unless l sink my
manhood, so be it. Fortunately, | have re.
'"i"eu uy early HhUlts OF INDUSTRY. NV
friends, neighbors and business associates
know me well and am quite content to leave
my personal record to them. II any of them
have aught to complain of, | will be only too
glad to submit to any arbitration. IL such
parties or any of them wish to appoint a
knight of Labor or you as their attorney,
such an appointment is quite agreeable to
me, but until such an election is made it will
naturally occur to you that any interference
on your part In my personal affairs, is, to say
the least quite gratuitous."
Gould then refers to the fact that when
| the strike on his road occurred, he was on tbs
ocean and beyond the reach of telegrams.
de also gives the correspondence (already
published) which took place between Pow
derby and Vice President Hoxie at that time.
and later, that between himself and Powder
| ly. He also makes extended reference to the
| recent interviews with the executive board
and to the telegram ordering the strikers to
return to work.
| He then continues
"Hoxie advises me that everv striking en-
ploye applying to be received back. has been
employed unless believed to have taken par,
| in the recent acts of violence. This company
still stands ready to make good in the fullest
sense its agreement as expressly set forth
In the face OF all of this you notify me thar
unless by . o'clock personally consent to
something, precisely what | do not see. then
personal consequences, of the sort vaguely
| expressed but not hard to understand, will at
| the hand of your order be visited upon me
| Let me again remind you that it is an Ameri
can citizen whom YOU and your order seek to
| destroy. The contest is not between your
order and me but between your order and the
laws of the land. You say in effect that |
hold my individual property and rights not
as other men hold theirs but only at the peril
of your letting loose irrevocably after 5
O'Clock your order upon me. If this is true
of this company and of me it is true Of every
other man and company Having pushed this
violence beyond even the great forbearance
of the public, and found in this direction
cause to hesitate, you now turn on me and
propose that the wrongs you have hitherto
inflicted on the public shall now culmnate in
an attack on an individual.
Very Respectfully,
| JAY GOULD"