Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-16
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Interesting Extracts ftom the Report
Of Mr.. Lilchman on the Gould
strike investigation.
The Election Of General omoera Com
pieted- rhsir Instalianon Foilows--
Mr Powdsriy speaks

ibS kShoiAb OiuCckS, bWO HleuDtf3 OF Tie
general cooperative board 1t was ex-
pected that 1t would take mt short
time, and that consideration q the re-
ports would be resumed. Among the first
TO be presented is tbs report of the com.
mittee on the state OF the order, Of which
Ralph Beaumont "a chairman. This
report Endorses the report OF
the committee on legislation, OF
which Mr.. Beaumont Is also chairman,
and recommends that the supplement.
airy report Of the same committee m
which plan for congress composed OF
representatives Of the Knights OF Labor
to be established at Washington be sent
out TO local assemblies for tueir approval
The committee on the state of the order
recommends the Endorsement OF the re-
port OF Charles II Litchman, special
sgent appointed by the general master
workman to represent the order
before the congressional committee APP
pointed TO investigate the cause and effect
Of the South western railroad strike. In
his report, Mr.. Litchman says "With
unlimited resources at their command,
1t was comparatively easy for the rail-
road officials to carefully drill the wit.
nesses in line In statements which should
DIT each other, and this preliminary dril.
ing WAS painfully apparent. The test
mony was given Ike lot OF parrots.
They all echoed The statement that the
only cause they had ever heard designed
for the strike was for the discharge OF the
man named Hall, at Marshall"
The ludicrous sameness Of this reply
finally upset the dignity of the commit
tee and after being repeated some sixty
fot1 -
! smile to their faces. In the testimony
presented on behalf OF the order we en-.
dtavored 10 show that the contract OF
1885 had been persistently broken, and
that long line OF grievances had been
suffered, complained OF aud copeid.
cred by the districts involved, and
that while the district assembly was in
session In Marshall matters eliminated
| in the discharge OF Brother G..
A. Hall upon fiimsy pretense.
AS an explanation Of the case
from this standpoint, q man who
testified before the committee at Parsons,
Kan, Ed b. Hollis, one OF the strikers, IL
quoted. Concluding this report,
| Mr.. Litchman says "The tes-
| timony OF other witnesses at various
points corroborated that Of Brother Hall,
and showed conclusively the existence OF
valid reasons of complaint, and sys
TEN OF petty tyranny on the part of
abroad under-bosses which has been be.
yond the part OF human forbearence TO
patiently endure. All through the in
| vestigation one fact was plainly
shown, which could not tail
| to gain the admiration Of all,
and that was the nnswerying
loyalty OF the members in obedience to
the orders Of their superiors when the
word TO strike came. In many instances
the question was Asked Would you
strike again under similar clrcum-
stances? Most assuredly, was the reply
l cannot but think, es the result OF my
| investigation, that the railroad company
had It's spice IN our assemblies, and was
fully informed Of every move made
and action contemplated Knowing that
discomfort existing would soon provoke a
conflict, the company quietly massed O
large surplus of help in that
section and held them In readiness
was better prepared than the men.
have no doubt that the claim of Brother
Hall Is correct, that the Knights had good
reason TO believe the engineers would Join
them, for prominent railroad Official
told me personally that the road
fully expected the engineers would join
the knights and had quietly arrpged to
bring engineers from distance to take
their places. Fortunately, he said, we were
able TO make an arrangement by
which the engineers remained loyal and
the men from a distance were not needed
Perhaps an opportuue visit of p. Nj
Arthur, chief OF the Brotherhood OF Loco
motive Engineers, 10 the south.
west just at that time may
have been referred TO. IL Ii
easy enough now to say that the strike
was i'll timed, ill-advised and badly man.
aged. 1t is easy enough now To make
Martin Irons scapegoat, and say
he ordered the strike without
authority, but the truth Is tina
every local assembly voted t. give tn.
district board power TO demand an adjust
ment OF the grievances complained Of anC
the reinstatement of Brother Hall
II the board erred In acting
prematurely and without proper consul
taiion with the resources they could com
mand to carry on the strike, the dlsas
trous failure OF the strike Is sufIlcien
punishment without any hare
criticism from me. AmonI
the interesting facts developed In tn
course OF the lnVeSuHatlpnb WAS tne OK
istence OF blacklist upon which wer,
placed the names OF all persons dis
charged. There is reason TO believ,
that these blacklists are interchange
among the railroads, thus making 1t dim
cult for man discharged by one road u
get employment on another. Mr.. Litch
man adds that he purpostly sab
mlts the report with recommendation
He says he acknowledges, with gratitude
the consideration with which ne wa
treated by the congressional committee
, The commit on legislation, amoni
J other bills before congress that II recon
, mends, names the Poindexter bill in fayo
OF New York pilots.
ELECTIONS FINISHED.
RICHMOND, Va, Oct. Is. L. G.. I
Schllefer OF Massachusetts, and J NJ
Brighton OF Raleigh, N. c., we're electe
members OF the general co-operatiy
: board
E David 4. Gibson OF Hamilton, Ontario
i ii. a Cana dian aupnip aOanf ryhna