The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-15
Mr.. POWDEREY
Writes an Extraordinary Letter
to Jay Gould,
In Which lie Reviews the Recent
Conferences
And Gives His Impression Of the
Statements OF Gould.
He is Willing to Meet the Great
Railroad President
In the Courts and Let the Law
Decide,

eight hours must have demonstrated u
you the absolute nseesslty OF bringing
this trouble on the Southwestern road to q
speedy termination. You have the power
the authority and the means to bring the
strike to an end. l have done every
thing in my power to end the strike.
The gentlemen associated with me on the
General Executive Board Of the Knights
Of Labor have done the same. Every.
ching consistent with manhood has been
done in the interest OF peace. No false
notions Of pride or dignity have swaysd
Us in our dealings with you or the gentle
men associated with you, In conference
with you on Sunday, March 2S, l under.
derstood you TO mean that arbitration
would be agreed to. The only method OF
arbitration discussed was in the line
with that suggested in . letter which l
ent to you in the name OF our Board the
lay previous. There was nothing par.
tiCulGr agreed upon as YOU we'll know.
You said thatin arbitrRsing the matter the
damages sustained by the company dur.
ing the strike ought to receive Considefa-
ton. said to you 1t would not be the
part Of wisdom to bring that question up
in the settlement OF the strike,
WHAT PoWDERLY UNDERSTOOD.
When called upon you again that
evening you had prepared as the result
Of your understanding OF the mornings
interview, letter which you intended to
1--WE me. That letter included telegram
o be sent to Mr.. uoxie and in that tsis.
Eram you said that damages sustained by
the company would DO q proper subject
Tor the ArbitIstion Board to di6Cuss. The
latter part of the letter or telegram you
agreed to strike oil after we had talked
the matter over some timo, and
left you as you were about TO "a
10 your room to Ie-Write the letter which
you afterwards placed in the hands
II Mr.. Mcdowell, for had to leave al
that time in order to keep an appoint.
Aent ut the hotel where stopped. The
statement which you have slnce made Ia
the effect that yOn had prepared that let.
,er before called is not quite correct, oil
L you did have it prepared you
changed 1t alter We talked the
matter over. This believe you
will admit to be true. In the conference
between the members Of our Executive
Board and the directors Of the Missouri
Pacific Railroad Company Ut lOj Broad
way, you said to me that yuu understood
ne to say that the men along your lines
would be ordered back 10 work at once
iley having violated the rules Of our or
ian z4tion. then reiterated tho state
nent which made 10 you, and now re-
peat it.
tux KIND or MEN TO De DEALT WITH.
"The men along the lines Of your raj.
ways can be ordered back to work, but i
they arc giyent to understand that they are
deserted, that VIC do not take any interes
n them it will not in any way mend mat
,ers, On the contrary II will make thing
worse. TheIeare along theroadsout there
Ireat many men who have no regard ioi
organization or law, men Of hardy spirit
energy and daring. Such men have left The
East aud taken up their homes In wilC
country, such GS will not submit as quietly
a the men they have left behind in thC
East. They are apt TO do Tasher thing
han they would do elsewhere, and
hsye no doubt we have some ofthem II
our orders; in TACT, my experience viii
men Of that section leads me to thinl
men on both sides out there are more
iare.devils than they are in the East
Even business men Of that country are o
that stamp OF character"
Both you and Mr.. Hopkins heard nt
make that statement, and believe thA
the latter aereed that was his experience
also.
D4SGBR OF THE sTRiEE SPREADING.
Danger Of the strike spreading was also
discussed, and said to you that 1t woulc
not spread; that an effort had been mad,
to have the men Of the Union Pacific
take up the part OF the strikers, bat tht
Knights Of Labor on that road had {
standing agreement with the management
Of the road that there was 10 beno trouble
ar strike until 9 last effort 10 effect q set
t(ement had failed, aud not then unit
the court Of last resort had been reached
When wrote that statement Mr. HopkinI
remarked that they had better STRIKE
then, for II they did not the Union Pacific
would not much longer have sufficient t
nav their employees. The impression
made on me was that you would b.
pleased TO see strike take place on tht
Union Pacific. This bslleys covers the
chief points Of the discutsion. Idld not hea
sitheT you or Mr.. Hopkins say that tht
present troubles along your road woult
not be arbitTated with mea who were no
al work, It was my firm belief whom
Isit Won that night that you meant to havt
ths sntire afIalf submitted to arbitration
the frat possible moment. That belief il
shSrgd In by bir. Mcdowell Wit
Was present during the entire interview
When you sent the telegram to Mr.. HoGit
Won sent It as President Of tho Missour
Pacific Railroad Company. You sent II q
Ehe chief sends his message 10 an inisflo
officer and II meant Us much 10 . sensible
man as the most imperative order coult
mean, When |, a. chief officer oil th
Knights Of labor, send message such q
tbat n il understood 10 be my wishes, AM
those wishes are respected by the Buboi
dinSIe officers 10 whom they are sent.
THE DUTY TO osEH.
It is not his place to put a different con
struction on them, and give them bis owl
Interpretation. His duty Is to obey th
spirit Of the instructions. The man !
power need not be 40 autocfal In order :
have his wishes respected. u would llk
10 see Il dOne," comes with ~ great fore
ifom the man In authority as II must hav
Il dons.n That was the Idea enteTtaine
when left your house.
also explained at your house TIA
night that the men who entered upo
ne strikes had not violated any law Of ID
order in 20 doing that while ! thought
Tonid have been better II they had lli
iheir grievances before the General FL
: ennllvs Board before striking, yet theI
) va nothing In our laws 70 Gomnan
, ihem 10 do 60. said that q District Al
Sembly Of the Knlghts Of Labor bore th
sStne relation 10 the General Assembly
which / vas the chlel officer g one Ol q
states Of the United States bore 70 U
general government oI the United STATE