Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1886-04-23
The Great Railroad Magnate Gives
His Views on the Subject of
the Recent Strikes.
He Holds that the Knights Have
Not Lived Up to the Agree
ment They Made.
A Batch of Telegrams and Letters
Are Submitted to Prove
His Assertion.
Gould Willing to Arbitrate With
Individuals but Not With
Knights.
Gould Testifes.

WASHINGTON, April %. -- A bar laid
across the corridor and several watchmen
excluded the general public from the room
occupied by the select committee, which is
investigating the labor troubles in the
southwest. The adoption of this precau-
ton had been made necessary by the lin
tied accommodations offered by the small
room, and the large crowd of curious spec
tators that filled the room yesterday. Mr..
Jay Gould was in attendance about half an
hour before the committee met, and was at
tended by A. Hopkins, vice president of
the Missouri Pacific railroad, and by Gen
eral Swayne, its counsel. The resolution
under which the committee was proceed
ing was read to Mr.. Gould, and he was in
vited to give his views upon the subject of
strikes.
In rather low voice, MI. Gould read a
statement, showing in detail the number of
men employed by the Missouri Pacific sys-
TEN. He said he was away on West In
dian cruise when the strike occurred and
such information as he had, had reached
him through official reports. He would be
glad to tell the committee everything he
knew but deemed it proper to say that
the facts were not with 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 Missouri Pa
cific had lived up to its agreement, and
"man fashion" and settle any further gre
viances they might have. Then the strike
came after his departure. "Yet" said Mr..
Gould. "our men told Mr.. Hoxie that they
had no grievances and were told to strike"
He then produced and read the kilograms
passing between Messrs. Powderly, Hoxie,
and Hopkins. At the date of the strike he
had 1876 employees, while the strikers
numbered only S,717 men, principally en-
plOyed in the machine shops along the
tracks, and generally in the lower branches.
"wHAT FOLLOWED THE sTRIKE?"
asked Mr.. Gould. showing deep feeling.
"They seized St. Louis, Kansas City. Seda-
liza, TeXarkana and our terminal facilities.
They took possession and said: No man
shall run train over that road.' That is
what they said!" exclaimed Mr.. Gould. in
voice exhibiting traces of strong agita-
ton. "Our loyal employees could not run a
train, and were deprived of the power to
earn their wages. That was what fol-
lowed the Strike-fOrcjh]e nOssassion-T
can't call it anything else. Something the
czar of Russia would hesitate to do with
his millions of soldiers behind him."
Mr.. Hoxie's statement of the position as
sumed by the Missouri Pacific, in which it
stated that the strike had grown out of the
discharge of Hall by the receiver of the
| Texas Pacific. was read by Cen. Swavne.
The chairman inquired whvI Hail had
been discharged. He would like to know
what the man had done.
In answer, Mr. Gould requested General
Swayne to read Receiver Browns state
ment to the effect that Hall had absenred
himself from duty without leave. The iet-
tiers from Governors Marmaduke and Mar
tin were also read. MI. Gould INTERRUPTED
the reading to remark that he Thought the
correspondence showed pretty clearly that
they had led "the horses mo to the watering
trough, but could not make them drink:
that the shops were open. but the men re,
fused to 90 to work. He said that when he
| returned to New York he had agreed to
meet Messrs. Powderlv and McDowelI as
individuals. "My motive was to
BRACE HIM UP"
said the witness, "because the sentiments
which he (Powderlv) exnressed in his cir
a,,1o, ,,1o,o ~ -, ,,;aca...:,t e1..s. M -.
culsi were 81 u'nereht from the acts OF tne
association, that thought he needed brac-