The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-06
FOREMAN HALL.
The Story of His Discharge Again Retold
and the Strike Justified.

The Story of His Discharge Again Retold,
and the Strike Justified.
New YORK, April ga Dallas Texas, special
60 the Sun says: Among the men in humble
circumstances VINO have been thrust into sudden
notoriety by the strike on the Gould Southwest
ern system is Charles A Hall, the former fore
man of the passenger car-repair shops of the
Texas & Pacific Railroad at Marshall It was
he whose discharge from the service Of the Texas
u Pacific railroad precipitated the present labor
revolt on the Southwestern railroads. A year
ago, Mr.. Hall was active in the first great strike
on the Gould Southwestern system, when the
men won an increase Of wages, and better terms
generally in their relations with the railroad.
These benefits were secured through the Knights
of Labor. Hall at that time was quite conspic-
7uous-i in the local management of the strike at
Marshall although he was only an ordinary
workman in the passenger car-repair shop. A few
months after the settlement of that strike. he
was promoted Co the foremanship Of the shop
He was discharged on February L.
Il have every reason to believe" said ar Hall
. few days ago, that l promoted to the
4ofemanship because at that time was the most
competent person at hand to take charge of the
shop ] was constantly impressed, however,
with the fact that the railrsad had a grudge
against me on account of my activity in the
strike and early this year felt sure that the
discharge me. and put ia my place some one who
was not a Knipht of Labor. Mr. Wheelock,
D66 Of 5ffcials under the receivers, indicated
as much aday or two ago, when. In speaking of my
case, he said: The case of Hall was particu-
3 harly aggravated one. He made himself obnox-
fous in the trouble Of year ago, and we only
took him back for the sake of peace Hoping to
encourage him and secure his good will for the
L. E. A.
car-repair shop. But he proved more trouble
some than ever, and besides he was incompe-
tent This shows that there a grudge
against me, and that the company was watching
me, and only waited for some pretext to turn me
adrifk When. therefore, attended the knights
of Labor meeting of my assembly, DIR. Crosbie,
the general shop foreman. who is bitter OPP
ponent of the order, was the instrument they
used to bring on this entire trouble by discharg-
ing me on tie allegation that was absent three
days without leave although I can prove by
good men that had Crosbies permission to be
gone one, two, or three days, as circumstances
would require told Mr.. Crospie further that
If there was any objection to my being absent /
would not go, and he said, That's all right 1t
was direct answer to my question and was the
only kind of permission anybody received for
leave of absenee-verbal consent No one re-
ceiyed written permission and as my absence
yas only to attend meeting in my own town,
erbal permission was all That L
aemed necessary. had been of a
zen times. and that was the only form of
Emission had ever received. After my dis
arge the knights did all they could to have me
seinstated, but without avail The higher Of
.icials were appealed to, and they would do
nothing. They refused to recognize the Knights
of Labor as an organization that had right to
try to secure the just treatment of its members
After the Knights had exhausted all possible eff
forts at arbitration the strike came. No one re-
grets it more than do because of the loss and
trouble the men who are out have sustained and
the inconvenience the business public have ex-
perienced. But the strike was right, and found
ed on justice and on the broadcast OF principles.
After Crosbie had positively refused any con-
sessions whatever in the premises he and met,
and, referring TO the matter, he remarked, The
men in the shop are not afraid of you, and
want man over them they will be afraid Of to
which replied. No, thank God they are not
afraid Of me, and hope you will have to hunt a
long while before you lind man whom they will
fear This was my last talk with Mr.. Crosbie. 2
Mr.. Hall has many sympathizers in Texas.
He is not a pestiferous agitator, and was only a
helpless instrument in bringing to a head the
question at issue between the Knights and the
railroad companies. The Knights here assert
that the discharge of Hall was only an incident
in the studied policy of the railroads to crush out
all semblance of organization among their EN-.
ployes, but matters had reached such q pass that
nothing moro than an incident like this was
needed to produce an open rupture.