The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-15

that hour to respond.
'sYonr letter to me embraces two subjects,
one relating to me personally, and the other to
the relation of the Knights of Labor to rail-
road company, of which am the president. aud
in some degree the representative of its public
and private duties. shall refer to the first SUBJ
ject very briefly. The circumstances above
given, under which your letter was delivered, as
well as its tenor and spirit, place the purpose in
writing it beyond any fair doubt 1t would
seem to be an official declaration that the
Knights of Labor had determined to pursue me
personally unless the Missouri Pacific Gem
pany should yield to it's demands in
what you call the strike on that road. In an
/ am yet an American citizen; / am past forty
nine years of age was born at Roxbury, Della
ware county, in this State; began life in low
ly way, and, by industry. temperance and atten-
tion to my own business, have been successful,
ssrts. ssras Il, O as you you sy' say, am to to be be
destroyed by the Knights of Labor unless
will sinksmy manhood, so be it Fortunate
ly, have retained my early habits of industry;
my friends, neighbors and business associates
know me we'll and am quite content to leave
my personal record in their hands. If any of
them havelaught to complain of | will be only
too glad toSubmit to any arbitration. If such
parties, orr any of them, wish to appoint
the knights of Labor or you, as
their attorney, such appointment is quite
made it wilInaturally occur to you that any in
reference on your part in my personal affairs is,
to say the least. quite gratuitous.
Since was nineteen years of age / have
been in the.habit of employing in my various en-
terprises largo numbers of persons, probably. at
times, as high as 90 600, distributing often $3,-
600, 600 or $4,000, 900 per month in different pay
rolls. 1t would seem little strange that during
all these gears. this difficulty with the
knights Of Labor should be my first.
Any attempt to connect me personally
with the lafe strike on the Southwestern roads,
or any responsibility therefor, is equally gratu-
itous, as YOU we'll know. 1t is true. / am the
president Of the Missouri Pacific, but, when
this strike occurred Iwas far away on the
ocean, and beyond the reach of telegrams. l
last August, that there should be no strike on
that road, and that if any difficulties should
arise you would come frankly to me with them.
Mr.. Hopkins, the vice e-president of this compa-
ny, who was present and cogniZent Of this ar
with you, in my absence. sent you
when the present strike broke out the
follow ing kilograms:
NEW YORK. March 6, 1886.
"T. v. Powderly Scranton, Pa:
"Mr. Hoxis telegraphs that the Knights of Labor
road have struck and refuse to allow freight trains
to saying they have grievances. but only
striking because ordered to do If there is any
grievance we would like to talk it over with you. We
you to promise that no strike would be
"PHILApELPHIA, March 8, 1886.
n Al l.. Hopkins Secretary Missouri Pacific Railway,
pers say the strike caused by discharge of
named Hall. Can he be reinstated pending investi.
gatonl L. " PoWDERLY.
NEW YORK March 8, 1886.
ST. v. Powderly:
'Thankssfor your message end suggestions Hall
was e1ny adj bv he M hv
That property is in the hands of the United States
Court. and we have control whatever the
ceivers or the employees. We have carried out the
made last spring in every respect and the
present strike is unjust to and unwise for 1t
is reported here that this is the result of
Wall street influence the part of those short of the
securities likely to be affected: "A. L. HOPKINS.
''This dispatch you never answered. This
places the continuance of the
strike on your shoulders. You sat still and was
silent after Mr. Hopkins's urgent appeal and al
lowed the strike to go on; allowed the company's
property to be forcby seized, and the citizens of
four States and one Territory to be deprived of
their rightful railway facilities Thus
forced, the board of directors, prior to
my return, placed the matter in Mr..
Hoxies hands by a formal resolution,
been changed. You knew this well, because
you had correspondence with him on this sub
ject. Hence it was that, when Mr.. Turner,
of your order, wrote to me on the sub
ject, / fully advised him, in my letter of March
q, that the matter. had been. placed by the
board in the hands of Mr.. Hoxies and that l
must refer you to him as it's continuing repre-
sentative At the same time ] reminded you
that a standing advertisement of this COM
pany was at that moment invit-
ing its former employees to return
to their accustomed : posts, and that
regardless of their being or not being members
of your order, and regardless. also, of theirindi
vidual participation in, the strike which your
order, had recently inaueurated. When. in spite
Of all this, you desired to see me personally,
cordially met you, and having put myself in
with Mr.. Hoxie, arranged with
him, you know, the following, which was widely
published by you at the times
NEW YORK, March 80, 1886.
''To Martin Irons, st. Louis, Mo-:
"Have been in conference al day, with TIE result
that Vice-president Hoxe agrees to the following:
Willing to meet committee of our ployes without
who actually at work in the service
Of the at the time such committee is appoint
ed adjudicate with them any grievances that they
men to return to work, and also select special
mittee from the employees of the Missouri Pacific to
wait Mr.. Hoxie to adjust any differences. Do this
as quickly as possible Board will leave for ST. Louis
tomorrow. FREDERICK TURNER, Secretary.
Ever since then Mr.. Hoxie has stood ready
to receive any and all persons in the actual
employ of the company as committee other
wise, and confer upon, or arbitrate any matter
of difference or complaint either between the
company and themselves. or between the com
pany and its late employees, and, for that matter,
between the company and anybody else. No
s uch committee individual employe has,
far as known to me, ever made any such rappli.
cation. In this connection, it viii be remem-
bered that they left, not : because of
any complaint whatever. of this companys
treatment of themselves. but only because of
this companys refusal to comply with their de-
nnand that this company refuse to do what the
law requires of it in the way of an interchange
of business with another company with which
some of your order had aquarrel In the mean
time this company has, of necessity. gone to the
extent of giving employment to such of those
persons who recently, and without even alleged
proyocation, left its service saw fit to return.
These returning employees have been very many,
and in this way its rolls are already nearly, if not
quite AS full as it's shops and equipment, Grip.
pied by acts of violence attendant upon the re.
cent action of your order, can employ Mr..
Hoxie advises me that every such person apply
ing to be received back. has been employed,
ss;belieyed to have taken part in recent acts
a -