Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-05-15
TIE LABOR SITUATION.
SOME STRIKERS BACK AT WORK.
Powderly's Circular Condemning
Boycotts and Dynamite.

Powderly's Circular Condemning
Boycotts and Dynamite.
The Northwestern railway has taken
very decided stand regarding the freight
handlers who left its employ week ago
Saturday night, which took shape when
committee representing the men who had
formerly worked in the Galena house called
on MIR. A. V. Brinkerhoff, the local agent
This committee, which represented the
seventy'fiv men formerly employed in the
house when the men struck for eight hours
work with ten hours pay, and at that
time they offered to arbitrate the matter
but was refused. Monday morning they
applied to Supt. Murray and Mr.
Brinkerhof for reinstatement on the
old terms; but were met by an emphatic re-
fusal by the companies representative. They
were told that under no consideration
nor any terms would man belonging to the
old force be given employment, and after
receiving this reply they left. Business a.
the Galena house was proceeding as usual.
AT the Wisconsin division the strikers asked
to be taken back at the old wages The check
clerks were set to work, but the freight
handlers were told they would not be re-
employed. The Baltimore and Ohio strikers
were all taken back, and the company is re-
ceivipg and delivering freight as usual. The
men are getting nine hours pay for eight
hours work A CO nmittee waited on the
C., b. q Q. officials, and asked that the
strikers be taken back in body The agent
refused to take them and referred the mat,
ter to the general superintendent. The Lake
Shore strikers all re urned to work at the
old rate of pay. A committee of striking
freight handlers called on Agent Bez, of the
Ft. Wayne road, to eff .ct a settlement. Tuey
intma;ed that all the old men must be taken
back or none would go to work. He an
swered the committee with a refusal to agree
to such terms and said that he would dis
charge none of the imported men who wished
to stay. canvas among the new men later
showed that COOL many of them wished to
return home. They will be furnished trans
portation and old hands given their places if
they wish to work.
The ultimatum issued on Saturday by the
distinctly said to their workmen that they
could not grant the s-hour day, made the
situation in this line of manufacture one OF
great interest. The chief point was
thu factory of Crane Brothers, which gives
employment to 200 men, it be ng thought
that if these men accepted the situation and
went back to work at 10 hours pay for 10
hair
weight on the men on strike in other
factories. Monday morning there was quite
crowd in the vicinity Of the works, but
there was not the least symptom of dis order.
In the pipe mill two hundred men went to
work, and i'll the general shops two hun lred
started in. Thei. Chicago Malleable works
started up in full blast, eight hundred men
being employed at nine hours pay for eight
hours W rk.
General Master Workman Powderly has
issued Gil cular to all the ass .mblies of the
X. OF L., in which be condemns the boycott
and other evils. He says: IF a paper criti>
cises the kni ghts of Labor or its officers, do
not boycott it, and i You have any such boy
colts on remove them. A j,urnal not long
since made some uncomplimentary allusi ons
to the general master workman Of the
knights of Labor and at the next meeting CT
the nearest assem- " motion was cast to
boycott the paper; not only that alone, but
every person who advertised in the columns
OF the pare". l wrote 70 the assembly
asking that they remove the boycott, and
it was done. We demand for ourselves the
right OF free speech. We cannot con-
sistently deny it to others We must toll
crate fair, open criticism. II a reply is ne
cessary, make it in gentlemanly, dignified
manner If we are criticised OF abused by a
blackguard sheet treat it as you would the
blackguard hinlself-in silence. l hate tho
word boycott. 1 was b-ycotted ten years ago
and could not get work at my trade for
months. 1t is a bad practice; it has been
handed to us by the capital st. have no
use for it only when everything else fails.
Concerning the late trouble on the Gould
lines he says. While the Board was endeays
oring to settlo the southwest trouble
assemblies in some places with the best of
intentions no doubt were passing and pub.
fishing resolu ions conforming Jay Could.
These things dill no good; on the contrary
they were injurious, In the settlement of
troubles it becomes the duty of the Elk 'cutive
Board to meet everybody and go everywhere
While they are doing this they must not be
hampered by the actions Of those who do not
know what their task is. Keep quiet; let
your Ulcers do their best and if you cannot
find way to aid them do not retard their
progress. In reference to the war between
the K. of L. and other labor organizations.
Mr.. Powderly says, eve have through
some misunderstanding, incurred
the enmity of several trade.
unions. While I can find
10 excuse for the unmanly attack made upon
US by some of these people at time when
we stood face to face with a most perpl. king
question, neither can l see of assemblies /"
Of dynamiters he says: I'VE have had some
trouble from drinking members, and from
men who talk about buying guns and dyna-
mite. If the men who have money enough
to luy guns and dynamite would invest it in
The urchase of some well selected work Oh
labor they would put the money to good use,
They will pever need the gun or dynamite
in this country. 1t is my ouinon that the
man whe does not study the politics of the
natiol ind the wants o. cur pe)pl, would
make bn1 little o. riff. The man who
cannot vote iulelligently and who will not