Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-16
POWDERLY'S SGREATARMY
BEAUMONTS PROPOSED CON
GRESS MAKES A HIT.

Completion of the Election Of Officers
Lichman Gives the Labor Side of the
Strike In the South bwest-Powderly's
Leaning Toward Prohibition-The So
cial Equality QuestioD.
RICHMOND, Oct. l5.-Wheu the Gene
raj Assembly of the Knights OF Labor
went into session this morning the first
business to be completed was the election
Of the remaining general oticers-two
members of the general cooperative
board. 1t was expected that this would
take but short time, and that considera-
tion of the report on the revision of the
constitution presented by the Committee
on Law would be resumed. This in turn
was to be followed by reports from other
committees, nearly all Of which were
ready to report. Among the first to be
presented was the report of the Commit
tee on the State of the Order, of which
Ralph Beaumont is chairman. This re-
port indorses the report of the Committee
on Legislation, of which MIR. Beaumont is
also chairman, and recommends that the
supplementary report OF the same COM
mittee. in which plan for Congress
composed of representatives OF the
Knights of Labor be established at Wash
ington, be sent out to all local assemble
for their approval.
POPULARITY OF THE PLAN.
Mr. Beaumont Is daily in receipt of
letters both from tho Knights OF Labor
and others commencing his idea. The
Committee on the State Of the Order also
indorses the General Master WOrkman's
address to the General Assembly, and
ssA 4
Charles II. Litchman, the special agent
appointed by the General Master Work
man to represent the order before the Con-
gressional CommitteesappOin to inves-
tigete the cause and effect of the South
western railroad strikes. In his report
Mr.. Litchman reoites that hearings were
held at various places in Texas and Ar
kaneas, and says:
The testimony in behalf of the railroad
was mainly to show what great damage had
been caused by the strike to ohe railroad prop
perty and commerce; tnat 1t had been begun
on frivolous preteXt, withoutreal cause, and
that the order of the knixhts of Labor was
directly responsible for all the damage done
and all acts of violence committed with un-
limited resources at their command.
TRAINED WITNESSES.
1t was comparatively easy for the railroad
Officials to carefully drill their witnesses in
the line of statements which should flt each
ObueT, anu THIS preliminary drilling WAS
painfully apparent in the testimony given.
Like lot of parrots, they all echoed the
statement that the only cause they had ever
heard assigned for the strike was the dis
charge of man named Hall, at Marshail
TeX. The ludicrous sameness of this reply
finally upset the dignity of the committee
and after being repeated some sixty times,
never failed to bring a broad smile to their
faces. In the testimony presented on behalf
OF the order. we endeavOred to show that the
contract OF 1885 had been persistently broken,
and that long line of grievances had been
suffered, complained of and considered by
the districts involved, and that while the Dis
trict Assembly was IN session at Marshall,
matters eliminated In the discharge of
Brother G. A. Hall upon flimsy pretext.
AS an exposition of the case from the
standpoint OF the men who struck, the
testimony before the committee at Par
sons, Tex, by Edward b. Hollis, one OF
the strikers, is quoted.
PETTY TYRANNY.
Concluding his report Mr.. Litchman
says:
The testimony of other witnesses at vari-
GUS places was corroborRtive Of that of
Brother Hollis, and showed conclusIvely the
| existence OF valid reasons for complaint and
@ system of petty tyranny on the part OF the
railroad under bosses which was beyond the
| power of human forebearance to patient y
| endure. All through the investigation one
| fact was plainly shown, which could
and that was the unswerving loyalty
| of the mem bers In obedience TO the or
ders of their superiors when the word
| TO strike came. In many instances the ques-
| ti0n was asked, "Wouid you strike again under
| similar circumstance ~ Most assured v yes >,
was the unfaltering reply. Icannot but think,
| as result of my investigation, that the rail-
road company had it's sples in our assent blies,
and was fully informed of every move made
| and action contemplated. Knowing that the
discomfort existing would soon provoke a
4 r,Yrt.t
large surplus of help in that section and
held them in readiness for an emergency
The company was better prepared than the
men, | have no doubt that the claim of
Brother Hollis was correct that the knights
had good reason to believe that the engineers
would Join them, for prominent railroad
Official told me personally that the road fully
expected that the engineers would Join the
Knights, and had quietly arranged to bring
engineers from distance to take their places
ARTHUR's PRESENCE.
"Fortunately," he said, ''we were able to
make an arrangement by which the engineers
remained loyal, and the men from distance
were not needed" Perhaps the opportune
visit OF 7. M. Arthur, Chief of the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Engineers, just at that
time may have been referred to. IL is easy
enough now TO say that the strike was i'll
timed, iii advised and badly managed. 1t is
easy enough now to make Martin Irons the
scapegoat and say that he ordered the strike
without authority, but the truth is that every
Board power TO demand an adjustment of the
grievances complained Of and the reinstate-
ment Of brother Hall.
NO HARSH FEELINGS.
If the board erred In acting prematurely,
and without proper consultation with the
General Executive Board, or knowledge of
the resources they could command to carry
on the strike. the disastrous failure OF the
strike is sufficient punishment without any
harsh criticism from me. Among the inter-
esting facts developed in the course Of the in
vestigation was theieXistence Of a black list
upon which WAS placed the names Of ali per
sons discharged. There ia reason TO believe
that these black lists are inIerchanged among
railroads, thus making IL difficult for a man
discharged by one road to get employment
upon another.
Mr.. Litchman adds that he purposely
submits the report without recommenda-
tion, and says he acknowledges with
gratitude the consideration with which
he was treated by the Congressional
Committee.
The Committee on Legislation, among
other bills before Congress tnat 1t recon-