St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-25
NO COMPROMISE.
Jay Gould Doesn't Care to Meet the
Knights,
And VIII Bring Suit Against Them
for Damages.

New YORK, March 24.-The Tribune
tomorrow will publish a long interview
with Mr.. Jay Gould i'm regard to the strike
on the Missouri Pacific railroad, the essential
features of which are herewith given. Mr..
Gould said:
There can be no compromise I'm this case,
and so fur as 1 know there hos been no at
tempt toward one by either side. There is no
room for u compromise, for the strikers have
confessed in effect that they have no griev-
ances against our company. / am bound TO
light the question TO tho bitter end for this
very reason. The position is a simple one. If
we had inteTfered with the management of the
Texas s. Pacific we should have been in con-
tempt of the United States court, which has
charge of the road. The men on our own lines
nave made no complaints against US, but by
striking try to enforce the demands of work
men on another road not under our control.
There can be no compromise of such a
strike"
/ have asked the opinion of Judge Dillon
as to our legal rights under such circum-
stances and his decision is that it is our duty,
not alone our right, to prevent the interrupt
ton Of the business of the road by all legal
means. He says that the company has q
clear legal remedy against the members of
the knights of Labor organization in suits
Tor damages, and we purpose TO take this
question into the courts. We shall sue mem
bers OF the organization, and in fact the
accordance with Judges Dillon's opinion. We
purpose to
RECOVER DAMAGES
from every member of the association who
has any property. A great many employees
of the Missouri Pacific, especially machinists
and engineers, have homes which they have
bought out of their earnings. Some of the
men are worth $4,000 TO 100000 apiece.
They are responsible to US for the losses
we have suffered if they belong to
the Knights of Labor. We will
show them that we intend to
enforce all our legal rights, and we shall
bring suits against members of the order
who have property on other lines of rail-
roads in other states. We shall attempt TO
recover damages from every member who has
property that we can attach.
IL is time that these things should be
settled, and this is a favorable opportunity
propose to fight it out on this line. There
is another feature of the case, and that is
that every shipper and manufacturer, and
in fact evt ~ person who has suffered loss
by the strike, has the same legal redress as
the railroad company has
Mr.. Gould said that the position taken by
Vice President Hoxie in regard to the strike
had been fully approved by the
board of directors. The success
of this strike, he said, would unsettle
confidence throughout the world, and these
wOrkmen would be the flrst to feel its dis
astrous consequences. He had no news.
he said, which would lead him to suppose
that the strike would
EXTEND To THE EAST
and intimated that he might ask for iniunc-
tons restraining working Knights of Labor
from contributing to the support of those
OH a strike. Mr.. Gould then showed cor
respOndence between himself as president
of the Missouri Pacific company and Dillon.
and Swayne, its solicitors. Mr.. Gould
writes under date of the esd, setting forth
the blockade of the road by strikers, and
asking what the legal rights of the company
are, and particularly whether the strikers
are liable to the company for damages.
The attorneys reply as follows:
Your letter states a case of illegal con-
spiracy and combination against the COM
pany, accompanied with violence and force
preventing it from discharging its public
duties and inflicting upon it and the CON-
munIty serious pecuniary ravages. 1t is the
duty OF your company to use alllawful means
in its power TO this end. The law is well
settled that when an unlawful end is sought
to be effected all persons, who, actuated by q
common purpose, work together in any way
in furtherance of such ends, are conspirators
and cO-wrongdoers, and each is liable
which directs the illegal act is as well
sist in averting their accomplishment, are
equally liable. and each is liable to the extent
Of the whole aggregated damages. and all or
an may be sued therefor and recovery in
the civil suit in no wise effects the Grimm al
liability