Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-29
GOULD TALKS.
The Railroad Magnate Before the
Congressional Committee.

While Claiming There Is No Strike On the
Missouri Pacific, He Consents to En-
Tighten the Committee as to. the
Company's Side of the Dispute.
WARRINGTON, April pat eleven
O'Clock this morning the special COM
mittee investigating the labor troubles
resumed its work. jay Gould, the New
York, railroad magnate, was the witness
examined. A large crowd of spectators
was present. He asked for the reading
of the resolution under which the COM
mittee was acting, and when it was read
he stated that he was President of the
Missouri Pacific railway, and that there
were no troubles existing on his road in
the States named in the resolution. He
stated further that there were 1O,7S7 men
in the employ of the road outside
of the general offices, and that since his
departure from New York he had received
a dispatch from St. Louis stating that all
was quiet on the road; that 29O freight
trains moved on it yesterday, the same
being an increase over that date last year.
He did not, therefore, think he or his
road came within the provisions of the
resolution.
Mr.. Burnes replied that the committee
would like to hear from him something of
the antecedents of the Missouri Pacific.
''At the date of the resolution under
which you act" said Mr.. Gould, "there
were no difficulties existing between my
my company and it's laborers.'
This was said for the purpose of in
forming the committee that the state
ments about to be made, were made
voluntarily. Mr.. Gould then entered
into a detailed statement of the organi-
cation of the Missouri Pacific, and quick
ly came down to the recent labor
troubles and the part he had taken in
them. He stated, parenthetically, that
all he knew of the cause of the trouble
came to him from his subordinates.
He was first approached by Mr.. Pow
derry about approaching troubles, and
was informed that there were differences
arising on account of the wages fixed for
men. Mr.. Gould agreed to adjust differ
differences, and stated that he would so
instruct Mr.. HOxie, vice-president of the
Missouri Pacific. In making his agree
ment he told Mr.. Powderly that he wanted
it distinctly understood that there should
be no strikes on the Missouri Pacific, and
that in future when dissatisfaction arose,
MIR. Powderly should come to him and
negotiate an adjustment, man between
man.
Mr.. Gould was then March g. on the
eve of his departure for a cruise with
his family, in the West Indies. Some
time afterward, Mr.. Gould learned from
Mr.. HoXie that a strike had been ordered
by Mr.. Powderly, and that no excuse
could be given for it; that it was on &C
count of a man named Hall, employed
by the Texas & Pacific, which was in the
hands of the United States courts and
not in the control of the Missouri Pa
cific.
At the time of the strike the Missouri
Pacific had 1876 men in it's employ, of
which 3,717 were Knights of Labor.
These men were not necessary to the OPP
Grafton of business, and if they had not
reSOrted to violence and taken forcible
possession of the road, not train would
have been missed. But obey seized ter
:minal points and the business of the road
was stopped.
at was forcible SEIZURE" said Mr..
Gould; "something that the Gar of Rus
STA, with his millions of soldiers at
his back, would not have dared to do"
At this point the statement of Mr..
Hoxie concerning the strike, which has
been printed, was read by General
Swayne, Gould's counsel. The statement
showed that the strike was on account of
fancied grievance with another road, and
alleged that the Knights of Labor had as
sured Mr.. Hoxie just before the strike
that no grievance existed against the Mis-
souri, Pacific. General Swayne read the
Sfa nf
with a good deal of effect, emphasizing
the argument against the principle of la
Dor strikes and the assured fair dealing
of the Missouri Pacific with it's en-
ployes. The proclamation dwelt at
length upon the fallacy of so many men
being thrown out of employment and so
many people being deprived of their
earnings and Inconvenience on account
of this one man Hall.
Chairman Curtin asked what this man
Hall had done that so much trouble was
made about him.
General Swayne read from another
statement, showing that on January 26,
l $50, the knights of Labor at Marshall,
Texas, at the incipiency of the trouble on
the Texas & Pacific had proposed scheme
for arbitrating, which was not feasible,
and which was refused by the receivers
of that road, and declaring that that re-
fuSal was the real cause of the strike, and
all other alleged reasons were false. The
controversy over the discharge of the man
Hall in the employ of the Texas & Pacific
was not the cause of the strike, and was
but a subterfuge. The real cause, it de-
clared, was the refusal of the receivers to
comply with an unreasonable demand.
The discharge of Hall, who was fore
man of a shop, was not objected to at the
time. He was discharged because he was
absent without leave three or four days.
His dismissal was an after-thOught cause
for the strike, because he was unpopular
with the men under him.
On March 9 notice was posted, Mr..
Gould said, by the general superintendent,
informing the men who were in the en-
ploy of the Missouri Pacific on March 5,
and who went on the strike, they were dis
charged, as they had voluntarily left their
positions and thus severed their connec-
ton with the road. Notices were also
produced making various announcements
to employees, advertising for new men,
etc, all of which have been widely pub
lished.
MIR. Gould then described the acts of
violence and destruction of property by
the strikers; how they killed engines,
tore up tracks, ETC., and recited the at
tempts of the Governors of Kansas and
Missouri to arbitrate the trouble. The
report of Governors Martin and Marina
duke of their investigation and confer
ence with MIR. Hoxie was read, showing
that, in their opinion, the strike was not
on the ground of the violation of any
compact with the employees and Knights
OF Labor by the Missouri Pacific man.