Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-27
INSIDE nIsrORY.

How master workman Butier or chicago |
Sacrificed $4,000 Men tor Tits Political
Purposes.
CnicA0o, lit, Nov. 2G.--The inside
history q tho recent strike a. the packing
houses at the stock yards, when 10000
men were thrown out OF employment, was
printed here this morning. When the
packers decided to return to a ten-hour
working day on October IA, tho workmen
supposing that they would be backed by
the knights Of Labor rehellod, and all
went out except the beef butchers,
who had contract with the firms OF
Armour, swift and Morris, requiring
four days notice before opening hostill.
ues Despite this agreement the beef
butchers OF Armour s. Go. were ordered
out on the following Thursday by District
Master Workman Butler, who deliberate
| ly broke the existing contract. MIR, Barry
also arrived upon the scene and stated 10
newspaper reporter thathe had been In
structed by Powderly TO settle the dlill-
Guilty, and TO members OF the knights Of
Labor he said he had simply been sent TO
| Investigates. Az the same time Butler had
made his debut In Town OF lsaeo politics
ns labor candidate for sheriff OF
| Cook county. Butler had been nOtilOd
| by Master Workman Gaunt OF the butch
er's assembly OF the existing agreement,
but as has been said he Ignored IT, The
butchers at Armour & Co y were 10th 20
obey the order, but the presence Of Barry,
who was a member OF the general oXecu
tive committee Of the order, reasured
them TO a certain degree, The executive
board OF the local assembly, however,
concluded 10 get P0wdery's views
and sent the following telegram 10
hm "Ilas the executive board OF
district No. 81 the power TO repudiate an
agreement made by the executive board
OF local assembly No. 1902, one clause of
which reads; f0no' day shall be consld-
cred sutllcien. time for calling and meet
ing OF both parties OF the first and socon
parts, and no definite action shall be
taken inside OF three days after such
meeting Have they power TO call out
men governed by this schedule without
: complying with this clause that are work
: ing oight hours day7" To this question
Powderly vouchsaicd no direct reply, but
+ did send an answer TO MIR, Harry, who
asked tho executive board Of the local az
, sembly the following day regarding the
.. existence OF an agreomen. with the pack.
ers. Barry investigated the matter, and
found that Master Workman Butler had
: made mistake, Barry wanted the butch
: ers TO return To work, but the damage
had been done. Butler made evaslvc
replies and nobody In reality wal
. looking after the interests OF Tho
y 1890 men who had been allured into
the strike. In the meantime the packorl
were making extensive preparations fo
9 a long fight, Rev. 7. M Flanagan, pas
7 tor OF ST Ann's church, photographed
3 long statement OF facts TO Powderly, dc
y clariug that unless the men were ordere
u TO return to work incalGulablo injury an
:. misery would result. Barry was imme
@ dately telegraphed 10 order the men '
J. return to work but did not do 80 unit
. the following Sunday. Among th
9 violent opponents to this orde
/ was Butler, who told Barry thu
- TO lose 1000 votoa at the approaching
election. Before leaving Barry diyoste
II Butler and the executive board OF the dis
n trlct OF all power TO create another strike
rs instiuung committee TO have charge {
', all matters affecting these workmel
Butler, who, II Is claimed, saw he wa
Is making losing political aght, sue
% coeded In having the COMMITTEE
!, OF i've ovcrthrown, and commi
ID tee OF twenty-five, with hlmse
n as chairman appointed, contrary to u
OF constitution OF the Knights OF Labor, tn
10 cattle butchers on returning 10 work ha'
OF succeeded In hayipg their wages Increased
or from s2l to S27 per week, agreeing
OF work ten hours. On she day before u
u election veral drunken men rushe
y among the workmen at Switts nous
xt ordering them 10 quit worn Th'
r did 30. This pnnlc had been car.
II, fully planned. On the followlr
u day, ali those on strike voted for Bu
ed Ter. The latter called out Armour's me
on Thursday succeeding the election
es Master Workman Gaunt protested, M
st he and two toilowersl were expelled ire
10, the order barry reappeared on u
on scene, and, the order from Powder
n which was suppressed for four day
" caused the ending Of the strike.