Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-16
"ALL OR ROME"

Knights--Thcy Will Not Go to Work I'm
til All the Strikers Are Taken BACK
They Issue. q Card to tho Public Charg.
ing tho Railway OHiclals with Dupl'city
and Insincerity Governor Ogiesby's
Plain Talk to East st. Louis Business
Men and Strikers.
ST.. Louis, Mo-, April 2.-None OF the
striking employees OF the Missouri Pacific
returned to work yesterday, and no word
was sent out by Chairman Irons which
would give effect to his order OF resumption
OF last night by fixing an hour at which
such resumption should take place. On
the contrary. a serious hitch exists between
the executive committee and the railroad
officials regarding the terms on which tho
knights arc to be taken back, and from
present appearances the strike Is as lar
from settlements ever.
Under instructions from the executive
board OF districts 1O1, 93 and IL, a com
mittee from local assembly No. $500
waited upon Master Mechanic Bartlett
Wednesday evening at the Missouri Pacific
shops and rendered him the services Of the
old shop employees. The men, they said,
were ready to go to worlsin the morning,
and they desired to find out il they would
all be taken back. A list of fifty-two
names wal handed to Mr.. Bartlett, who,
after scanning it, checked off seventeen Of
them as the names OF the men whom he
not be taken back. Attempts OF a similar
nature were made by committees
CT the strikers at prominent points
all over the Gould system. In
every instance, the executive board
claims, the committees received the same
reply to their offers. The railroad officials
stated that they did not require the
services of all their old employees,
and would use their own discretion
in sele Getting the men they wanted. The
ratio of the men that the roads
would be willing to take back to the
numbdr who are on strike was seventeen
out OF fifty, or thereabouts. Reports Of
the co mmittees. received by telegraph, de-
termired the executive board to issue an
address to the public and to continue the
strike until the roads consent to take
back an the strikers. The address is as
follows:
ST. IbUIs, April Ito the Public: As show
ing the insincerity of the railroad managers in
their treatment of the knights OF Labor, we
Of cur General Executive Board, we tn s day
sent committee to the managers of
the '@eyera' m ra'lroads S Offering .a to re- e
no instance would they be received or treated
with, each official in turn either refusing them
a hearing or evading them. with specious sub
employment Mr.. Hoxie has agreed to receive
a committee Of employees to adjust
any gfieyanees which = may exist. 'le
subord mates, to recognize any of us
us employees, and refuses to- receive any
b b%5 sgfh Id s Mr ea anu eaaB paSe eon IN SeSr tb at tier
preston to the world that they arc willing to
settle, they refuse to settle. Now we appealto
faI fhRaI liz a fhe w saifStie Il R 4his kies on co %aH% il i
we have not been deceived enough? How
much il long-sufering labor to bear? This
Mr.. Hoxie condesccnded months ago to hear
more than human. It should not be
man n1a''r In this CO Country I POSITION tom makes lake n" no
man king or slave. and impcrious refusal
on the part of one citizen to confer with other
citizens with whom he may hive Ou mess
connections. when such refusal begets great
business and social revolution, is not only n
mistake, but q crime against 1be public. Mr..
nails who are made desperate by his policy of
duplic ty and oppression. and yet a terrorized
public does not invoke the law against the
arch criminal Of the land. If we can not Ue
allowed to return to work, the strike must go
On: Signed -, -,
EAST ST.. LOUIS, April "A number
OF business men and representatives OF
the railroads met Governor Oslcsby
in theparlor of the MartellH Hotel yesterday
and gave their views on the situation.
The coalIdcalers had q grievance more
important thar the railroads. St.
Louis depended on the transport
tation of coal from the Illinois fields
No preparation had been made for a coal
famine. The bins in St. Louis factories
and hotels were o small for large storage.
Tho consequence was that industries mad
to shut down for want of fuel, and prices
for domestic purposes were doubled by
dealers.
Manager Taussig, of the Bridge and
Tunnel Company, said he represented a
corporation handling seventeen roads rum
ming into st. Louis. He was paralyzed.
They had placed an embargo on coal SO
that it was with difficulty he could
fire his passenger engine. He employed
six hundred men, who went out with
out ~ grievance. Wages had been
increased within two weeks. They all
wanted to work, but were coerced INTO
striking by their fellow-knights. A reign
of terror prevailed. Men were afraid to go
back, tearing the hoodlum clement would
take revenge. The better class of knights
were in favor OF peace and quiet, but these
were in the minority.
The Governor replied that While he knew
that the authorities OF East st. Louis we're
unable to cope with the situation, the
county OF st. Clair was large and
populous, and the powers of the
sheriff were very great. These had
not been exhausted, and until they were
he could not, under the law, call
on the military for aid. He greatly re-
GREETED the situation OF affairs, but did not
feel authorized to take more iorcible meas.
u1es at present. Ii, however, he should be
actually obliged to bring soldiers here,
they would come for active service and
r~csolute work. There would be no non.
sense nor child's play about it.
During the morning Governor Oglesbv
went to the relay depot. and, mounting
the platform, cautioned the strikers
against any acts OF violence and intimida-
ton. He then invited them to meet
him at Turner Hall, where, at about
two O'Clock, he made them q
orina speech. In this he covered
the same ground as in his talk with the
merchants, and in conclusion urged the
strikers to conduct themselves so peace
ably as MOTTO give occasion for the presence
DI !, military force Hn VOC l;.tonoi 4, Will