The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-30
THE BOYCOTT AT GALVESTON
A General Strike Expected on All Rail-
ways Leading Out of the City.
Mr.. Mallory Denies that the Company Has
Violated the November Agreement, and
Intimates that lie Will Not Yield.


GALVESTON, JAM 29.-There were but few de-
velopments to day in the boycott organized by
the Knights of Labor against the Mallory Steam
ship Company. The railroad officials say that
no reports of delayed freights have yet reached
them from interior points The effect of the
boycott will probably not be felt before Monday.
Trouble is expected to begin when the railroads
take the Mallory freight destined for the in
terror. Prominent Knights apprehend general
strike on all roads leading out of Galveston
Two merchants of this city ordered their East
ern agents to-day to ship via some other line
The former boycott against the Mallory Com
pany lasted only ten days, from Nov. to IL, and
cost the commerce of the city of Galveston an
even half million dollars. The difficulties in the
way of settlement Of present differences are
far more stubborn than at the outbreak of the
Novem Ger boycott. aud every indication points
to prolonged and bitter struggle between the
giant labor organization and the great corpora
tons that supply the Mallory line with freight
The history of the difficulty dates from last Oc-
tober, when the $50 white 1ongshoremen en-
ployed on the Mallory wharves demanded ala in
crease of wages from 10 cents per hour for day
light labor and 60 cents for night and Sunday
work to 90 cents an hour all around.
They made this demand under the
claim that the Mallory company had prom
Used, on the revival of business to increase
wages. Captain Sawyer. agent for the Mallory
line, refused their request whereupon the long
shoremen struck and Sawyer promptly filled
their places with colored laborers but paid them
the very wages demanded by the striking whites.
The Knights of Labor took up the cause of the
white 1ongshoremen, and from that DAY they
have never ceased in their efforts to displace the
negroes from Mallory wharves. The November
boycott failed to effect the desired expulsion Of
the negroes. and after its disastrous effect had
paralyZed the trade Of Galveston, and large
portion of Texas, about dozen business and
railroad men of this city, including Geo. Seeley,
president of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe rail-
road; w. L. Moody, president of the Cotton Ex-
change; Julius Runge, and score of other very
rich men. got together and effected temporary
compromise of the difficulties by agreeing to the
following resolution, while sitting in joint confer
ence with the labor delegates:
Resolved That it is the of this committee of
arbitration that in the employment of labor there
should be discrimination against anyone on account
of race, color, organization.
Resolved That in consideration of the fact that this
strike originated in consequence of mutual misunder
standings we recommend and request Capt. j. N.
Sawyer that whenever he needs labor in addition to
the number of the rolls this day that be give
the preference to the men wEo were at work on the
wharf at the time of the strike.
The present boycott is simply the outgrowth
of the open violation of this agreement, for such
it was as Mr. Seeley openly pledged the good
faith of Captain Sawyer in the observance or
whatever result the arbitration reached. Al
though three busy months have elapsed since
that agreement. and hundreds Of men have been
employed by Mallory, not single knight of La
Dor has ever been called. Sawyer being inter-
ment, stating that the names of all
men employed since the arbitration
were taken from his roll. He refers
to the old ayrolls, which contained the names
of nearly every workman in the city, at some
period. To-day the executive committee said:
I'VE do hereby declare a boycott against said
Mallory Steamship Company, and do order and
recommend that no freight or other matter be
handled by the members of this order coming
from OF going to said Mallory line and ask
all local assemblies and members TO discourage
merchants from patronizing anyone who receives
or ships freight via said Mallory line" They
also request members of the Farmers Alliance
and the agricultural society to cooperate with
them in carrying out the boycott. The names Of
all merchants corporations that antagonize the
Knights of Labor in their boycott are ordered to
be Immediately reported to the executive COM
mittee. Neither the Mallory agent nor
any railroad received special or prior notice
of the boycott The railroad officials are glum
and apprehensive They all see that another
compromise with Mallory is out of the question.
The Knights have strengthened themselves and
prepared for the struggle, and 1t must now %
met What little freight arrived to-day for NAL
lory's remains untouched in the cars AS soon
as the boycotting order reaches all points of the
State to- morrow freight for Galveston for ship
ment via the Mallory line will everywhere be
left untouched. How many days the railroad
companies can stand this discrimination without
q general strike resulting is the question. The
active Knights in district assembly No. rs num-
Der fully twenty thousand. They have money
in the treasury, and anticipate long struggle
Thew present no grievances to Agent SAWYER. do
not ask him to cease violating the agreement.
but they place the fight on its original ground,
meaning to stand or fall in the issue.
An Interview with President Mallory.
NEW YORK. Jan. 29.-Mr. Robert Mallory, of