Morning journal and courier., 1886-04-21
THE BOYCOTT MUST GO.

Grand Master Workman PowderIy
 Says the KmigNts of Labor Have
 Legislated to Prevent the Boycott.
 WASHINGTON, April 2O.-The special com
 mittee appointed by Speaker Carlisle to in
 vestigate the labor troubles was called to
 order at 1 :15 p. m. to-day and MT. Powderly,
 grand master workman of the Knights of
 Labor, took the witness chair. MT. Powder
 ly was dressed in gray checkered suit.
 When he took the witness chair he glanced
 about the room and recognized three four
 stenographers present to report the proceed
 ings for the Gould system of railroads. Quite
 a crowd of spectators were present, among
 them General Swayne, the attorney for Jay
 Genld, and three or four ladies. Messrs
 Turner, Hayes, and McDowell of the executive
 board of the Knights of Labor were also pres
 ent, and while waiting for the members of
 the committee to arrive, had long whispered conference in one corner of the committee room. Chairman Curtin asked MT. Powderly to state in general terms what he knew about the causes of unrest and dis turbance between capital and labor. MT. Powderly said the question was such broad one and opened up so large a field of inquiry that he preferred not to attempt to answer it without first fortifying himself with pa pers and documents, which he had not with him. He preferred to answer specific ques- tions. Governor Curtin then asked him what was the cause of the disturbances ex- isting in western localities. MT. Powderly said it had been enormously reported that the strike was owing to the discharge by the Missouri Pacific of a man by the name of Hall, but this was only one of the many causes that led to the strike. In support of this MT. Powderly read the statement put out by the St. Louis Knights of Labor reciting their grievances, low sal aries, long hours, etc. MT. Curtin then asked the witness what were the objects and aims of the Knights of Labor organization Its object, MT. Powderly said, was to pro- tect labor against the exactions of employ CTS. The aims of the organization were en- tirely peaceful, but of course liable to be by it's own members. He as- sured the committee that if it were found 1 that Knights of Labor in the West had vio- lated the laws of the land the organization would be as ready to help punish them as it is to aid them redressing wrongs. With the the laws of the land. stand high 1 above any organization corporation. l When asked what the attitude of the or ganlZat1on towards str1keS ana DOycotts, Mir. Powderly said it aimed to adjust | all differences by conciliation and arbitration. It had never legislated on strikes, but had recently legislated on boy cotts to prevent them. The matter of order 1 ing strike was left to the local assemblies of the order.
 Representative Burns told MT. Powderly 1 that Congress, the committee and the people l had a great deal of confidence in witness and asked him if he had given l thought to the question Of congressional 1e- ! gislation to remedy the evils complained of by workingmen and would give the commit | tee his views the subject. MT. Powderly l said he had given it considerable thought, but had not yet worked out the | problem. He thought though within | ! month after he had time to look ! through data at home he could present the | committee with intelligent and perhaps l statement the subject. Mir. | Powderly then presented the agreement of | March 15, 1885, between the Missouri Pacific | company and its employees, the violation of | which by the railroad is alleged to have been one of the causes of the strike. He also | vent over some details of the recent strike | md troubles, but presented nothing new. | At 2:15 the committee without finishing with MT. Powderly adjourned until to-mor- 'ow morning.