The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-25
THE RAILROAD TROUBLES.
The Governors of Missouri and Kansas Try
mg to Adjust Matters-COrresPonden
Between Hoxie and Powderly.

fng to Adjust acknowledgements
Between Hoxie and Powderly.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, March 20.-Gover-
nors MarmadUke and Martin and the Labor
Commissioners OF Missouri and Kansas
were closeted at the Coates House all day
Yesterday with Grand Master PowderIy and
committees of the executive boards of the
Knights of Labor. The result of the con-
ference was that the two Governors went to-
ST. Louis last night to confer with Me-
Hoxie, the chairmen of the executive board
of the Gould system having left the matter
of settlement in their hands.
After the conference the following was
received from Viee-Presdent Hoxle:
T.V. Powderly, Kansas City Mo-:
The MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT., ST. LOUIS. Mo-.
March l9, 1Ss6.-I have just received your
telegram OF the 18th inst, asking II VIII
meet yourself and committee TO arrange g.
settlement of the pending difficulties As
this company now has contracts and agree
ments with various labor unions and organ
izat1ons and is not unwilling to continue To-
make such agreements as circumstances
may require with such unions and organiza-
tons Of its employees as have shown dispO-
sitOn to carry out in good faith their under
taklngS, and as Ia has had in the past con-
tracts with your organization and its repre-
sentatives have heretofore had confePnce-
with yourself and other members OF your
executive committee, IL is but just ana
courteous that / should give you the reasons
Tor this company now declining to meet
yourself and your executive committee
which il would have done before TINS strike
was inaugurateds
The usual object of such meetings between
railway companies, through their represen-
tatives. and committees OF their employees,
is either to discuss such differences as may
have arisen in order that an understanding
may be reached of the rights and relations
existing between them and such mutual con-
cesSiOns made as will avoid strikes and the
TO fhar
hand. to settle and compromise such differ
ences between the parties after the grew
ances OF the employees have been presented
/ and redress refused and after resort has
! actually been had to the strike as the only
remedy. In the present case neither of the
I above reasons for conference exists, but
/ the anomaly is presented of a strike which is
| W thOut redresSable grievance. which Is en-
/ tered upon without notice to the company
and which has resulted in the wantOn and
l malicious destruction of tins company
: property by violence and incend arisIn, and
! IN the almost total stOppage of Is business
by threats. intimidation and force.
: \ review OF the history of the past year is.
/ essential TO II full understanding OF the pres
/ ent conditions. The differences between this
company and its employees. resulting in the
/ strike of March. 1855, were settled by the
voluntary intercessiOn of the executives and.
officers of the States of Kansas and Missouri.
/ and not with your organization. The agree
! ments subsequently entered into with COM
| mittees of your organizations have been
J faithfully carried out by this company
4
! have from time 10 time been presented, con-
SIderod by the management and adjusted in.
! a manner apparently satisfactory To the petit
TONERS, ana for the sake of peace and har-
mony this cOmpang has repeatedly, on the
I demand of your organization, made changes
! in It's staff by the removal OF officials entirely
| satisfactory to the company. but objection
able to some of your members.
! In our meeting with on of last August in
/ New York your committee then stated that
/ no grievances or complaints existed against
! the Missouri Pacific railway on the part of
I your organization, through noncompliance
with the contracts then existing, but that it
/ was necessary to utilize your organization
: upon the Missouri Pac fic road to force an
! adjustment of the difficulties then pending
} with another organzat on. im.lar action
/ has been taken by your OrganiZat. on in three
instances within the last ght months: nrSt,
/ in threatening that the members of your or
ganZatiOn upon the Missouri Pacific would
: strike il il cont nued to exchange business
with the Wabash road; secosd, when the
members of your organization compelled a
[ strike OF portion OF the employees OF this
company in carrying out your boycott against
the Mallory Line at Galveston, Tex; third, in
B the present instance. when the existing strike
{ was forced upon this company by the dis
/ charge of one c. a. Hall by the receivers OF
! the Texas and Pacific railway-a road in the
hands of the United States court, and in the
management of which this company has no
. voice or control, Il fact which your OrganZa-
ton fully recognized when your committee
made application to the receivers of that,
road for the reinstatement of said employee.
Instances might be cited where endeavOrs
have been made to use this company for the
purpose of bOycOtting individuals who had
incursed the diSpleasure of your organization.
An especially aggravated case OF the iall--
ure of your organization to carry out Its
agreements was that of the wOrkmen at the
. Palestine shops. whO in the last days of Feb
ruary. stopped work on account of an alleged
grievance which was thereupOn adjusted in
manner TO their entire satisfaction so that
they resumed work with the agreement to
continue under concessions made by the
company, but wlthin ten days thereafter
again left their work on the demand OF your
organization in ordering the present strike
and without any grievance whatever against
this company.
These continued stoppages of the work of
this company without cause have he
come frequent that, believing the flu
ture will be unsettled as the past, IT
can not consent to renew the agree
gated by your organization. and longer
submit to il the management OF our
business. THIS company. through its repre-
sentat YES, is, and has always been, willing to.
meet the public through committees or midi
v.Guals on matters of public concern, and If
yourself or other intelligent citizens can
suggest practicable methods whereby the
present situation can be changed and traffic
permanently resumed, this company will be
pleased to meet Yourself or them as citizens,
but not as representatives of ,Our OrganiZa--
ton. to discuss pending difficulties or any
other matters of public interest.
In conclusion desire emDhatically to state.
that the responsibility for the future contin-
uance of the present unjustIhable strike will
not rest W tn the management of this cOmpa-
ny. but lnaSmuch as your organization has
committed the error of str king first and en-
deavOring to negotiate afterward il has the
power to and should end the present troubles.
by permitting such of our former employees
and others rs desire to work to do so without
fear of threats and intimidation, leaving this
company free to- resume its operations and
adjust with it's employees, as it is at all times
ready and willing TO do, any grievances they
may have. II. NJ. HOXIE.
To Dir. HOxie's telegram Mr.. Powderly
sent the following reply:
II. NJ. HOx @. first vice president, Missouri
Pacific railway Company. ST. Louis:
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, March l9.-Since you
will not meet with me us general master
workman of the Knights of Labor. must de-
cline to meet with YOU in any other capacity,
and the responsibility for the future con-
tinuance' of the strike must not be charged
To the Kn ghts of Labor nee the executive
officer of the order will not be permitted to
meet and cooperate with you in settling the
strike.
II was my intention, had you consented to.
meet with me- to endeavor to effect such q
settlement would prevent impOsitiOns be-
ing practiced upon the employees of your
company b. subordinate officials. ard put an.
end to strikes on your lines for the future.
T. V. POwDERLY-
Having failed in my attempts to bring
the parties together" said Mr.. PowderIy,
II shall now allow matters to take their
course Tomorrow 1 shall go to Chicago
and thence to Canada o. the East to attend
to other business. If Governor Marmaduke.
and Governor Martin do not succeed in eff
fecting an adjustment then the men and
the company will have 10 do it"
Arbitration Secured.
COLUMBUS, o., March 20.-The street
railway company ran one car over the line
under the requirement of their charter yes