The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-15

To 7. V. Powderiy:
Thanks for your messages and sug-
gestion. Hall was employed by the
Texas and Pacific, and not by ue. That
property is in the hands of the United
States, and we have no control what
ever over the receivers or the employees.
We have carried OUT the agreement we
made last spring in every respect, and
the present strike is unjust to us and
unwise for you. 1t is reported here
that this movement is the result of
Wall street influence on the part of
those short OF the securities likely 10
be affected. A. L. HOPKINS.
THIS DISPATCH
You never answered. This cores
pondenCe places the continuance of
the strike on your shoulders. You
Sat still and was silent after Mr..
Hopkins's urgent appeal and allowed
the strike to go on-allowed the com.
pany's property to be foIcibly seized
and the citizens of four States and one
Territory to be deprived of their right.
ful railway facilities. Thus forced, the
Board Of Directors, prior 10 my re.
turn, placed the matter in Mr.. Hoxie's
hands by formal resolution, and
that disposition of it has never
been changed. You knew this well,
because you had a correspondence
with him on this subject. Hence it
was that when Mr.. Turner, secretary
OF your order, wrote to me on the sub
ject, l fully advised him in my letter
Of Marcn 9th that the matter had
been placed by the board in the hands
Of Mr.. HoXle, and that l must refer
you to him as its continuing repre-
sentative; at the same time I reminded
you that standing advertisement of
this company was at that
moment inviting its former employees
to return to their acoustic med posts,
and that regardless OF their being or
nat being members of your order, and
regardless, also, OF their individual
participation in the strike which your
order bad recently, inaUgurated.
When, in spite of all this, you desired
to see me personally, l cordially met
you, and, having put myself in CON-
munication with Mr.. Hoxie, arranged
with him for you the following, which
was widely published by you at the
time:
New York, March 30, 1886.
To Martin Irons, St. Louis, Mo-:
Have been in conference all day,
with the result that Vice-President
HUxie agrees TO the following: Will
ing to meet committee of our en-
ployes without discrimination who
are actually at work in the service OF
the company at the time such commit
tee is appointed, t. adjudicate with
them any grievances that they may
have. Have your Executive Commit.
tee order he men to return to work,
and also select spacial committee
from the employees cf the Missouri Pa
cifiC to wait on Mr.. Hox to adjust
any difference. Do this "a Quickly as
po sible. The board will leave for 81.
Louis tomorrow.
FREDERICK TURNER, Secretary.
EVER SINCE THEN MR.. HoxIE
has stood ready to receive any and all
persons in the actual employ of the
company, as a committee or otherwise,
and confer upon or arbitrate any mat
ter OF difference or complaint, either
between the company and its late en-
ployee, and for that matter between
the company and anybody else. No
such committee or individual employee
has, 80 far as known to me, ever made
any such application. In this connec.
ton it will be remembered that they
left, not because of any complaint
whatever of this compsny's treatment
of themselves, but only because OF
this company's refusal to comply with
their demand; that this company re-
fuse to do what the law requires in the
way Of interchange of business with
another company, with which some
OF your order had quarrel. In the
meantime this company has, OF neces-
sity, gone on 10 extend employment
to such OF those persons who recently
and without even alleged provocation
left its service, as saw I'll to return.
These returning employees have been
very many, and in this way its
rolls are already nearly if not quite as
full as it's shops and equipment, Grip.
Pied by acts OF violence attendant
upon the recent action of your order,
can employ. Mr.. Hoxie advises me
that every such person applying 10 be
received back has been employed, I'M
less believed to have taken part
in recsnt acts of violence. This
company still stands ready TO
make good in the fullest sense
its agreement, as expressly
set forth. In the face of all this you
notify me that unless by O'Clock l
personally consent to something, pre-
cisely what / do not see, then personal
consequences of sort vaguely ex.
pressed, but not hard to understand,
will, at the hand of your order, be Wis
tied upon me. Let me again remind
you that it is an American citizen
whom you and your order thus pro-
pose to destroy. The contest is not
between your order and me, but be-
tween your order and
THE LAWS OF THE LAND.