Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-04-22
POWDERLY AND GOULD.
The Former Reviews the Latter's
Course Throughout the
Present Strike.
The Railroad King Replies Defiantiy-
Interesting Correspond
ence.
POwderly to Gould.

Railway, New York:
-DEAR SIR: The events Of the past forty-eight
hours must have demonstrated to you the abso-
lutte necessity OF bringing this terrible struggle In
the Southwest to a speedy termination. You
have the power, the authority and the means to
bring the strike to an end. I have done every
thing in my power to end the strike. The gen.
tlemen associated with me on the General
Executive Board of the Knights Of Labor have
done the same Everything consistent with
honor and manhood has been done IN the IN
terest OF peace. No false notion OF pride OF
dignity has swayed us In our dealings with
YOU or the gentlemen associated with you. In
the conference with you on Sunday, March -
understood you to mean that arbitration wonio
be agreed to. The only method of arbitration
that was discussed was in line with that
suggested in the letter which 1 sent TO you
in the name Of our board the day pre-,
vious. There was nothing particularly agreed
upon as you well know. You said that in arbi-
trating the matter the damages sustained by the
company during the strike ought to receive con
alteration / said to you that it would not be the
part OF wisdom to bring that question up In tine
settlement of the strike. When called ON you
that evening you had prepared as the resni. OF
letter which you intended to give me. Ihat letter
included a telegram TO bo sent TO Mr. Hoxle' ana
in that telegram you said that the damages SUI, sus-
ject for the Arbitration Board TO discuss. rms
latter part of the letter or telegram you agreed
TO strike off. After we had talked the matter
over for some time, left you as you We're
about to 90 to your room to rewrte the letter,
which you afterward placed in the hands OF
Mr. Mcdowell to be given to me, Tor mao 10
leave at that time in order to keep an appoint
ment at the hotel where stopped. The state
ment which you have since then made, TO tine
effect that you had prepared that LETTER Dei9ie
| called, is not quite correct, or, IL you did
have it prepared, you changed II after
we had talked the matter over for some
time This, believe you viii admit 1T ,o,' 70 De
| bers OF our Executive Board and the directors
| OF the Missouri Pacific Company on March 81,
you said you understood me 70 say that the men
| along your lines would be ordered back TO work
at once. then reiterated the statement which
made to you, and now repeat IT, 'The men
out along the lines Of your railways can be or
dered back TO work. but il they are given TO
understand that they are deserted, that we do
not take any interest in them, IL will not IN any
way mend matters on the contrary, II Will inake
I things worse. There are all along the roads out
| there a great many mon who have no regard Ior
/ organization or law; men OF hardy spirit en-
ergy, and daring. Such men as have leit u the
| East and have taken up their homes out in a
| wild country, will not submit 30 quietly as tine
| men they have left behind in the East. They are
apt to do rasher things than they would do else
| where, and have no doubt we nave soine oi
them in our order.
aBoth you and Mr.. Hopkins heard mo make
that statement, and believe the latter agreed
that was his experience also. The danger OF the
! strike spreading was also discussed, and salt
to you that It would not spread that an etior
had been made to have the men OF the Uniol
Pacific take part in IL, but that the Knights o
| Labor ON that road had standing agreenen
with the management Of tho road that tner,
was to be no trouble or strike until the last ei
fort to effect a settlement had failed and no
then until the court OF last resort had Dee'
reached. A.
night that you meant TO have the entire atiai
| submitted to arbitration at the first possiDl
moment. That belief is shared in by MI
Mcdowell who was hep present Son ssnt the tele T
gram to Mr. Hoxie, you sent II as Pres
dent of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Con
pany You sent it as the chief sends hi
message to an inferior officer, and it meant
much to a sensible man as the most lmperatisv
order could possibly mean. When i, as Tn
chief officer OF the knights OF Labor, send
message such as that it is understood to be m
wishes, and those wishes are respected Dy th
subordinate officer to whom they are sent IL
not his place to put different construction Q
them and give them his own Interpretation. h
duty is TO obey the spirit Of the instruction
The man in power need not be an autocrat
order to have his wishes respected. Il woul
like TO see IL done comes with as great fore
from the man in authority as IhuS' haNe
done
"You can settle this strike It's longer contir
uauce rests with you, and you alone; Every a.
of violence, every drop OF blood that may ;
| shed from this time forth must be laid at yol
door. The Knights Of Labor were not fonnde
to promote or shield wrong-doing, and to-da
the order of the Knights OF baD'
stands between your property and rni
|
along your railways from their allegiance
our order; we leave that to themselves.
will not allow any claims which the order mi
have ON them to stand between them and the
restoration TO their former positions, The ord
of the Knights Of Labor asks OF no man 10
main a member il 1t is not to his interest 10
So You may deal with them as citizens II "
will We will surrender our right to claim the
men as members IL they wish but we VIII II
surrender our right to see this affair thorough
investigated. You have said that the order
| fha Kn nj v,
menace, etc. am willing, as its CHIEF Once
to lay everything connected with our order Dn
to the world II you will, On the other hand j
open to the public the means and metho
| whereby you have piled up the wealth VIM
You control, and allow the tribunal OF pup
GRt1ion SR6 and to saT pass which asmfi' IS the &C
spiracy. Do you accept the challenger Y
have instructed your legal adviser 10 Proce
OF Labor for the damages sustained since I
strike began. Two weeks ago said; do
do this to-day say begin at once lay ciaI
, for damages in every court within whose Jul
diction a knight exists. Proceed at once, and
every State where you can recover damages
80 II tine law Will sustain you IN IT, u ID
and right that IL should be so. We are Will
TO face YOU before the law; we VIII nght
with no other weapon.
There are people who say that this strug
IL the beginning OF the war between capital 9
labor That statement Is false. This certai
means war, but It is n war between legitim
n capital. honest enterprise ana honest Iapor
/
o other hand This is war in which we court
fullest investigation of our acts. DO you q
10 do the same? This war means no furt
strike no shedding of blood 1t is
IN which every business man, every commert
man, every professional man, every work.
man will be invited TO enlist; t viii not
war upon the innocent, and the battlefield vi
which it will be fought out will be before
courta OF law and that which makes law, y
lie opinion. There will be no mobs In this
preme hour TO silence any mans opinion:
converts will be made by physical force. II
. flag which floats over press or mansion at
\ bidding of mob, disgraces both victor and
tim and under such flag as that we will
wage the battle but this battle OF the pee
aRainst monopoly may as well be fougnt
X now as ten years from now, and what nelo
eminently proper IN whica ~ 70 aYn ngnU VIC, ~
. laws were made 10 be obeyed or not
N they were not so framed then the PEI
must make laws that will be obeyed No n
whether he be rich or whether he be the poo
", Of the poor, shall In future shirk the respo
- bility of his acts and shield himself behind
courts. IL was TO see that the laws were ODE
that the order OF the Knights Of Labor
founded, and IL the day has come TO make
trial so let IL be. 49, :,
sYou have been warned that your life IL
danger Pay no attention TO such talk no
- who has the interest OF his country at u
would harm hair I'm your head but the sya
which reaches out on all sides, gathering
| millions of dollars OF treasure ana kee
them out Of the legitimate channels OF 9
l. | and commerce must die, and the men w
money IL invested IN the enserp.isos a. "
stock gambling has throttled must make
mon cause with those who have been denied
rIght 20 earn enough to provide the merest
essaries Of life for home and family.
when say 70 you that we Will meet you y
courts do not speak raany or ili-aay'sen