Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-30

WASHINGTON, April 21.-The special com
mittee appointed by the House OF Repre-,
scntativcs to investigate the labor ditli-
cultics in the Southwest commenced opera
tions yesterday at Washington with the
testimony OF Il. V. Powderly. Mr.. Pow
derly said that the opinion which prevailed
that the strike on the Missouri Pacific road
was caused by the discharge of a man
named Hall was The real cause
was the payment OF low wages, long hours
OF service, ETC., as set forth in the
bill of grievances recently made
public by the knights OF Labor at st.
Louis. When asked for redress by the men,
the officials OF the company had refused a
conference. Another cause was stated to
he that OF the practice OF the company OF
compelling their men the Iron Mount
ain road, and along some roads in Texas,
to purchase food and other neccssaries OF
life from stores owned by the COM
pany. Still another was the en-
ployment by several branches OF
the Missouri Pacific road of convicts,
who were placed at repairing tracks, the
sight being often witnessed OF a convict in
his prison stripes and another man clothed
in the garb OF an honest laborer working
side by side. Against such Il leveling OF
conditions the honest workman naturally,
and with %pardonable indignation revolted.
Mr.. Po~derly, in reply to a question. said
that the organization of Knights
of Labor had for its object
the protection of labor against
the exactions OF employers. Its aims were
to secure, if possible by honorable means,
a peaceful settlement OF all difficulties. 1t
would ever be found as ready to punish
wrong as it was to aid M redressing it. A
settlement by arbitration OF all troubles
was it's chief aim. 1t had never %legislated
on bovcotting but once. and that was to
restrain it. AT the request of the commit
tee Mr.. Powdcrly promised to lay before it
at some future time his views as to what
might be done by way OF statute or con-
stitutional amendment.
WASHINGTON, April 22.-Mr. William o.
questioned yesterday by the committee ap-
pointed by the House to investigate the
causes of the strike ON tue Gould roads. In
reply to questions he described the objects
OF the knights of Labor organization in
terms similar TO those used by Mr. Powder
ly Tuesday. He then detailed the efforts
made to settle the strike by arbitration,
and related the interviews between Mr.
Powderly and himself on one side and Mr..
Gould on the other.
Mr.. Burns asked the witness if he had
any information that MI. Gould had issued
any Instructions to Mr.. Hoxie which we're
inconsistent with the representations Mr..
representatives in New York.
The witness replied that while the
knights of Labor representatives were on
their way to st. Louis to carry out the az
engagements for arbitration p. Rockwell,
general roadmuster of the Missouri Pacific,
rcc,,oI n ", NY.I low n H. nj, u, n l, n ,>~ .,-1
be employed or retained in the employ
of the company as foreman of section men
who was a member of the knights of La
Dor, and notifying those employed that
they must give up their Knight of Labor
cards.. The witness thought Mr.. Gould and
his subordinates had i'll various ways acted
in bad faith with the representatives of the
Knights of Labor in this controversy.
MI. Mcdowell was asked if he thought
Jay Gould was fairly disposed during his
interviews and dealings with MI Powder
ly. He thought Gould meant to be fair at
the start, but it seemed to the witness hat
Mr.. Hoxie got on his Singh horse" and,
when Mr.. Gould found him rebelious on
the agreement to arbitrate, in place Of
making it a positive order, he turned round
and split hairs with the committee. In
fact, IT appeared to the witness that Mr..
Gould was in a measure controlled by Mr..
Hoxie. 1t was his impression that to Mr..
Hoxie belongs the responsibility of the
strike.
Mr.. Grain asked witness what was the
original cause of the strike, and Mr.. Nc
Dowell made a long statement, involving
the difference between the principles Of
COZ Gould i as saying sha kat Rietf by 1 Mailing n a e annsss
OF that sort in the Western Union Teie-
graph Company he had effected a saving
of eighty per cent. He added that the
general cause of this strike and of recent
strikes all oyer the country had been
car lines in New York last Feb
ruary. They had commanded such univer-
sal public sympathy that workmen, when
ever they had Il grievance or wrong, Joined
together and made applications to form
assemblies of Knights Of Labor. This was
so general that the order had increased
it had in the prior eight years. As an ad-
ditionai reason he alleged the universal
system of watering railroad stock, which
made it necessary for railroad managers
to screw down the rates of labor as much
as possible.
suggest for that. Witness replied that the
remedy was to enforce the law. The law
Of every State required that dollar
for dollar should be paid for rail-
road stock; but that provision Of
law was evaded by the railroad managers
" AL CACiAoCANVS 1uOO u CIGUlC
Mobilier or construction company and is
suing to themselves 500 worth of Stock for
every dollar or ten dollars of work. He did
not think the system of pooling earnings of
railroads had anything to do with it.
Neither was it, in his opinion, attributable
views on the subject Of labor competi-
ton, Mr.. Mcdowell said that it had
been suggested that a conference should
lake place representative men
from the laber organizations and repre-
sentative men from trade organizations;
that they should meet and thoroughly dis
cuss the whole subject. Such a discussion
as thai would be approached by railroad
men i'll a different spirit from that which
they would manifest in a discussion with
lnsubordjnate brakemen. In this way there
would be gathered the wisdom of able men
who had been thinking over the subject.
MI. Powderly was then recalled and
gave a history of the origin of the Knights
OF Labor. The organization was intended,
he said, to take in not only the man s1ho
worked at the bench or the mine, bat
every man who toiled, by hand or
brain, IN any honest occupation. 1--WE
left out ~ OF two honest occuDa-
lions lawyers and bankers because
we felt that they were fully capable of
taking care of themselves" lie said. Sa-
loon-Ieepers We're Ineligible as members.
and if u member should enter the LIQUOR
business after becoming associated With
the organization, he was forced to with
draw from the order. In brief it was a So
clety for the protection of all kinds of peo-
pie who toll, regardless of sex, creed, color
OF religion, and entirely within the law.