The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-22

could not know all that you have sta.ed2
The Witness--I do not understand that there
is anything in the RUSS of the organization
which prohibit any meraber from telling just
the facts that have been brought out by you1
question.
In response to question by Mr.. Grain, thu
witness read a statement covering all the details
of the attempt to arbitrate between the knights
Of Labor, represented by Mr. Powderly, and the
Missouri Pacific. represented by Mr.. Could. He
read the letters which passed between these gen
tlemen on March q, and which have already
been published The witness not having copy
said that as counsel for the railroad company nc
would be glad to supply the copy.
Mr. Buchanan said that while he did not OBJ
ject TO the admission of papers in the possession
of anybody, he did not wish it to be understood
that the committee had taken any action in re
gard to parties being present by counsel
The Chairman-We have no counsel here.
General Swayne apologized for having adj
dressed the committee in the capacity of coun-
sci; he had thought it was an understood thing
that counsel was in attendance.
The witness then proceeded with his state
ment After delivering Mr. Powderly's second
letter to Mr. Gould he saw Mr.. Gould personally,
and that gentleman expressed desire to meet
Mr.. Powderly and himself on the following day.
They met Mr.. Gould on the following day. Mr..
Hopkins joined in the interview. Mr. Gould ex-
pressed himself so strongly in favor of arbitrat-
ing the difficulties that it seemed to the witnes
that an agreement was sure to be reached. They
met again in the evening, and Mr.. Gould pro-
duced and read to Mr.. Powderly, as a result OF
the morning conversation, telegram he pro-
posed to send to Mr.. Hoxie. Mr.. Gould read the
telegram down to the words, Eve see no objec-
ton to arbitrating any difficulties between the
employees and the company, past or future" and
then asked Mr. Powderly If it was satisfactory
so far. Mr. Powderly answered in the affirma-
tive Gould said, "Then let it end there" The
nit hat
telegram into the form of a letter to Powderly,
and Powderly agreed that If the general
executive board approved Of the rest
Of the letter, the men would be
ordered back to work After Powderly left,
Gould placed The letter in the witnesses hand,
with the understanding that II the order to go to
work was issued. the order and the letter were
to be given TO the press that night. After the
interview had ended, Mr.. Gould received tele-
gram from st. Louis that seemed to trouble him.
Mr.. Gould wished to see Mr.. Powderly, but that
gentleman could not go, and the witness and Mr..
Turner went to see Mr.. Gould with the question
from Powderly, DO l understand from your
personal letter of this date that your company
refuses arbitration, and must l so telegraph to
Martin Ironsg"
Mr. Gould was not in. and Mr.. Hopkins an
swered by saying mo. we do not. He is not
so to understand that letter"
Mr. Buchanan inquired whether in fact. an
order for the men to go to work had been issued
Dy Inc executive DOaru dS reSuit OF tue ueSO-
tiationS and correspondence
The witness replied that such an order had
been issued on the evening OF March 20. The
order was predicated, he said. on the correspond
ence and on the understanding that an actual
solution had been arrived at 1t was not until
noon of the next day that any suggestion of a
misunderstanding had reached him. The ultimate
result was that three members of the executive
board went to St Louis Mr.. Hayes could tell
the committee what took place there. The wit
ness was not present Another attempt was
made at New York. through Cyrus w. Field, to
bring about conclusion, but it failed.
Mr. Burns-Have you sufficient evidence to
enable you to say that the men on the strike at
st. Louis would have promptly obeyed the order
to resume work if Mr. Hoxie had complied with
the order sent to him by Mr.. Goulds
The Witness-I have not the slightest doubt
of it.
Mr.. Burns-Have you any evidence tending to
show any secret instructions from Gould to
Hoxie inconsistent with his Geographic dispatch
embodying his letter to Mr.. Powderlyg
The Witness-Nothing except the allusion in
Powderly's dispatch to the letter of instruc-
tions"-that and the order issued on.the line.
Mr. Crain-What was the original cause of the
strike2
long statement involving the difference between
the principle Of payment of day-work and piece
work, and quoted Gould as saying that, by
making change of that sort in tie Western
Union Telegraph Company, he h1aheHected a
saving of so per cent He added that The gener-
al cause of recent strikes all over the country
had been the successful strike on the horse car
lines in New York last February. That had
commanded such universal public sympathy
that workmen, whenever they had q grievance
or wrong, Joined together and made applications
to form assemblies of Knights of Labor This
was so general that the order had increased
more in the month of February last than 1t had
in the prior eight years AS an additional rea-
son, he alleged the universal system Of watering
railroad stock, which made it necessary for rail
road managers to screw down the rates of labor
as much as possible.
Mr. Grain asked what remedy he could sug-
gest for that
The witness replied that the remedy was to
enforce the laws. The law Of every State re-
uuired that dollar for dollar should be paid for
railroad stocks, but that the provision of law
was evaded by the railroad managers forming
themselves into credit mobiler and construc-
ton company and issuing to themselves $500 OF
stock for every dollar or $40 OF work.
The Chairman-And your theory is that the
exactions made upon the men employd on the
roads are caused by the attempts to enable the
railroad companies to pay dividends on watered
stock2
The Witness-That is the theory and there is
great irritation about it all over the country.
Mr. Crain-Is there no way In your organization
by which the action of the district assembly, or
dering strike, can be passed upon by the exec.
utive committee before the strike is permtted9
The Witness-There is not word on the sub.
ject This whole thing was unexpected and I'M
prepared for The whole spirit of the organiza-
ton is contrary to strikes. 1t is an educational
organization
Mr. Crain-Do you not think Ut has struck me
sol that Mr.. Gould himself WAS very fairly dis
posed towards your organizat:on2
The Witness-That has been my full impress
sion from what saw of him. My impression
was that he wanted to be fair, that he intended
to be fair. 1t has always seemed to me that MIR.
Hoxie was on high horse from which he was
unable to come down. and that when he Mr..
Gould found MIN rebellous in not carrying out
the arbitration. he ought to have issued posi-
tive order to that effect or possibly had Mr..
Hoxie resign. But he turned round and split
hairs with the committed He had agreed tc
arbitrate everything; but he would not take