St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-22
So Says Mcdowell, or the Southwestern
Strike Would Have Been Ended
Earlier.
The Railroad Magnate Desired Arbitra-
tion, but Was Afraid to
Order It.
Congressman Mckinley Thinks the
Tariff Bill VIII Not Get Through
the House.
Proceedings of the Senate and House
Interstate Commerce. WASH
ington Waits.
The Labor Tnyestiration,

mittee came to order, Mr.. William D. Nc
Dowell being called to the stand. In re-
sponse to question by the chairman Mr..
Mcdowell stated the objects of the organi-
Zation, which he defined to be the elevation
of its members, in order that they might be-
come better wOrkmen and thus command
better wages. The witness then read a stat
ute covering all the details OF the attempt to
arbitrate the trouble between the Knights
of Labor and the Missouri Pacific, as also
letters which passed between Messrs. Gould
and POwderly on March %. An attempt
was here made by Gen. Swayne to obtain
official recognition as counsel for the rail
road, but 1t was nipped in the bud by the
chairman; who announced that they had no
counsel. The witness then proceeded with
his statement, stating that during the in
terview between Messrs. Gould, POwderly,
Hopkins and himself, Mr.. Gould was so
much in favor of arbitration that it
seemed to witness that an agreement was
sure to be reached. A meeting was had in
the evening. when Mr.. Gould wrote his
famous message to Hoxie,
AUTHORIZING HIM TO ARBITRATE,
and just as they were leaving Mr.. Gould
received telegram which seemed to disturb
him very much. In answer to a question
as to the cause of the strike the witness
made lengthy statement involving the
difference between the principle of payment
of day work and piece work. He added
that the general cause of this strike and of
recent strikes all over the country had been
the successful strike on the horse car lines
III New York last February. As an addi-
tional reason he alleged the universal sys-
tenn of watering railroad stock which made
| it necessary for railroad managers to screw
down the rates of labor as much as posi-
bic. With regard to a remedy for such a
state OF things the only one he could sug-
geSt was the enforcement of the law which
required that dollar for dollar should be
paid for railroad stocks, but which law was
| evaded by the lailroad managers forming
themselves into construction companies and
| issuing to themselves 81 of stock for everv
dollar or ten dollars of work. So far as
Mr.. Gould was concerned witness thought
that he was disposed to be friendly
TOWARDS THE ORGANIZATION,
but HOxie got on high horse and refused
to come down, and then Mr. Gould, instead
of Issuing positive order to Mr. HOXie to
arbitrate the matter as he should have done.
fell to splitting hairs with the committee
and finally refused to take the matter out
of Mr.. HoXie's hands. Witness therefore
| thought that HoXie alone was responsible
for the continuance of the strike. With
regard to the general cause of strikes and
| the adjustment of competition in labor, the
witness said:
The subject is a very broad one and it is
one which has been the subject of discussion
since these troubles began. One of the best
suggestions which has been made to me on
the subject, would like to repeat 1t is:
that conference should take place between
representative men from the labor organiZa-
tiOns and representative men from the trade
organizations; that they should meet and
thoroughly discuss the whole subject As to
this contest between capital and labor look
upon them as being necessarily partners as
much so as man and wife. Such discussion
as that would be approached by railroad men
in a different spirit from that which they
manifest in discussion with insubordinate
men. In this way there would be gathered
the
WISDOM OF ABLE MEN
who had been thinking over the subject do
not feel that have had enough experience
to be able to recapitualate the results of such
q conference.
The Chairman-Do you think that the time
has arrived when this country will be COM
PEELED to say who may come to it and who may
not come.
witness-It does seem to me that our capa-
city to absorb Christendom is somewhat
strongly taxed.
MIR. Buchanan-We are troubled as much
by Pagandom as by Christendom.
Mr.. POwderly was then recalled and gave
history of the Knights of Labor. which he
said was intended to cover all honest occu-
pations. In other words, it was a beneyo-
lent society for the protection of all kinds
of people who toll. The present member
ship, he said. was only 500, 600, although
they had been credited with 5000, 600.
Asked as to whether the Knights made any
distinction as to color, Mr.. Powderly said:
We make no distinction in regard to color,
creed, sex or conditions. We have one as
sembly in New York where the president is a
Roman Catholic, the vice president q Presby-
terian and the man who occupies the next
position Hindoo. Colored men seldom en-
ter the assemblies of white members They
have assemblies of their own and are manag-
I ing them very nicely.
Mr.. Buchanan-Up to how late have you
worked at your trade?
Mr.. Powderly-Not since March, 1877.
Mr.. Buchanan-Since that time you have
been engaged as you are now?
Mr.. Powderly-Yes, principally. I work
harder now than ever did, sometimes eigh-
| teen hours per day.
Mr.. Mcdowell, upon being recalled and
asked to his connection with the knights of
Labor, said that he had been connected
with the organization about eight years;
that he was machinist by trade, and that
to-day he was at the head Of one of the
| largest
MACHINE WORKS IN THE COUNTRY.
The Chairman-There is nothing that YOU
know of in the organization which is incon-
| sistent with obedience to laws and with the
administration of government?
Mr.. MISUNDERSTANDING whatever. On the
other hand it is perfect supporter of the
law in every particular.
Mr.. Buchanan-Your observation is that
the fairer treated, the better paid and the
more contented the American workingman
is, the better citizen he makes?
Mr.. McDowell-That is exactly true.
Mr.. Powderly-One of the things which a
member of the organization promises to do is
this. We shall with all our strength sup
port laws made to harmonic the interests
of labor and capital.
The committee adjourned till IL O'Clock
tomorrow, when it is understood the ex-
animation of Mr.. Jay Gould will be COM
menced.