Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-04
THE CRISIS COMING.
The Conservative Element Of the
Knights Wins il the Local
Assemblies.
But the Committees OF Notice Meeting
a Cold Reception. War Meas.
ures win Come.
The Retailers WIN sansr ami Trade n,
brought TO North rsSa.
Merchants.
Special me eazetto.

GAINESroN, Tx, Feb. THE Knfyhts
o. Labor boycott OF the Mallory steam.
snip company Is slowly but surely asSum.
ing "a ugly aspect. Pursuant TO the csij
issued oy the state executive hoard
u secret session az Tyler TO-DAY, there
was a general meeting III this CITY lasi
night 81 the eleven local assemblies
here. over six hundred Knights Nere
present. and the session continued uutil
near midnight. Strict secrecy was IN.
Joined, aud notwithstanding the large A.
tendance, IL is u difficult renortoriai task
TO obtain a full and Intelligent account ~
their doings. The entire meeting was d.
voted TO the discussion Of the hovcott.
and perfect uuanimity prevailed regard
ing the declaration of war against
the steamship company. Dissentions aud
acrimonious discussion prevailed, how.
ever, touching the progress and manner
Of carrying out The boycott. The large
majority OF the Knights are for arnreSsiy,.
measures aud If necessary general strikes
on all the railroads trading with the Nal.
lurys. The more conservative and inteili.
gent knights advocated moderation and
held out the importance of winning over
the large business houses TO their side and
thus forcing the refractory steamship
company TO terms. This policy was Gnai-
~ Determined upon, although five -sixths
OF the knights present declared they had
no faith In such u policy succeeding, vet
they would give it a trial out of consider
alton for the minority, who had the best
takers on their side.
Pursuant with this understanding, a
committee of fourteen knights was ap-
pointed TO visit all the merchants and
shippers in the city, and solicit them per-
sonally TO cease patronizing the Mallory
line This committee, by subdivisions,
called upon every prominent business
firm uring the day, but so far as can be
ascertained no single house gave them a
satisfactory reply, excepting one firm
which hastened to change its order the
first day of the boycott, A fiat refusal
greeted them at the larger and more i'm
portant establishments, one millionaire
merchant positively refusing TO talk
with the committee until they
had reimbursed him for his losses OF
many Thousand dollars by the November
pa2S9eeq.ltIt D. AZ iAe largest establishments,
Rro. Kaufrn,ai'' piuu, L. .. Willis 81
the canyassing committee were coldly re-
ceived and told that nothing they might
do or say would induce these houses TO
change their present business relations
with the Mallory company. In every in
stance the individual replies were noted
on writing by secretaries accompanying
the Knights, the exact language being
preserved where the same was pos
sible. The knights claim three
firms, but only one OF these
(Messrs. Goggan Bros,) openly admit
their observance Of the boycott. The
other two say they will cease doing bust
ness with the boycotted line when II is
apparent TO their business interests to do
so. The canvassing Knights are dis
gusted with their days work, and will
report their replies TO the local executive
board. They now threaten to issue a
| boycotting decree against all the leading
| wholesale and retail firms of the city, and
spread the same over the entire state
where these firms do business. While
] such step appears ludlcrous on its face,
/ it is fraught with financial disaster 20
many struggling houses that cannot
afford to have their trade unsettled.
! The order of the knights throughout
the state Is very powerful numerically,
and in such an issue thousands OF small
country merchants out Of fear or sympa'
| thy might trade exclusively With North
Texas houses, which would result in such
changes in the business world OF Calves
ton as no man can foresee. The boycott
is certainly approaching its crisis. Eithel
this general boycott against the merchants
Of the city will shortly issue or else th'
4 knights will transfer the fight TO the rail
roads.
AS soon as the local executive board re
port the failure Of their policy to the STATE
executive board the public may expec
some master stroke from that BODY, fol
the determination and hate exhibited o.
the Knights towards the Mallory com
pany grows stronger each day.
the steamship Lampasas received bel
cargo to-day as usual, no Interference be
] ing offered TO the colored laborers. Sn,
cleared this evening and sails tomorrow
on regular time.
.-----agss-----