Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-15
DECLARING WAR ON JAY GOULD.
The knights Threaten the Railroad
King With Relentless legal Warfare
Gould Returns q Defiant Answer.

railroad
King With Relentless Legal Warfare
Gould Returns q Defiant Answer.
The knights of Labor through their general
master workman, Mr.. Powderly, have made a
final appeal TO Jay Could which is little short
of declaration OF war. The manifesto dated
April IL. and signed by Mr.. Powderly, was
made public yesterday. 1t was intrusted by
the Master Workman to VIM. o. Mcdowell to
deliver to Mr.. Gould under certain contingent
cies explained In the correspondence.
PowDERLYS LETTER
Is addressed to Jay Gould, president Missouri
Pacific railroad, and says: 1.-The events of the
past forty-eight hours must have demonstrated
to you the absolute necessity Of bringing this
terrible struggle in the southwest TO a speedy
termination. You have the power, the author.
ity and the means to bring the strike to an end.
/ have done everything in my power to end it.
The gentlemen associated with me have done
the same. Everything consistent with honor
and manhood has been done in the interest OF
peace. In that conference with you on sunday,
March 2Sth, / understood you TO mean that
arbitration would be agreed to-"
Mr. Powderly then reviews the New York
conference, and takes occasion TO deny MIR.
Gould's statement that the letter written To Mr..
Hoxie was prepared before the conference with
Mr. Powderiy- 1T you had prepared it," he
says, .you changed IL after we talked the mat
ter over" The master workman reminds Mr..
Gould that it was after the conference that he
(Mr. Goule) agreed to strike out that portion of
the letter which suggested to Mr. Hoxie that
be proper subject for the arbitration board to
discuss"
1t was his belief, and this belief was shared by
Mr.. Mcdowell, that at the close OF the conference
In New York it had been agreed that the entire
affair was to be submitted to arbitration. Mr.
Powderly then reminds Mr.. Gould that when
he sent the telegram TO Mr.. Hoxie, it was as a
superior to an inferior officer and that the lat
ter had no right to put on 1t a different con-
structiOn from that which was plainly intended.
Mr. PowderIy then explains that as the order of
10 - M II M Lab il tn SfriL<
has no rules governing them, and reminds Mr..
Gould that he SO informed him (Gould) at the
conference.
EMPHATIC TALK TO GOULD.
Mr.. Powderly's letter then continues: "You can
settle this strike. Its longer continuance rests
with you and you alone. Every act of violence,
every drop of blood that may be shed from this
time forth must be laid at your door. The
knights OF Labor were not founded TO promote
shield wrong-doing. and to-day the order of
the Knights of Labor stands between your prop
erty and ruin. We are willing to abSolve the
men along your railways from their allegiance
to our order. We leave that to themselves. We
have on them to stand between them and their
restoration 10 their former positions. The order
of the knights Of Labor asks OF no man to re-
main member, If 1T Is not to his interest to do
You may deal with them as citizens if you
will. We will surrender our right to claim
not surrender our right to see this affair thor
oughly inv estigated.
..You have said that the order of the knights
am willing, as the chief officer, to lay every
thing connected with our order bare to the
world, If you will, on the other hand. lay open
10 the public the means and methods whereby
you have piled up the wealth which you con-
troll and allow the tribunal of public opinion to
pass In judgment on the two and say which
Is the conspiracy. Do you accept the chal-
lenge?
You have instructed your legal adviser to
proceed against every man connected with the
Knights of Labor for the damages sustained
since the strike began. Two weeks ago said:
Ihl a fI,sc
lay claims for damages in every court within
whose Jurisdiction knight exists. We are
Sght yon aseS you o eeaore sne law we viii
Violation OF the law OF state or nation We will
enter suit against you, and in this crusade
against you do not understand that we mean
TO prosecute. On the contrary, we wish to see
the law vindicated. II you have at all times
Obeyed the law in your dealings, in tine meth
DDS by which You have acquired your immense
fortune, then 1t is time that the many offenses
with which you are charged should be refuted.
You have remained silent under many dam
aging charge of injuring the state. We will be
your avengers If you have been wronged we
medium OF the courts OF justice. And let me
say right here that no money will buy verdict
at the hands OF these courts.
LEGAL WAR DECLARED.
'There are people who say that this struggle
IS the beginning OF the war between capital
and labor. That statement is false. This GER
tainly means war; but 1t is a war between legiti-
mate capital, honest enterprise and honest
labor on the one hand and iliegitimate wealth
ON the other hand. This IS a war in which we
court the fullest investigation of our acts Do
you dare TO do the same? This war means no
further strike, no shedding of blood; it is war
In which every business man, every CONNER
cial man. every professional man, every work.
"a war upon the innocent, and the battlefield
upon which 1t will be fought out will be before
the two courts Of law, and that which makes
law, public opinion. There will be no mobs in
this supreme hour to silence any mans opin.
lon. No converts will be made by physical
sion at the bidding Of a mob digraees both both
victor and victim, and under such flag as
that we will not wage the battle; but this battle
OF the people against monopoly may as well be
fought out now as ten years from now, and
what field so eminently proper in which to
fight 1t out as before the courts. 1t was to see
that the laws were obeyed that the order of the
knights OF Labor was founded, and if the day
has come TO make the trial, so let it be.
81 do not write this letter to you either in the
spirit OF anger or revenge. For you personally
Ihave no dislike. believe that If allowed to
wcald have had the Strike ended ere this. Those
WHO advise you do not mingle with the people;
they do not care for the people. They have been
attention 10 such talk; no man who has the
interest of his country at heart would harm a
reaches out on all sides gathering i'm the
millions OF dollars OF treasure and keeping them
out of the legitimate channels of trade and
commerce must die, and the men whose
money is invested in the enterprises which
stock gambling has throttled must make com
the right to earn enough to provide the merest
necessaries OF life for home and family When
i say TO you that We will meet you in the
courts, do not speak rashly or ill-advisedly
have taken counsel from the best legal minds
OF the United States. We are prepared to face
You in the courts and now await your action in
the matter. This is no threat. play no game
Of bluff or chance. Ispeak for 100000 organ.
zed men, who are ready to pay out the last
tarth1ng in order that justice may prevail. You
have IL In your power 10 make friends OF these
men by acting the part OF the man by taking
This matter In your own hands. Will you do so
and our common country? II is your duty to
brush aside every obstacle, assert your author
1ty, and take this matter in your own hands
settle every grievance, restore every man to
his place except those vino have been engaged
In the destruction of property or who have
broken the law. VIII you do thise You can
then make rules and agreements with Your
men, which will forever preclude the possibility
of another such disas trous conflict as this one
has proved itself TO be-"
MR. GOULD'S DEFIANT ANSWER
Mr.. Gould's reply is dated at New York, April
IA In 1t the writer says:
"iour letter to me embraces two subiects.
one relating TO me personally, and the other TO
the relation OF the Knights OF Labor to a rail-
road company of which am the president
and, In some degree, the representative of its
pubic and private duties. 1t would
seem To be an official declaration that the
knights OF Labor had determined to pursue
me personally unless the Missouri Pacific com
pany should yield to its demand in what Won
sall the strike on that road. In answer To these
PERSONAL threats, beg 10 say that am yet a free
nm rsstff I.ErN IN