The Portland daily press., 1886-04-08
The Chicago and Alton Officials r
pei the Strikers.
Interesting Facts Concerning the
Labor Troubles III Maine.
The keene Dispute in skowhegan.

The Keene Dispute In Skowhegan.
LYNN, Mass, April 7.-Intelligence re-
ceiyed here from Skowhegan. Me-, is that
Mr.. w. G. S. Keene arrived there yesterday,
and also Messrs. Wall of the Lynn Knights
of Labor and E. L. Daily of the Lasters'
Union. There was conference with the
Grand Master Workman of Maine, O. G..
Phillips. The probabilities are that the OPP
eratives there will resume work next Mon
day in the Keene factory. When the lasters
go back they are to receive as much as is
paid for lasting in Gardiner, Richmond and
other places in Maine. When they get at
work the Lynn lasters will speedily follow
at the factory in Lynn. Members of the Ex-
ecutive Board say that for the present there
will be no movement upon B. F. Spinney &
co. with reference to the enforcement of the
boycott
Unsatisfactory Condition of Affairs
in the Knox County Lime kiins.
RocKLAND, April THE Courier-Ga-
zette has the following:
The general condition of affairs between en-
ployerS and employed in the lime business is far
IRON being what Ii ought to be, despite the suppo
,ition that the signing of the general agreement
several weeks ago was to result in plain sailing
have continually arisen, requiring vast deal OF
meeting of committees and consultations ana re-
sulting in continued narrowing up OF the relations
between manufacturers and wOrkmen. Several
incidents are reported that cannot be looked up
on by business men as anything but the most un-
warranted and arbitrary interference on the part
of the labor association with the right of to
manage and direct his own affairs. We DEFY any
man who knows the value of money and anything
that ft1n nf
business the world over, to truhiully assert that
this ceaseleSS annoyance OF the capitalists ana en-
ployers of labor in our city, is anything but CON
tray to the spirit of free America and of vital in
Jury to the best interests of RUckland This con-
tinuai agitation, this ceaseless annoyance is dal-
ly rendering capital more timd and the result is
going to be disastrous to our city, failing especial
" upon the workingmen themselves. 1t seems 10
us time that the business men, the wise, careful
and prudent members of the two assemblies OF
Knights of Labor in our city, should come to the
front and assert themselves authoritatively IN the
interests of the common good. Up to this time
Il e PRINCIPLES of that order as enunciated by
Master Workman Powderly have not appeared to
the public as actuatng the settling OF dlttcultles
here The knights have endorsed Mr.. Powder
Tvs circular. Ali business people outside that or
der likewise endorse 1t. Then why cannot both
the capital and labor of our city have their differ
ences adjusted upon this fraternal basis? The
good OF every class in Rockland demands that
the responsible, thinking men of the knights OF
Labor come to the fore and assert themselves to
prevent the longer continuance OF the business
nightmare that has been working such injury TO
our city.
Work Begun at the Gardiner Mills
GARDINER. April THE following is the
proposition offered to the Executive Board
of the Knights of Labor by H. W. Jewett &
Co. and which has been accepted by them,
consequently the men commenced WORK yes
terday morning:
We agree if other mills run only 10 hours for
days work we will run our mill at the same pay
of IL hours and If other mills on the river run IL
hours the men shall allow the eleventh hour to be
paid back to I'll. w. JeWett & Co. and run our
mills at IL hours or reduce the pay to 10 hours
work. The above agreement is good for one year
without any interference whatever from the
Knights of Labor.
The Could Railroads.
ST. LOUIS, April AT the Iron Mountain
yards, today, all is quiet and orderly. The
quiet state of affairs which has existed in
East St. Louis for the past week was sud
denly broken today by riot. A large
crowd of strikers, numbering 1000 men,
formed about noon at the railway depot,
and headed by the leaders of the strikers in
that city marched to the Ohio and Missis-
sippi Railroad depot, where number OF
platform men were at work. No guard of
police or deputy sheriffs had been stationed
there, and the employees were forced from
their positions. Thence they advanced upon
the Vandalia yards. Here few deputies
were on duty, who ordered the men back.
They refused and made a rush, knocking
the officers down, and then they swarmed
through the gates into the yards and forced
all the employees who were at work out of
the yards. From this point they marched
to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
yard, where similar scene was enacted
and all the employed forced out. The men
than marched ON to the Chicago and Alton
yards and upon arriving there were met by
strong force of deputy marshals armed with
Winchester rifles, who ordered the men
back and called upon them to disperse. This
the crowd refused to do, and upon at
tempting to rush through the gates the
marshals brought their rifles to their shoul-
ders and threatened to fire If the crowd ad-
yanced. This cooled their ardor somewhat
and they turned back, none the less deter
mined, however, that there should be no
work done in that city while the Knights OF
Labor are still on their strike. The depu-
ties remained on guard al. the Alton yards,
fearing second attack upon that point
while the strikers proceeded to the Cairo
Short Line yards. Upon arriving there they
found their way unobStructed, and by the
same means employed at the other yards
forced the men at work there to leave their
: In Ottawa and Lawrence, Kansas, yester-
day, circulars were distributed on the streets,
printed in red with wide red border, and
headed; ."'A Mere Question of Blood" Then
followed these words:
To the Parente, Guardians and Teachers:
You have sent your sons, wards and pupils
equipped with implements of mutilation and OF
murder, to coerce and drive, mangle and kill
body Of workers who are struggling with giant
foe and against monster opposition. For months
together have these brave employees borne with
reduction of wages, violation OF compact sleep
less nights, Irregular hours, ana dogs existence
gether with noble, brotherly fidelity they have
reached position to command a peaceable re-
cognitiOn of their rights, which the laws delay
would never vouchsafe, you send your sons in the
name of Christian civilization, having in their
hands weapons of murder to see that Justice is
Christian fathers and mothers, If you have trained
up your boys for the religious task of saughterng
their fellows you nave only S a @ h er a
of economy to purchase their collins and hire
their masses in bulk. For as sure as God is God,
blood be she'd" and ''there is no respect of per-
son with God" This matter has been frequently
limited at before but you have closed your ears
and understand this ill-starred fact that while
this is a free country, it is free
country for ALL and Just 50 surely as
surely will the strikers slaughter your boys. Have
not your blinded guides apprlsed you of this fact?
We presume not. lHey lave Detu SO DuSlly Scueul-
ing to keep you asleep.
The Appeal Of the Knights of Labor.
ST.. LOUIS, April 6.-The joint executive
committees of Districts 101, 93 and II this
afternoon issued an appeal to the workmen
of the world, of which the following is
copy:
To the WoFhingnae1l of the World:
Friends and BrOthers-Hear us, for we plead for
our rights; men Of equity look upon us, for we
struggle against giants of wrong!
Mad with the frenzy of pride and self-adula-
ton hegotten it is of the success of outrage and
infamy, there stands before us a giant of aggre-
gated and incorporated wealth., every dollar of
which is built upon blood, injustice and outrage.
The giant OF corporate wealth has centralized
who glOatS as he grnds the life out of his fellow
men, and grimaces and dances as they writhe up
on his instruments of torture.
Oh! Ye workingmen of America, who love your
liberty and your native land! Ye great creators
of wealth, who stand as the foundation of all nat
ural good, look upon your brothers today! Gould,
the giant fend. Gould, the money monarch, is
dancing, as he claims over the grave of order,
over the ruin of our homes and the blight of our
lives. Before him the world has smiled in beau
ty, but his wake is graveyard of hope, a cyclone
path of devastation and death. Our strong arms
have grown weary in building the tower of his
strength, and yet he bids us build on or die. Our
young lives have grown gray too soon beneath the
strain of unrequiting, constant toll.
Our loved ones at home are hollow-cheeked and
pale with long and weary waiting for better days
to come Nay, more than this, the graveyards