St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-29
A SCORCHER.
Powderly Gives the Brotherhood
a Terrific Roasting.
Special to the Globe.

evening: To the Knights and the
brotherhood of Engineers: A reporter
comes to me this evening and asks what
my opinion is concerning the strike of
the engineers on the Chicago, Burling-
ton Il Quincy railroad. An expression
of opinion is requested as to whether |
favor the taking the places of the broth
erhoOd men by Knights of Labor.
have nothing to say concerning the mat
ter of a strike on the road in question.
for | do not know the particulars; but
ii it is true that the men are making an
effort TO do away with the European
system of grading men up and down,
regardless of merit, then they are in
the right in making the fight for equal
lty. My opinion of man who takes
the place of another who is struggling
for his rights is that he deserves the
contempt and scOrn of every man who
loves justice. 1t is true that members
of the brotherhood have on repeated Oc-
caSiOnS taken the places of members of
the Knights of Labor. 1t is true that
away back in the early days of the 70's
the brotherhood men did the same thing
with their machinists and blacksmiths
at the command of their chief. 1t is
true that brotherhood men stabbed
Southwest system, not only by taking
their places, but
URGING THEM TO STRIKE
with q prOtfer of assistance if thew
would do so. 1t is true that brotherhood
men did take the places of the Reading
men i'll the strike on that road. The
merits of the various cases herein men,
toned have nothing to do with the prin-
ciple of honor which is involved in all
of them. 1t is 10 the eternal shame of
the brotherhood men that they stopped
to such acts of meanneSS and treachery.
The man who takes the place of an
other man when that other is so en-
gagged in a struggle with a corporation
is ''Scab," whether he be a member of
the Knights of Labor or a member of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin-
eerS. When Charles Wilson ordered
members of the brotherhood to take the
places of members of the MachiniSt and
BlackSmithS' union in 1872 and 1873, he
did an unmanly, cOwardly act. When
p. NJ. Arthur allowed the members of
the brotherhood over which he exer-
ciSeS such discipline to tamper with the
rights of the striking employees of the
Missouri Pacific and Wabash system
two years ago he too violated that prin-
ciple of honor which should restrain
tered not that the strikes in question
were not ordered by the chief officers of
the Knights Of Labor. If the men who
were interested felt that they were right
and took up the fight as employees, re-
gardlesS of what organization they be-
IOnged to and on their own responsible
ity, they had the right to do so, and un-
der the laws of the land the members of
the Brotherhood were not obliged to
make cravenS of themselves, as many
of them did, both on the Southwest
system and in the Reading strike. The
taking of the mems places was mean
and distardly. If these actions were
taken with the sanction of the chief of
the Brotherhood, he, too, is mean and
dastardly. But two wrongs never make
right, and what is
MEAN AND DASTARDLY
in member of the Brotherhood of En-
gineer cannot become grand and noble
in a member of the order of the Knights
of Labor. No Knight of Labor should
belittle his manhood by STOPPING to
such dirty work. If it is the habit of
brotherhood meu to do such work as
taking strikers places, in heavens
name let them have monopoly of it.
Knights of Labor, if you take my advice
you will stand back and allow this
struggle to go. Let the brotherhood
demonstrate its power, and stand alone
without any entangling alliances with
those of other trades. Let the past be
forgotten in this strike. No matter how
bitter you may feel towards these men.
remember that they have not stepped
out of the rut of selfishness yet, and it
is best to teach them what manhood
means by keeping hands off the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy strike.
The spectacle presented by men of
labor who belong to different organiza-
tions rushing at others throats when
ever strike takes place must be graf
flying thing for employers of labor to
look at. 1t must indeed give satisfac-
tiOn to the corporations to know neither
Knights of Labor or brotherhood men
dare in the future ask for better treat
ment with any assurance of receiving
it. 1t must be consoling thought to
the monopoliSt to know that his power
is not half so dangerous to labor or
ganiZation as the possibility that another
labor organization will espOuse his
cause through revenge. Labor will
forever be
BOUND HAND AND FOOT
at the feet of capital so long as work
ingmen can he pitted against each other.
No strike should be entered into till the
court of last resort had been reached,
until the last effort consistent with
mrnhood had been made, till the heads
of the opposing forces ON both sides
have been consulted and their verdict
given; until the last bridge had been
burned between them. Then when it
was determined that the last
thing possible had been done
to avert the trouble, every
detachment of labOr's army, horse
nd artil hn
into line in defending the rights of the
men in the breach. / have never seen
such a strike, and never expect to un-
til the narrow prejudices of the past are
buried, until the principles of knight
hood are properly understood. Then
we will have no strikes. Knights of
Labor, from Maine to California, stand
back! Keep your hands off! Let the
law of retaliation be diregarded, and let
the men of the, Chicago, Burlington d
Quincy railroad win this strike if they
can. Il. V. PoWDERLY,
General Master Workman.
1t has been stated in some of the
papers that General Worthy Foreman
Griffith. of Chicago,
FAVORED RETALIATION
by the Knights on account of the con-
duct of certain members of the Brother
hood in taking the places of the knights
when they were on strike.
'1s there any truth in that state
ment?" asked the GLOBE reporter.
81 saw that" said MIR. Powderlv,
land telegraphed to Mr.. Griffith to as
certain if he was quoted correctly. In
reply to my query he sent me the fol-
lowing telegram: 1t is false report.
Don't believe it, have also received
a dispatch from John w. Hayes, the
general secretary of the executive
board" continued Mr.. Powderly, sin
which he also odiscountenances any such
action. Speaking for the organization
generally. l wish to state that the
members of the order are opposed to
doing anything that will hamper or