Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-03-08
HALT SIR KNIGHTS.


Letter From General Master workman
ToWderiy TO the Knights oil Labor and
tne brotheriood Engineers Engaged lin
the Present Strike ON the Chicago, Bur-
unston d Quincy System-ManIy Senti-
ments Forcfbly Put.
SCRANTON, Pa, Feb. 29.-The following
letter from General Master w orkman Pow
DERBY was made ubiic last evening:
10 the Knights aud tie brotherhood of Eng,
neers:
"A report comes to me this evening and asks
my opinion OF the strike of the engineers on the
Cnicago, Burlington s. Quincy road. An ex-
Pression OF opinion is required as to whether I
Iavor the taking of the places of Brotherhood
men Dy I'm ghts of Labor. I have nothing to
say concerning the matter of a strike on the
road IN question, for do not know the particu-
lars. but If 1t is true that the men are making
an effort to do away with the European custom
OF grading the men up and down, regardless of
merit then they are right in making
nght for equality. 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
1ustce. 1t is true that members of the
brotherhood have in repeated instances taken
the places of knights of Labor; it is true that
away back IN the early days of the seventies the
brotherhood men did the same thing with their
machlnists and blacksmiths at the command of
their chief: it is true that Brotherhc cd men
stabbed Knights of Labor m the back on the
southwest system, not only by taking their
places. but by urging them to strike wi h a
prefer of assistance if they would do so: it is
true that Brotherhood men did take the
places OF the Reading men in the strike on
that road. The merits of the various cases
herein mentioned have nothing to do with the
principle of honor which is involved in all of
tnem- 1t is the eternal shame of the Brother
nOOU men that they STONED N SnPh
OF meanneSs and treachery The man who takes
the place OF another man when that other is
engaged in n struggle with a corporation Is
scao- whether he be member of the knights
OF Labor or q member of the Brotherhood of
Engineers. When Charles Wilson ordered the
Brotherhood men to take the places of the men
of the Machinests' and Blacksmiths' Union in
1877 and 1875. he did an unmanly and cowardly
thing; when P. NJ. Arthur allowed the mem
aoers 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 principle of honor which
should restrain man when about to do wrong.
1t mattered not that the strikes in question
were not ordered by the chief officers Of the
knights of Labor. II the men who were in
terested felt that they were right, and took up
the fight employees regardless OF
what organization they belonged to,
and on their own responsibility, they had
the right to do So and under the laws
OF the land the members of the Brotherhood
were not obliged to make cravens of them
selves, as many of them did. both on
the Southwestern system and in the
Reading strike. The taking of the mems
places was mean and dastardly. If these ac
tions were taken with the sanction of the Chief
of the Brotherhood, he, too, is mean and das
tardly. But two wrongs never make q righ<.
and what is mean and dastardly in a member
of the Brotherhood o. Engineers can not be-
come grand and noble a mem Der of the order
of the knights Of Labor. No I'm ght of Labor
should belittle his manhood by STOPPING 10 such
dirty werk II it is the habit of Brotherhood
men to do such work as taking strikers places,
then, in Heavens name, let them have mo-
nopoly OF it.
knights of Labor, if you take my advice, yor
will stand back and allow this struggle to &c
On. Let the Brotherhood demonstrate Its
power and stand alone without any ''entang-
ling alliances with those of other trades. Let
the past be forgotten in this strike. No matter
how bitter you may feel toward these men,
remember they have not stepped out of the
nut of selfshness yet and it is best to teach
them what manhood means by keeping hands
of the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy strike.
The spectacle presented by men of labor who
belong to fferent organizations rushing at
each others threats whenever q strike takes
place must be gratifying thing for the en-
ployers of labor to look at. 1t must indeed
give SdJlSldCllOn 10 the Corporations 10 KNOW
that neither knights of Labor nor Brotherhood
men dare in future ask tor better treatment
with any assurance of getting it. It must be a
consolng thought to the monopolist that his
power Is not half so dangerous to a labor or
;ganiZation as the possibility that another labor
organization VIII espouse his cause through re-
venge. Labor will forever be bound hand and
foot at the feet of capital so long as working
men can be pitted against each other.
Ne strike should be entered into until the
court of last resort has been reached: until the
last effort consistent with manhood has been
made; until the heads of opposing forces
both sides have been consulted and their YER
dict given: until the last bridge has been
burned between them. Then, when it is de-
5ermined that the last thing possible
has be- done to avert the trouble,
every detachment of labor's army-horse,
foot and artillery. should be wheeled into
line in defending the rights of men in the
breach. have never seen such a strike, and
never expect to until the narrow preiudices Of
the past are buried-urtil the principles OF
knighthood 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 disre-
garded, and let the men o: the Chicago. Burling-
ton & Quincy railroad win this strike if they
can.
ISigned1 - Tv. PowDERLY.
General Master Workman.
stIt has been stated that General Fore
man Grifffths, of Chicago, favored retail
alton on account of the conduct of certain
members Of the Brothe rhood in taking the
places of Knights when they are on strike.
Is there any truth in that statement?"
asked the United Press reporter.
81 saw that" said Mr.. Powderly, sand
photographed to Mr.. Griffiths to ascertain if
he was quoted correctly. In reply he
sent me the following telegram"
1t is false report. Don't believe it.
ISignedl RICHARD GRIFFITHs
At have also a dispatch from Mr.. John
W. HAYES, the secretary of the executive
board" continued he. sin which he also
such action. Speaking
for the organization generally, wish to
state that the members of the order are
opposed to doing any thing that will
hamper or harrass any other organiza-
tion, and do not believe that men from
the Reading or Missouri Pacific roads are
going to Chicago to take the places of
members of the Brotherhood. If they are
doing so, it is not with the sanction of or
consent of anv one who ia authorized to
speak for the Knights of Labor"
BALTIMORE, Md, Feb. 2s.-Monsignor