Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-27
THE ANSWER TO CORBIN.
CHAIRMAN LEE LAYS ALL THE
TROUBLE TO SWElGARD.


Successfully Written by Somebody Else
The Strikers Enlist for the War and Take
ss Their Slogan, "Corbiu Must Come
Down"-Carnegie's Men.
louisville, Pa, Jan. 27-Chairman Ice
has just issued his reply to President Corbin,
of which the following is n copy:
"Mr. Corbin's statement Of the railroad
trouble, and what he calls facts, is known TO
be au untrue statement to mislead the public,
as he attempted to do in the miners case, but
| failed. Mr. Corbin says the employees of this
company at Port Richmond, In charge Of the
switch engines, refused to transfer the ee.
vator company'5 goods consigned to them,
and for refusing were discharged. Now we
ask Mr. Corbin: Was he not aware
that the general superintendent, Mr. Swell
gard, had entered entered into an agreement
| that none OF the employees of the company
should be discharged without fair and inn
partial hearing. will refer Mr.. Corbin to
article ID of the agreement signed by Mr..
/, Sweigard When the committee waited
upon Mr. Sweigard he refused to comply
with the articles of agreement, and he fur
Their refused to hold any conference with the
committee. The police and Pinkerton men
were sent to Port Richmond and were on the
companys property intimidnting the EN-.
| ployes before any strike had taken place.
This fact alone, Mr.. Corbin, iu5tifies the peo-
pie in saying that this strike was premedi-
tated by the officials of the Reading Railroad
| company Bear in mind, Mr.. Corbln, your
subordinates discharged the men at Ehzl-
! bethport without acknowledging the agree
ment between the company AID its employees
ave now wouldlike to call the attention Of
| Mr.. Corbin to the fact that the company, or
a
| objections to la Dor organizations, and stated
that they would wipe out the Knights of La
| Dor.
"'Finally on Saturday, the 2ith day of De-
cember, the general manager issued an order
| that the names of such employees as did not
| report for duty on the morning of Tuesday
| the 18th of December. would be stricken OIL
the rolls and their places filed by pew men.
That was DONE
"Right here, Mr. Corbin, we place our side
Of the case before the people, and say, that
was not done When our committee visited
Mr. Sweigard on Monday, Dec. 2G, the COM
mittee agreed with Mr.. Sweigard to make an
unconditional surrender to him for the dis
charge of the five crews, together with Bar-
nard Sharkey and Ambrose Hsde, and then
agreed to obey the order issued by General
Manager McLeod-that the men VINO did not
report for duty would be discharged. Now,
right here, Mi Corbln, we would IKE TO ask
you, dld the company carry out the orders
issued by the general manager wheh Tue
subordlnates under the general manager dls-
charged all the prominent men along the
entire line OF the road VINO compiled with his
order OF Saturday, Dec. ~ anu did go INTO
effect Tuesday, Dec. 2H who Is at tault III
TINS dlihcuIty-the men VINO ooeyen the oruer
of the general manager or the othclals VINO
disrespected MIR, Mcleod ana ms order OF
Saturday, Dec. %4f
Mr. Corbln says! NO man snail De ostra-
clsed on TINS ROAD because he belongs TO IA ia
Dor organization. All that Is eNPhcleu from
our employees IS to render faithful service
and obey the managemet
"lf MIR Corbln means what he says ana
why he Will not hear our sac OF Inc case,
and when he gets the mems SIDE OF TINS case
he can not say they refused to obey the order
OF the general manager; ana II his officers
have lost their heads ana caused TINS STRIKE,
why not shoulder inc responsibility "here IL
belongs and start your mines aud railroad
and not let the pubic suiter any loss ana IN
convenience on account OF Tue actioh OF
few stubborn officials over whom You nave
absolute control. Inc trouble was caused
by them, ana IL Is the OPINION Oh ti' geherai
pubic that 1t 10 your duty 10 END the trouble
JOHN H. LEE
The strikers at the different headquarters
positively unit now our forces are posi-