St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-28
THE MEN CHEERFUL.
The Strikers Are Very Confident
of Success in the End


CHICAGO. Feb. 27.-While everything
in the general offices of the railroad
company was turned tOpsy-turvy and
each official had several mems work to
perform the headquarters of the strik-
ing engineers and firemen were as
peaceful and uncOncerned as Sunday
school convention. The hall in which
the brotherhood was meeting, was
crowded as early as 8 o'clock. A joint
meeting of the firemen and engineers
had been arranged yesterday and none
of the employees could be found any
where else. Chief Arthur, of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
and Mr.. Sargent, of the Firemen's
Brotherhood, are still in the city. Mr..
Arthur said the striking engineers and
tiremen were solid body and would
1.-The publication by General Manager
StOne," he said, "of all the propositions
offered by the men might mislead the
public. We were willing to discuss
these propositions one by one, and in
case we failed to convince Mr.. Stone
we 1s' woaId nave we're made coneessions ae nl
The strike did not occur because the
schedule we offered was not adopted but
because when the question of wages
was reached Mr.. Stone refused to do
anything at all. The fight is purely a
question of wages. We receded from
our first proposition and offered to ac-
cept 80 cents, which Mr.. Stone refused
in the most positive manner. He made
no propositions at all, and the fight now
is purely on the question of pay. Mr.
Stone says" continued Mr.. Arthur,
''that we want TO put unSkilled labor on
a par with skilled labor. Now, we go
on the assumption that there is no
unSkllled labor on the engine on any
road in the United States. Does Mr..
Stone mean to say that he had unSkilled
engineers on any branch of his road?
Would he go into court, in case of a
damage suit, and swear he had? Would
Mr.. Stone like to have the public be-
lieve that the engineers on the branch
lines are inferior to those of the main
lines? If one of the branch engineers
would offer to run one of the big trains
on the main line now, the ucOmpany
would be very glad to secure his serv-
ices. II the engineer who runs the
Limited express is willing that the en-
gineer who runs the accommodation
train should receive the same pay that
he does, why should the company OBJ
ject?"
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Mr.. Arthur was asked what attitude
he expected the Knights of Labor to as
sumo toward the engineers during the
strike.
Il don't see." he said, 'why the
knights should be hostile to the Brother
hood Of Engineers, and l have no IN
formation that they will try to assist the
company in any way"
''It is claimed that Won sent mon fo
take the places of the Reading Strikers?"
THAT is a lie. don't know what in
dlyidual members of the brotherhood
may have done, but l never interfered
in any way with any strike of the
Knights of Labor. l would not do it. At
the time of the Missouri Pacific strike [
simply told the brotherhood engineers
that we had contract with the COM
pany, and to keep out of the strike. If
a contract means anything at all, then
we pursued the right course"
One of the members, who was asked
it the brotherhood engineers thought
the company could soon fill their places
with reliable men. said: ''Wel, if you
ask my personal opinion [ don't think it
can be done. That is what the boys all
think. In the first place, this country
is not loaded down with tramp engin-
eerS, and in the second place, if they
were as thick as flies, they wouldn't do
to be put in charge of locomotive.
Good engineers are a scarce article, be-
cause they are all employed"
''What are you going to do about the
Knights of Labor?''
Nothing. If they can fill our places
let them do it. The company has right
to hire any one it pleases. We shall not
interfere with anything they do. The
public will find that we have enough to
live on a little while, and if the COM
pany can do without us all we'll and
good.n