The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-27
ATTITUDE OF THE KNIGHTS.

Richard Grifitbs. of the Knights Of Labor. said
plainly this evening that the Brotnernoed OF
Locomotive Engineers need not expect the
knights 20 keep hands off. Mr.. Grihtn was
seen at his home, this evening. and talked un-
restrainedly of the impending strike IN its reia-
tions to the Knights of Labor. He said: 1.-THE
knights are lockers on"
s.How about the manner in which the Knights
were trs ated by the Brotherhood during the
Missouri Pacific strike. two years agof Did not
the Brotherhood then replace about two hun
dred of knights OF Labor strikers"
''Yes, they most certainly did,"
"And do you not think that but for this
action on the part of the Brotharhood, the strike
inaugurated by the knights. would nave
proven succeSSg"
There is very little doubt on that point The
same thing has just happened in the Reading
strike, as everyone who reads newspaper
knows. Just as soon as the strike was declared
on the Brotherhood began filing the vacancies.
These actions on the D art OF the Brotherhood do
not naturally tend to cement them and the
Knights Tit for tat is a game that people OF
day like TO indulge in, and I don't sec why
the Knights should be except ons 1t the loco
motive engineers in body see fit to accept
positions tho Chicago, Burlington q Quincy
railroad they most certainly entitled to DO
they please 1t is a matter resting entirely,
in their hands, and with which we, a body,
have nothing TO do. The adoption of retaliatorv
measures ia not new thing, and honestly ad-
nit that / would not be SURPRISED II they were
brough into use by the Knights Thus far. how
aver no action that know of has been taken
by the Chicago Knights"
Dispatches from Reading state that the
Kniehta there are being rapidly and readily en-
''Is that sol Well. am not surprised in the
least, and now, since that is the case, you may
look out for similar order of things here
To another reporter Mr.. Griffith s represented
to have said:
the Burlington strike. and the Brotherhood and
the road can fight IL out between themselves"
Continuing. Mr.. Griffith said: There is
very good feeling existing between 1T the
hood of Locomotive engineers. Two years
ago. when the great strike occurred on the Mis-
souri, Pacific road. and the engineers belonging to
the Knights of Labor were ordered out, Broth
erhood engineers took their places and the back
bone of the strike was broken There can be
doubt that had the Brotherhood men not taken
tho vacant places of those engineers, that strike
would have been success, and Chief Arthur
has always been blamed for this failure"
Then what will be the attitude OF the
Knights in this present trouble7"
Entirely a neutral one. Ii any engineers
belonging to the Knights of Labor want 10 fill
the places left vacant by Brotherhood strikers.
they are perfectly welcome to do so. Tho
Knights of Labor will do in this instance ex-
actly what the Brotherhood did In the Missouri
Pacific trouble-hold themselves aloof and let
their men do exactly As they please"
roads leave their present jobs and 60 to the Bur-
lingtonF'
THAT is a matter of individual choice. If
some can make higher wages by doing so. they
probably will AS l said, it ali lies with the
nen. The order will not move one way or an
other in the matter
Fourteen enginsers from the Reading road
arrived here tonight and applied for work
the Burlington Superintendent Bsssler ac-
cepted their applications at once, supplied them
with signal books and took them to Aurora
thav will ho uf at fo-
ing. These men are Knights OF Labor.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb 26 Capt. Geo. L. East
man. national organizer of the Knights of La
bor. is authority for tho statement that the ex-
ecutive committee of the Reading railroad
s rkers have notified General Manager Stone,
o. the Chicago, Burlington 81 Quincy road, that
Ill the event of strike on his road and the fall
ure of Chief Arthur to withdraw tho Brother
hood engineers who took the places of strikers
on the Reading road, they will send him 300 en-
gnesrs to morrow morning.
In reference to the story that q number of
striking Reading railroad engineers would offer
themselves for service on the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy road, in the event OF strike of
men that company's lines, the
sr gineers in this neigh borhood very reti-
cent, beyond making the statement that there
has been concerted action taken and that
none is contemplated There very few
strike In this immediate Sec
ton, as only those running switch engines. and
> small per centage of these havssg freight or
,oal trains. quit work. while mono of those 10
The impending strike was to-day the topic Of
among the striking Reading en-
oloyes. There were many bitter denunciations
Of Chief Arthur, who is reported to have said,
when asked if he had considered the contingency
,f tie Reading engineers filling the strikers
places: IF the company concludes to hire that
class of men il is their business, not ours" The
II feeling between the two classes of engineers
iates back to 1877, when the Brotherhood en-
sineers were discharged and their places taken
sks Of fse old
,inesrs took the places of the Knights of Labor
who went out. Master Workman
John B. Kelly said to-day, in reference TO the
strike. II do not think any of our men
will 20 to Chicago in case of strike. If there
las beer any such talk have not heard of it.
When asked If the Knights of Labor
i'll the places of the strikers,
Mr. Kelly said, emphatically: mo, it is not
,ur intention to fight any labor organization.
Besides, there is no necessity of our men leav-
ril De settled satisfactorily within two or three
veeks. If any of our men do 60 to Chicago,
hey will go simply individuals, and not as
representatives of the Knights"
PorTsvILLE, Pa, Feb 26.-A number of the
triking engineers and fremen of the Reading
abroad, of this city aud Pao Alto, have left for
1hieago to take service with the Chicago, Bur-
ington 81 Quincy railroad. in view of the i'm
ending strike of the Locomotive Brotherhood
ngineers of that road. The Reading engineers
ire Knights of Labor and are eager to revenge
phich organization took their places at the time
( the Reading strike.
READING, Feb. pa reporter saw some of
be knights of Labor engineers to-day with
eferencs TO the rumor that some engineers who |
ave left the employ of the Philadelphia & |
leading road, and whose places were filed by |
brotherhood engineers, were about TO take the |
laees of the striking Brotherhood men on the |
'hicago. Burlington 81 Quincy road. For my |
wn part" said one, II would not go. and / |
ont think any Of the boys will. OF course.
ONE of US feel about the way they have |
Sad Us, and love ia lost between US.
C the same time l think can |
nake the Brotherhood men ashamed of /
nemse elves il we keep away, and that's what |
elieve we'll do If any of the Knights of La !
or engineers go to take their places it will be
5 individuals. and should not be charged to ths /
rder." This seemed to be the sentiment of two
: thrse others by the reporter. They
nought the brotherhood mon should be Taught
lesson not to work against brother organiza-
on, and believed the best way TO teach that les
,n was to shame them for what they had done.
&haS a 81 tha af~hta al