Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-01
P0WDERLY'S LETTER
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF
KNIGHTS OFLABOR.
He Scores the Brotherhood of Engineers
for Treaehery to the X. of l., but Ad-
Sises all OF the Latter to Refrain From
Taking Hold of the Unnamed Throttles.

SCRANTON, Pa, February 29.-The follow
ing letter from General Master Workman
Powderly has been made public:
To the Knights and Brotherhood of En-
gineers:
A report comes to me this evening snG
asks what my opinion is concerning the
strike of the engineers on the c. b. & q.
railroad An expression of opinion is re-
auired as to whether | favor the taking of
the places of the Brotherhood men by
Knights of Labor. have nothing to say
concerning the matter of q strike on the
road in question, for 1 do not know
the particulars, but if it is true that
the men are making an effort to
do away with the European custom of
grading men up and down. regardless of
merit, then they are in the right in making
the fight 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 Justice. Ii is true that members of
the Brotherhood hsve on repeated Occs-
siOns taken the places of members of the
knights OF Labor. 1t is true that away
back in the early days of the seventies
the Brotherhood nien did the same
thing with the machinists and
and Blacksmiths at the command of
IlsGlE Gllltl. II II lIut lAldl
men stabbed Knights of Labor in the back
on the Southwest system, not only by tax
ing their places but by urging them to
strike with q prefer of assistance if they
would do 50. 1t 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 10 do with the principle of honor
which is involved in all of them. 1t is
to the eternal shame of the Brotherhood
men that they stopped to such acts of
meanneSS and treachery. The man who
takes the place of another when that other
is engaged IN a struggle with a corporation
iS q scah, whether he be member of the
Knights Of Labor or member of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
When Charles Wilson ordered members of
the brotherhood to take the places of MEN,
bers of the Machinists' and Blacksmiths'
Union in 1872, and rs, he did an humanity,
cOwardly act
When 2. N. Arthur allowed the MEM
bers of the heBrutherhood, over which he eIer-
cises such discipline TO tsmper with the
rights of the striking employees OF the Mis-
souri, Pacific and the Wabash system, two
years ago, he, too, violated that principle of
honor which should restrain a man when
sbout to do a wrong. 1t mattered not that
the strikes in question were not ordered by
the chief officers OF the h. Of L. If the
meE who were interested felt that they
were right and took up the fight as en-
ploves 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 themselves, as many of them
did. both in the southwest system and in
~ - g,f . ~
mems places was mean and dastardly. II
these actions were taken with the sanction
OF the Chief of the Brotherhood, he too is
mean and dastardly. But two wrongs
never make a right. and what is mean and
daStardly in member of the Brotherhood
of Engineers, cannot become grand and
noble in q member of the order of Knights
Of Labor. No Knight of Labor should belit-
tie his manood by STOPPING to such
dirty work. 1t is the habit of
Brotherhood men TO do such work as tax
ing strikers places, in Heavens name let
them have a monopoly of it. knights OF
Labor, if you take my advice, You will
stand back snd allow this struggle to go.
Let the Brotherhood demonstrate its power
70 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 selfShness yet, and il
Is best % teach them what man.
hood means by keeping hands of
the c. b. 4 Q. strike. The spectacle
presented by the men of labor who belong
10 different organizations rushing at others
throats whenever strike takes place, must
be q gratifying thing for employers of labor
to look at. 1t must indeed give satisfstion
TO the corporations 10 know that neither
Knights OF Labor or Brotherhood men dare
in the future ask for better treatment with
any assurance OF receiving it 1t must be
a consoling thought 10 the mOnopolist TO
know that his power is not hA 50 danger
shs to = labor organization as the possibili-
ty that another labor organization will
espouse his cause through revenge. Labor
will forever be bound hand and foot 10 cap
ital 80 long as worElingmen can be pitted
against each other. No strike should be
entered into until the court of last resort
had been reached until the last effort con-
sistent with manhood had been made, un-
Ill 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 il
was determined that the last thing posi-
bic had been done to avert the trouble,
every detachment of labOr's army, horse,
foot snd artillery, should be wheeled into
line in defending the men in the breach. |
/ have never seen such q strike, and never
expect to until the narrow prejudices of the !
past are buried. until the principles OF
Enighthood 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 retaiia- !
ton be disregardcd and let the men of the !
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad |
win this strike if they can
7. V. PowpERLY.
General Master Workman.
1t has been stated in some OF the papers
that General Worthy Foreman Griffiths 'of |
Chicago, favored retaliation by the Knights !
on account of the conduct OF certain mem |
bers OF the Brotherhood in taking the |
place. Of the knights when they we're on |
strike Is there amy truth in that state |
mcnt? asked the United Press reporter
Il saw that said Mr.. Powderly, and |
to Mr.. Griffiths to ascertain |
if he was quoted correctly" In reply TO |
my query he sent me the following tele- |
gram; 1t is a false report, Don't believe
it Richard Gritiiths."
II have also received a dispatch from Mr.. |
John W. Hayes, the General Secretary OF |
the Executive Board" continued Mr.. Pow |
DERBY, sin which he also diScountensnces
SUCH aCtlOI. SItdhlllg IOT me organization |
| wish to state that the members |
OF the order are opposed To doing anything |
that hamper or harrass any other labor Or |
ganization, 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 II they are |
doing so it is not with the sanction or con- |
sent of anyone who is authorized to speak |
for the Knights Of Labor.
CHICAGO, March IA Winnipeg dispatch |
ssys: at i. stated on good authority that |
the deficit of the late Narquay- Harrison |
will amount to SIPS 900. Ex-
Premier Harrison has gone south. and it is !
rumored will not return 10 Manitoba. The |
Local hnuse macls on rhnrSd2N And sorna |