Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-29
POWDERLY DlSCOURSES
On the European System Of GRADING
Labor.
He Thinks the Striking Engineers are
Doing Right in Breaking up
this System.

| SCRANTON, Pa, Feb. rs.
| fcwderly has given out the following in
regari TO the Chicago, Burlington 4 Quincy
strike:
Il have nothing to say concerning the
matter of the strike ON the road in question,
for don't know the particulars, But IL Il
is true that the men are making an effort to
do away with the European custom Of grad
ing men up and down, regardless of merit,
then they are in the right in making a fight
for equality, My "op inion of a man who
takes the place of another who is struggling
for his rights, is that he deserves the con-
tempt and scorn of every man who loves JUS
tice. Ii is true that members of the Broth
erhood have on repeated occasions taken the
places of members of the Knights. IL is
true that away back in the early days of the
seventies the brotherhood men did the same
thing with the machinsts and blacksmiths
at the command of their chief, II is true
that the Brotherhood men stabbed the
knights in the back On the Southwest sys-
tenn by taking their places after urging them
10 strike with the profler of their assistance
if they would do SO. II Is true that the
knights were used as catspaw by the Broth
erhood in that struggle, and il is true that
many engineers were burned in raking out
the chestnuts for the others.
1t is true that Brotherhood did take the
places of the Reading men in the strike Of
the knights. The merits of the various
eases herein mentioned have nothing to do
with the principles of honor involved Ii IL
to the eternal shame of the Brotherhood men
that they stopped to such acts of meanncss
and treachery, and unmanly conduct. A
man who takes the place of another, when
that other is engaged in struggle with cor
poration, is scab, whether he he member
of the knights or a member of the Brother
hood, When Charles Wilson ordered the
members of the brotherhood TO take the
places of the members of the Machinists and
Blacksmiths' Union in 1872 and 1873, he did
an unmanly, cowardly act. When Z. NJ.
Arthur allow, d members of the brotherhood,
over which he exercises such discipline, to
tamper with the rights of the striking en-
ployes of the Missouri, Pacific 4 Wabash
system two years ago, he, too, violated that
principle of honor. which should restrain u
man when about to do wrong. 1t mattcred
not tina, the strikes in question were not or
dered by the chief officers of the knights.
If the men interested felt that they were
right. and took up the fight as employees, re-
gardless of what organization they belonged
TO, and on their own responsibility, they had
right to do so, and under the laws of the
land the members of the Brotherhood were
not obliged to make cravens of themselves,
,s many d;d Their ac,;,, In taking
me,.s nIoces was mean and das,ardly
If II werc takan with IN. sanction of tho
Ch;.f of Tho nr,,h.rhooJ no ,o, il mean aud
dastarIly I'm, two wrong. meyer mako a
r;ght what il moan and dastardlv /, a mem
her of the Rro,berbood canine, hecomc grand
and n,bl, in n member Of the Knights M
knight sbould beli,,Ie manhood nv s,oopinu
IN sucb J;rtv work IL IL is tho habit of tho
Rrotherhood IN do such work as I'm king the
places Of strikers in heavens name let them
have tn, monopo,y of IL knights. IL Won
take nv advice Won will stand back and let
the s,rnyy,e go on Io, the Nrotherho
lis power to stand alone without any zen
tanplpp alliances with those other trades"
Le, the past be forgotten no matter how
hitter Won NAV feel toward these men.
Remember ,bey have not steppcd out of sci.
fsbness. and il is best TO teach them what
manhood means by keeping hands of the
Chicago Burlington & O uincy strike. The
spcctacle is presented by men of labor who
belong to different organizations, rushing at
each Others throats whenevcra A strike occurs
II must he A gratifying thing for the employ
er. of labor. 1t must. indeed be satisfactory
to the corporations that neither the Knights
nor this brotherhood dare in thcfuture to ask
for better treatment with any assurance of
receiving IT, Il must be a consolinp thought