Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-03-31

10 earning living. Now, HI
ConFoes can you. or the engineers Of thil
stasA who are, ] believe, intelligent
humane and sensible men, contemplate such
disastsrs as these without horror2 II you
reply to the appeals of these people that you
swer be, what injustice has been done t.
your You were receiving pay for your ser.
Woes which you acknowledge to be lgst and
liberal You were earning, every day, larg-
or wages, by far, than the vast majority OF
mankind are earning and receiving. And
yet, TO reach a corporation in another state,
and over which the state of Kansas has nc
control, which has only $50 miles of road
within the limits of this state, which does
not have IN Kansas to exceed 20 employees
all told, You interrupt and destroy the entire
business and commerce Of the whole state
OF Kansas. You cannot show, to any req
sonable man. that stoppage of the rail
reads IN Kansas will enable you to win your
contest with the c., B. & @. railroad. On
the other hand, a. have endeavored to dem
onstrate, if you stop the operations Of the
railroads in Kansas by quitting work, you
would only aid the c., B. d @. road. Now,
can You, or the engineers, afford to put
yourselves in such position? Mr.. Conroe,
hood OF Locomotive Engineers have alwaye
had and deserve to have, the respect and
confdencs of the people generally.
concede, a. I have stated fully, the
necessities Of sustaining your organization.
II can aid you in maintaining it, in any
reasonable way, should be glad to do 30.
But say to you, with emphasis, that the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers cam
not afford to bring upon the people Of this
state, the disaster aud ruin that I have
pointed out. You may think possibly, that
in the presence of such disasters the indi-
vidual members of your organization would
continue to refuse to handle their engines.
believe that they are humane. And do
not believe they would continue to refuse.
On the contrary, believe that when the
full effects of such q disaster
became apparent as they would in a brief
time, no obligation of any character would
humanity and resuming their work. If the
trouble between them and the railroad COM
panies Of this state was upon q dezial to
them, a. individuals, public sympathy
might 90 with them even while the
public would suffer when these disasters
were wrought. But the question is not to
obtain justice from the railroad companies,
nor is it question of fair pay, nor reasona-
BILE hours of labor; and with this condition
would be revolutionized.
The committee was asked what would
satisfy them and upon what conditions they
would return to their engines
They stated that they thought the men
might be induced to return if the company
refuse to handle c., B. & Q. freight.
It was pointed out to them that the COM
pany was liable in damages for all freight
it refused to haul over its lines, and the off,
GERS and agents to arrest and Imprisonment
for willfully refusing such freight,
to refuse to handle the same.
That the position the brotherhood required
the company to assume was one of dis
obedience to and violation of state and
national laws. It was further explained to
the committee that these provisions of the
interstate commerce law Offering penalties
for refusal to interchange freight, with
lines was not framed with view
TO an emergency like the present but to pro-
tect the weaker lines from discrimination of
the stronger ones and to prevent their being
crushed out. This being submitted to the
company it was deemed utterly inadmissible.
The committee was then asked whether, In
case the company would agree to deliver no
freight to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
company, which could be delivered at COM
betting points to any other road and receive no
more from that company than it was obliged
%, would the men be willing to resume their
places.
This the committee agreed to report to the
men, and advise the governor of the result.
Mr.. Conroe informed
he governor by letter that the
men refused to return to work on such con-
litions. It thus appeared that the only con-
litions upon which they were willing to re-
ume their station with the company, were
hose which involved on the part of the rail-
Dad company, disobedience to and resis-
ance to law and public authority.