Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-04-08
POWDERLY
TALKS ABOUT THE GREAT STRIKE.
The Deal With the Engineers Brotherhood
Complete.
KNIGHTS ON The BURLINGTON ROAD,
Responses to the Master WOrkmSn's
Circular.

IA , hpiu I'LL. Ho"ueA
lY has confirmed tie report Of q deal with
the railroad Brotherhoods.
As q result a 81 cret conference between
the General Master Workman and repre-
sentatives of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers, a friendly feeling has been
established between the Knights and the
Engineers by which future ~antagonism be-
tween these Organizations will be averted.
An injury to one will be the concern OF
the other, and provisions will be made to
prevent Brotherhood men taking the places
of Knights on strike and vice versa.
The committee that recently came here
from Chicago, to wait on General Master
WOrkmsn Powderly had a letter of intro
duction from Chief Arthur, and when they
were going away Mr.. Powderly gave them
a | tier to the Chief of the Brotherhood,
assuring him and his order Of cordial sym
patty and support.
MI. Powderly, before leaving for Phila-
delphia last evening, to attend a meeting
Of the Execnti -e hoard, stated that such
vas the case, and that an understanding
mutually advantageous to both organiza-
tons would soon be arrived at.
When asked if it was true that he had
ordered out the Knights of Labor on the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, Mr.. Pow
derly said:
There is no truth in that statement. l
was waited or by a committee represent
ing the Brotherhood of Locomotive Eugi-
neers, who came on from Chicago, and the
calling cut of the employees who were
Knights Of Labor was not spoken of or
limited a.. The main question discussed
was the stOppage of Knights of Labor who
went from the East to take places of the
engineers Gil the O. road. ! explained to
the committee that il was a difficult thing
to reach these men or influence them in
any way, for the reason that they had vic.
lated their obligations as knights of Labor
By taking the step they did in playing the
'scab.'
81 told them it was unfortunately true
that the relations between the Knights
aud the Brotherhood had been strained
somewhat previous to the Burlington
strike, and for that reason some of the
former woaid be justified in the course
they were pursuing. l also explained to
them that q great many of the men who
claimed to be Knights Of Labor and took
the places Of the Burlington strikers had
never been members of the organization.
Il have taken pains to sum up the num-
Der of men reported to have gone from
the Reading to the Burlington road, and a
careful computation shows that three
thousand men, all of them engineers, and
all of them claiming to be Knights OF
Labor, passed through Pittsburgh. 1t is
also reported that less than two thousand
passed through Buffalo, while the other
large centres through which men
had to pass would no doubt raise
the total number to something like twenty
Thousand men. The truth of the matter is
that all these reports are grossly exagger-
sted, and that not over one hundred and
fifty Knights all told have gone out to the
90 road, and over One-half of them have
returned to their homes. Indeed, / do not
see how a nan who has taken the pledge
of the Knights of Laber could put himself
III charge of Pinkert0n agents, for if there
is II creature that crawls upon the face OF
eiIth that a Knight Of Labor should de-
spise it is a PinkertOn detective. l have
addressed o letter to the Knights along the
Burlington road advising them to meet
with our erring Knights and ask them 10
return to their homes"
HAS any arrangement been entered
into between the Knights and the Brother,
hood for a union OF interests?"
"Well, yes. Tits agreed that when this
strike is over there is to be an effort made
to have the Brother mood and the Knights
of Labor come TO an understanding az to
the settlement Of all disputes in the future
A great msny of the misunderstanding OF
the past have resulted from the failure OF
the heads Of the organizations to come to-
gether. Had the chiefs of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers and the Brother
hood of Locomotive FIremeu aud the
knights of Labor been on good terms as
they should have heen, and had they IN
derstood each other in the past as they
will in the future, persons who did not be.
long to either organization could not palm
themselves of as taking revenge for past
injury whenever a difficulty occurred.
IF it is fair to ask, have you and Chief
Arthur buried the Ratchet ?"
The truth of the matter is," said Mr..
Powderly, smiling, there has never been
a Ratchet, or even the senblance ola tom
ahawk, between Chief Arthur aud myself,
and | can answer your question with a
most emphatic yes so far as ! am concern.
ed. l believe that the rank and file of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, as
well as of the Knights of Labor, are anx-
ious to have the difi ulties and differences
of the past buried out of sight-hatchet
and all-and every effort of mine will tend
in that direction"
"DO you think the Burlington strike
will prove a failure ?"
lido not. l think that if ever there was
a strike that proved successful the Bur.
lington strike is the one, for the reason
that it has opened the eyes of the work.
iDgmen to the fact that, no matter what
occupations they may follow, their inter.
ests are identical and there should be q
thorough understanding, if not a complete
organization, between all branches OF labor.
There is no reason why, with proper edu-
cation and effort, the workingmen who OPP
crate the railways should not wi a CON
trolling interest il them"
How would you have them do this?''
That's q long story, but to condense it
in a few words, let mt say that the edu-
Gated workingmen can secure the passage
Of laws which will compel corporations TO
transact their business independent OF
water and in such a way that the man
who buys q share of stock will own a part
of the property OF the concern be invests
in. When that is done w%orkingmen will
not fear to expand their surplus earnings
in the purchase of stock in the roads they
operate. Being stockholders, it would be
to their interest to watch with a Jealous
eye the doings Of the directOfs and the
officers Of the roads. Il would also be to
their interest to see that no strike or dis
turbance of any kind took place"
Have you any objections to stating
whether you received many replies to the
special cali you sent out recently to the
Order in hahalf Of the educational p!an?"
"NOt in the least. = Replies to that spec.
ial call are coming in rapidly. l have al
ready received 1900 answers, aud am
pleased beyond messurS to say that with
six exceptions they ali vote Yes to every
proposition submitted Sy me. As an evil
dence Of the enthusiasm which has been
raised, nearly $1,000 has been forwarded
tn rue already to advance the work of edu-