The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-29
THE GREAT RAILWAY STRIKE



1 do not know the particulars but if it ia 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
opiniou of a man who takes the place of another
who is struggling for his rights is that he de-
serves the contempt and scorn of every man
who loves justice. Il is true that members or
the Brotherhood have, repeated OCCASIONS
taken the places of members of the Knights
of Labor 1t is true that away back
the Brotherhood men did ths same thing
with their mschinists and blacksmiths at the
command of their chief. 1t is true that Brother
hood men stabbed Knights of Labor in the back
on the Southwest system not only by taxing
their places, but by urging them to strike with
q proffer of assistance il they would do Il 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 men
toned have nothing to do with the principle of
honor which is involved in all of them. 1t is the
stopped to such acts of meanness aud
treachery. The who takes the place of
another man when that other is engaged
in struggle with a corporation is scab,
whether he be member Of the Knights of La
Dor or member of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers When Charles Wilson ordered
members of the Brotherhood to take the places
of members of the Machinists' and Blacksmiths'
Union, in 1872 and 1873. he did upmanly,
cswardly act When p. NJ. Arthur allowed the
members of the Brotherhood, over which he ex-
of the striking employees of the Missouri Pacific
and Wabash systems, two years ago. he, too
violated that principle of honor which should
wronr 1t maessred mot that S00s the Strikes
In question were not ordered by the
chief officers OF the Knights of Labor IF the
men who We're interested felt that they were
right. and took up the fight as employees, regard
less 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
1hnr1 nf D-1% Ill
to make cravens of themselves, as many of them
did, both on the Southwestern system and IN the
Reading strikes. The taking of the 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 q member of the
Brotherhood of Engineers, cannot become grand
and noble in a member of the order OF the
Knights of Labor. No knight of Labor should
belittle his manhood by STOPPING to such dirty
work. II it 10 the habit of Brotherhood men to
do such work as taking strikers places, in heay-
ems name let them have q monopoly of il.
"knghts of Labor if you take my advice,
you will stand back and allow this struggle to go
on. Let the Brotherhood demonstrate its
power, and stand alone without any entanglng
alliance with those of other trades; let the past
be forgotten in this strike. No matter how Bit
ter yoo may feel toward these men. remember
that they have not stepped out of the rut of
selfshness yet. and it is best to teach them
what manhood means by keeping hands off the
.. DroSon
men Of labor who belong to different orgauiza-
tons rushing at each others threats whenever
strike takes place must be gratifying thing
for employers of labor to look at. 1t must in
deed give satisfaction to the corporations to
know that neither Knights of Labor nor
Brotherhood men dare in the future ask for
better treatment with any assurances of receiv-
ing it. 1t must be a consoling thought to the
monopolist to know that his power is not half so
dangerous to labor organization as the posi-
bility that another labor organization will es-
pouse his cause through revenge. Labor will
forever be bound hand and foot at the
feet of capital SO long as the laboring men 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 consistent
with manhood had been made. until the heads
of opposing forces on both sides have been con-
suited and their verdict gwen, until the last
bridge had been burned between them. Then.
when it was determined that the last thing pos
sible had been done to avert the trouble, every
detachment of labor's army, horse, foot and ar
tllery. should be wheeled into line in
defending the rights of the men in the breach.
have never seen such strike. and never ex-
pect it until the narrow prejudices of the past
have been buried, until the principles of knight
hood are thoroughly understood. Then we will
have no strikes.
knights of Labor from Maine to California,
stand back! Keep your hands off! Let the law
of retaliation be disregarded and let the men of
the Chicago Burlington & Quincy railroad win
this strike II they can. I. V. PowDERLY,
General Master Workman"
1t has been stated in some of the papers that
General Worthy Foreman Grifiths. of Chicago,
favored retaliation by the Knights on account of
the conduct of certain memberssof the Brother
hood in taking the places of the Knights of La
Dor when they were on a strike. lis there any
truth in that statementg asked the reporter
81 saw that" SAID Mr.. Powdery. "and tele-
graphed to Mr.. Grifiths to ascertain if he was
quoted correctly. In reply to my query ne sent
me the following telegram:
ut is false report Don't believe it.
RICHARD GRIFFITH"
IT have also received a dispatch from Mr..
John w. Hayes, the general secretary of the
executive board continued Mr.. Powderly, tin
which he also discountenances such action.
Speaking for the organization generally, l wish
to state that the members of the order OPP
posed to doing anything that will hamper or
harass any other organization. and | do not
believe that men from the Reading or Missouri
Pacific roads going to Chicago to take the
places Of members of the Brotherhood. If they
are doing so. it is not with the sanction of or
consent of any one who is authorized to speak
for the Knights OF Labor"
The knights, However, Do Not Stand Aloof
READING, Pa, Feb. 2s The Knights of La
Dor OF this city refused to strike during the
recent Reading railroad troubles. The Knights
of Labor engineers and iremen residing in this
vicinity still have their engines, as before the
strike. These men. though, sincerely sympa-
thize with their brethren who lost thoir places
on the Reading and are now going to Chicago.
A number of them were interviewed to-day, and
all agreed that If MIR. Arthur wants to make the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy strike success
and the lock out complete, he must order every
Brotherhood man off the Reading road. Then,
they say, not knight of Labor will accept y
position on the Chicago road. This would re-
open the entire strike question the Reading
road. The Reading Knights to-day sent 81, 900
to the Lehlgh strikers.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 25.-E. d. Ward, who
has been in this city for the past few days. has
examined and engaged forty-seven engineers
and eighty fremen to go to Chicago for service
on the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy road. The
men are from various points along the Reading
line and are for the most part those who went
on strike in December. They will leave here
the $50 train to night for Chicago. in two char
tered cars in charge of j. S. Steele. who Will go
with them to their destination. VIM Forsythe,
mechanical engineer of the c., B. & @. system,
reached this city at O'Clock this evening on the