Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-03-17
90 as roy PLEASE.


pledged to their members ON any and
all roads throughout the United States
who deem it necessary to strike and
formerly decide to do so in order to up
hold their brethren ON the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy. This informa-
ton was obtained this evening ON the
best of authority, and was verified
through another source. 1t can also be
stated upon authority that general
meetings of the local grievance com
mittees of various roads held to-day
were in each case convened for the pur-
pose of discussing the ACCESSIBILITY of o
strike on that particular road, and if
such radical step was not considered
essential to the object was to decide
what measures in lieu thereof should
he adopted. The sanction of the gem
eral executive of the brotherhood thus
given in advance to men who strike on
any road was secretly obtained at the
conference of the general grievance
committee of the brotherhood held here
Monday 1t no longer rests with Chiefs
Arthur and Sargent to say that the men
ON any road, should they strike, would
be backed up by the brotherhood as a
whole. The men on any single railroad
system, or half dozen systems, have it
now absolutely in their power,
not only to say whether
they shall strike, with the whole
might of the brotherhood behind them.
That the men are not disposed to use
with undue haste the weapons in their
grasp may be partly inferred from the
fact that although several meetings
were held to-day, each clothed with
complete authority to declare u strike
affecting vast stretch of territory, no
such declaration had been made up to
this evening. At least two meetings of
the kind mentioned are known to have
been held in this city to-day. Others
are said to have been convened ut Rock
Island, Omaha and Kansas City. One
meeting in Chicago was composed of
delegates from every brotherhood lodge
having members in the employ of the
Chicago & Northwestern railway.
About thirty delegates were present
The meeting was held in McCoy's hotel.
Little is known of the proceedings be-
yond rumor that the delegates mani
Tested extreme reluctance to strike ex-
cept as last resort. Both the North
western and St. Paul men viii be again
Among the many rumors flying about
tonight which could not be hunted
down to veriication or denial, was one
that the strikers had telegraphed to the
interstate commerce commission asking
that body to take official cogni2ance of
the strike, and that dispatches had been
sent to Governor Oglesby requesting
him to formally call the matter to the
attention of the Illinois state railroad
commission.
Thomas L. Kimball, assistant vice
president of the Union Pacific railroad,
has issued letter to the employees of
the road in regard to that roads rela-
ton to the Burlington strike, in which
he takes the ground that refusal to inter-
change traffic with the Burlington
would subject the Union Pacific to for
fixture of its charter. Appended to the
communication are the following dis
patches from President Charles Francis
Adams and Vice President Potter:
l.. Kimball, Omaha, Neb: Have re-
ceived your telegram stating Arthur's
orders to our engineers in regard to in
terchange of traffic with the Burlington.
The Union Pacific is operated under
United States charter, and the provi-
sions of the interstate commerce act
ulC C1cttI anu oItCllACs VIC tAAAAlCH a..hy
ourselves open to the penalties of the
act and the possibility of forfeiture OF
our charter by refusing to Interchange
business with all connecting lines III the
usual way. Point this out to our men,
and show them that it would be no more
illegal for them to call upon us to burn
the Chicago, Burlington Il Quincy
freight house or murder its officials than
to make the present demand. Our posi-
ton is one of neutrality. Ii the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy, because it is en-
gagged in q contest with the brotherhood,
were to call on us, and under penalty of
the loss of their traffic, to dismiss every
brotherhood engineer in our service, the
proposition would be denounced by
the brotherhood as a high-handed
outrage, condemned by public opinion,
and at once rejected by us. Yet
Arthur demands exactly the converse Of
this when he calls on us to violate the
law by refusing to interchange traffic
with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy,
and so compel us to take sides with the
brotherhood against connecting line.
Our men cannot be so unreasonable rs
to take this position if the case is fairly
put before them. They will recognize
that the sauce for the Burlington goose
must be sauce for the brotherhood gan
der. Be in this matter very consider
ate to the men, but absolutely firm.
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS,
President.
T. L. Kimball, Omaha, Neb.: The
law does not allow us to refuse to han
IL L m