The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-03-09

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Letter From GENERAL Nsssss Werkmen
r~ewd~rly 60 sh~ Kslshss 81 Labor snd
the n~rosh~rfood ksGlseers Ensngea -
tho Present strife an the Chicaxos uur-
lingson = Quincy system ssnu-
meats forcahiv Put.
SCRANTON. Pa. Feb @--The following
letter from General Master Workman Pow
DERBY MAI made public last evening;
10 a. Kaighfs and "a brotherhood 81 kn5f
nffrxt
A report comes 70 me this evening and asks
my opinion OF the strikc o. the engineers on the
Chicago Burlington s Quincy road An exI
rrcss'on 81 opinion Is required rs 70 whether 4
favor the taking OF the places Of brotherhood
men by Kn ghts Of Labor. I have nothing 70
say concerning the matter of a strike on the
road In question. for DO not know the partieu'
lars; hut N n Is true that the men are making
IN effort 10 do away with the European custom
Of grading the men up and down. regardless OF
merit. then they are right IN making
. light for equality My opinion 81 =
man who takes the place Of another h -
struggling for his rights. Is that he deserves the
contempt an scorn OF every man who loves
justice. II is true that members OF the
Brotherhood have In repeated instances taken
the places OF Knights or Labor; Il e true that
away back In the early days OF the seventies the
Brotherhood men aid the same thing with their
machinist< and hlacksmiths NJ the OF
their chief: II Is true that brotherhood men
stabbed Knights Of Labor In the back on the
Southwest system. not only BY taking their
places. but BY urging them 10 strike with .
prefer OF assistance II they would dc 50. II Is
true that Brotherhood men did take the
places OF the Reading men in the strike on
that road. The merits 81 the various cases
herein mentioned have nothing 20 do with the
principle ofhonor which Is involved in all OF
them IL Is the eternal shame Of the Brother
hood men that they stopped TO such acts
OF meanncssa ana trcachery. The man who takes
the place OF another man when that other Is
engaged in a struggle with . corporation. Is .
scab. whether he be q member Of the Knights
OF Labor orr member Of the Brotherhood OF
Engineers. When Charles Wilson ordered the
Brotherhood men 20 lake the places OF the men
OF the Mnchinests' and Blacksmiths' Union in
1871 and 1875. he did an unmanly and cowardly
thing; when r. NJ. Arthur allowed the MEM
ber- OF the Brotherhood. over which he exer-
cises such discipline, 20 tamper with the rights
OF the striking employees OF the Missouri
Pacific and Wabash system two years ago. he
too. violated that principle OF honor which
should restrain a man when about TO do wrong.
II mattered not that the strikes In question
were not ordered by the chief officers OF the
Knights OF Labor. II the men who were in
terested felt that they were right, and took up
the Tight As employees regardless OF
what organization they belonged TO.
md on their own responsibility. they had
the right 70 do 50. and under the laws
Of the land the Members OF the Brotherhood
were not obliged 70 make cravens OF them
selves. as many Of them did. both on
the Southwestern system and In the
Reading strike The faklng OF the mems
places was mean and dastardiy. II these nc
tions were taken with the sanction OF the Chief
tkA and 1u&-
tardly. But two wrongs never make Alright.
and what Is mean and dastardly in . member
Of the Brotherhood OF Engineers can not be-
tome grand and noble in q membero OF the order
OF the knights OF Labor. No Kin ght Of Labor
should belittle his manhood by stopping 70 such
dirty work. II Il is the habit OF Brotherhood
men to do such work a. taking strikers places,
then, in Heavens name. let them have . mo
nopoiy OF Il.
Knights OF Labor. II you take my advice. you
will stand back and allow this struggle 70 70
On. Let the Brotherhood demonstrate its
power and stand alone without any -entang-
ling alliances with those Of other trades. Let
the past be forgotten in this strike. No matter
how bitter you may feel toward these men,
they have not stepped out Of the
rut OF selhshness yet. and IL IL best 20 teach
them what manhood means BY keeping hands
on the Chicago. Burlington 4 Quincy strike
Inc tLEEIAiIf UIf9tML"U y lAEL u y WI0
belong 10 dnerent organizations rushing az
each others throats whenever . strike takes
place must Be . gratifying thing for the en-
or abo 70 look A. II must indeed
give satisfaction 70 the corporations 20 know
neither Knights OF Labor nor Brotherhood
men dare in future ask for better treatment
with any assurance Of getting II. Il must be .
thought 70 the monopoiist that his
power Il not half 50 dangerous 70 a labor or
as the possibility thas another labor
organization Will espouse his cause through re-
vengc. Labor viii forever be bound hand and
foot AZ the feet OF capital 20 long as working
men can be piffed against each other.
No strike should be entered into until the
court or last resort has been reached: until the
last EFFORT consistent with manho has been
made: until the heads Of opposing forces on
sides have been consulted and their YER
given: until the last bridge has been
ermined that the last thing possible
has been lone 20 avert the trouble.
.very detachment or labor's army-horsc,
FOOT and artillery. should he wheeled into
line IN defending the rights OF men In thf
breach. have never seen such . strike. and
never expect % until the narrow prejudires OF
the past ARE -buried-nntil the principles Of
are properly understood. Then we
viii have no strikes Knights OF Labor. from
Maine 70 California. stand back: keep your
hands on: let the law OF retaliation he disre-
rarded. and let the men ofthe Chicago. Burling-
ton 4 Quincy railroad win this strike II they
can.
fsirned1 T.v. PowDERLY.
General Master Workman.
1T has been stated that General Fore
man Crifnths, Of Chicago. favored retali-
alton on account Of the conduct OF certain
cf the Brofhe rhood in taking the
places Of Knights when they are on strike.
Il there any truth In that statements's
asked the United Press reporter.
81 saw that aid Mr.. Powderly, "and
teIegrsphed TO Mr.. Grifhths 90 ascertain II
vas quoted correctly. In reply he
sent me the following telegram"
II is a false report. Don't believe Il.
fSigncdl RrcHARD GmFrrTnR
II have also . dispatch from Mr.. John
w. HAYES, the secretary Of the executive
board" continued he. Gin which he also
discountenanc es such action. speaking
for the organization generally, I wish 90
state tina the members OF the order are
opposed 20 doing any thing that will
or harrass n other ORGANISE
zion. and I do not believe that men from
the Reading or Missouri Pacific roads are
going 10 Chicago q take the places Of
members Of the Brotherhood. II they are
doing 90, il il not with the sanction Of or