St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-06
ABBOTT INUNDATED.
The Western States Passenger As
sociation Does a Dirty Job.

CHICAGO, Aug. 5.-The extraordinary
deadlock over the charmanship of the
Western States Passenger association
came to a climax to-day. When the
general managers Of the various rail-
roads belonging to the organization as
sembled this morning, the choice of w.
ii. Newman as temporary successor to
Chairman John N. Abbott was an
nulled by the strenuous objections of
General Manager st. John. of the Rock
Island. Then the proposition was made
that Mr.. Abbott should continue as
temporary chairman until such time as
his successor could be elected. Had
this been done it would have given Mr..
Abbott an opportunity to resign and
and turn over his office in regular
manner to whomsOeVer might be chosen
to fill the place. But it was not done.
There seemed to be determination on
the part of some of the members to
HUAfILIATE THE EX-CHAIRMAN
to the last possible degree, and the
proposition was doggedly voted down.
1t was argued that by the resolution
Just adopted Mr.. Abbott had ceased to
have any connection whatever with the
Western States Passenger association,
and that the business before the meet
ing was the election of chairman.
The balloting, which had already lasted
over day, was then resumed. MIR. Alb
bott's friends stood by him through sew
eral ballots, but after awhile the Rock
Island was left practically alone in his
support. The Rock Island, however,
remained steadfaSt, etfectually pre-
venting the requisite unanimous vote
for any of the several other candidates
proposed. Finally. this afternoon, it
was decided to abandon the attempt to
elect chairman until future date and
the duties of the Office were turned over
to Thomas Thompson, chief clerk in
Mr.. Abbott's Office, who was elected
secretary in charge until further notice.
The meeting then adjourned, subject to
Tucker. While the balloting was in
progress, some one suggested to Mr..
Abbot that he
PUT AN END TO THE AGONY
by sending his resignation to the meet
ing. This Mr.. Abbott emphatically de-
clined to do. He had nothing to resign.
He had been thrown out without mo-
ment'S warning, for what reason he did
not know. The chance to resign honor
ably had been denied him. and his self
respect would not permit him to cring-
ingly sanction the action of the meet
ing by assuming any portion of the re-
sponsibility attached to it. The man.
ayers had chosen to employ the most
unfair methods to humiliate him. They
had done their worst, and he had moth
ing to gain by resigning after the Office
had been taken out of his hands. The
Times says:
There are those who know the cause of Mr.
Abbott's treatment. Last May the interstate
commerce commission summoned before it
at Washington all the passenger officials and
association chairmen in the country for the
purpose of finding out if the law was being
complied with. Among the many who were
called upon to testify before the commission
was Chairman Abbott. 1t came out that
members of the Western States Passenger as
sociation had employed private detectives to
ferret out Irregularities and violations of
the rules of the association. and re-
port all such cases to the chairman.
By this means Mr.. Abbott had come in pos
sission of much information concerning
secret manipulations of passenger rates, col
lusion with seal lpers ETC., all of which he was
compelled to reveal to the commission when
put under oath. A number of the Western
roads were thus placed in pad light, and
while few had the backbone to take their
medicine, others have Eeen patiently waiting
the opportunity to punish Mr.. Abbott for
daring to tell the truth. Moreover they pro-
fessed the greatest friendship for him until
the hour came to strike.