Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-08-28

enness incompetency, breach OF duty
and insubordination. A synopsis Of
Mr.. Pcwderly's letter is as follows.
He says this alleged explanation is even
less cTeditable 10 Mr.. Webb than his hitherto
silence. ard does Lot ia any way excuse the
stand he has taken. Tie knights have never
questioned the right Of the company &c dis
charge men for the reasons stated nut they DO
demand that each and every one Of the fifty or
sixty men In dispute be informed as they have
the right 10 know whether they were dis
charged for cause. Mr.. Webbs charge Is zen.
eral ard might be applied 70 one or all Of
the discharged men, OF ne might have had ref
erenee 10 The discharge Of employees VINO we're
driven out Ct the seT15ce ten years age. Not
one Of tLe men discharged is named in connec
tion with tie reasons given, and Mr.. Webb can
not assert w!th any degree Of accuracy that
any one CT them was dismissed for the
cause set forth He merely depends on
statement made BY subordiHates, fore
men AID sIperinteHceHts. He can
only learn positively BY lie personal investiga
tion nicb be refuses 10 make Mr Powcerly
says he knows Of no reason why Mr.. Webb's
word, based on reports from subordinates
should stand unQuest.oned or have any
more weight than that Of al hon
est working man. The discharged men
bad been in the employ Of the road for from
i've TO twenty years. bet il was only when they
joined the knights a Labor that il was dis.
covered mat they were Incorporate or incorn-
pstent Mr. Webb lie says denies the right Of
arbitration in tie face OF the plain. states
manlike words Of his superior in once, Channcey
NJ. Depew. whose declarations in addresses on
various occasions prove that be does not or
did not sustain Webb IL the position he has as
sumed. The first owners Of the road were not
averse 10 talsing direct 10 the workmen. They
relied on them. They had confidence in the
men ard that feeling was reciprocated By the
employees. Then the corporation had the men
and were in need Of money. now they
have the money and don't care for
the men. Mr. Powderly says that
men whose words he has never had reason to
doubt make the statement 10 him that they
were called up before their foremen or super
inteEdents. asked II they were Knights OF
Labor and when they frankly admitted that
they we're they were discharged. He con
cludes:
ut is not arbitration alone that you have re
fused. First sou have refused TO arbitrate;
second to investigate; third, to face those
men in my presence and to satisfy your
self whether your foreman told you the
truth fourth, yOu have defed TIE laws Of
the state Ia Ignoring the Board Of Media
ton and Arbitration; nth, YOU have re-
fused 10 listen 10 tie voice Of the public.
which asks for simple justice and cares moth
ing for the personalities Of either parties to
the controversy and sixth and last, you
have shown that humanity has no claims
upon you whatever. You have refused 10
satisfy the men whom you have discharged,
ana that act VIII always stand to pro
test your claim TO true manliness Had you
satisfied the men there would be nothing for US
TO ask. You are as much IN duty bound 10 sat
isfy them in this matter as you are to satisfy
the legally constituted authorities of the com
pauv