The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-08-20
POwDERLY ON THE STRIKE.
He Writes on the Subject to yics.prs.;
@ don't Webb.

W ice resi- =
don't Webb.
NEW YORK, August 1S.-In a letter .o
Vice President Webb, dated Aupuat ~
fowderly says: If | am correctly IN,
formed, old and faithful employees Of the
Ne" York Central and Hudson River
railroad have been summarily Dismissal
from the service of the company because
they were members of and active In the
knights Of Labor. 1t is represented to
me that up to the time of their discharge
they were faithful to the interests of the
company and that not one mark of dis
credit stands against the the industrial
record oil any of those who were dis
charged prior to August 8, 1890. That
In brief Is the statement of the men. The
frequency of the dismissals. left but little
room Tor doubt in the minds of the men.
That they were all in danger of being
discharged at Il moments notice and
hence the strike.
The whole of the question hinges up
on the discharge Of Knights of Labor, be-
cause they are such. If it can be shown
that these men were working injury to
their employers, right minded men will
say that they were treated as they de.
served. If they were discharged for the
cause alleged the New York Central &
Hudson River railroad has everything to
gain and nothing to lose from an investi-
CATION. If they deserved dismissal from
the service of the company. none of us
will ask fortheir reinstatement. II, how
ever, they were displaced because of
their connection with the Knights of La
Dor, it should be known, for it is to be the
policy of the NY. Cent? that no Knights
of Labor are to be employed, then a state
ment to that effect will clear up all
doubts and there can be no future misun-
Outstanding. There will be nothing to
arbitrate SO long as you hold to this opin-
ion. a..
The interests Of the working people
are the same as others, but their right to
organize and select the organization they
belong to, is fully as dear to them as
their pecuniary interests can possibly be.
Here is an organization, the aim of which
is to work for educational and legislative
advantages, called upon to defend its
members, who up to the time of their
dismissal, had worked only IN. an educa-
tional and Legislative direction. Surely
we have the right to question why they
were discharged. Each man, no matter
however humble, is as much a part Of the
public as any other man.
Liberty is far dearer than money to the
laborer, and that is what he strugglesf for;
that is what is denied him, when he is
discharged for being a Knight of Labor.
If liberty was once valued SO highly that
men offered up life and treasure and sa-
cred honor to gain it, surely their chill
dren should not be blamed for striking
for it. Whether they struck wisely in
this case is yet to be determined. Who
is to determine? You may feel that you
are right, the men may feel that they are
right. Both are partisans and, if an i'm
partial verdict is to be reached, impartial
men must arrive at it by hearing both
sides and they judging. The men are
willing to submit the case to such arbi-
tration and will not be unreasonable.
Will you consent to do the same? If
you will agree to submit this matter to
arbitration we can meet to arrange de-
tails and agree as to how the parties may
be selected. The newspapers report you
as refusing to admit that arbitration can
enter into a settlement of the trouble, but
your letter leads me to believe that you
were misquoted and | still hope for a
speedy termination of the strike through
arbitration.
wERR REPLIES TO POyVDERLY.