Evening journal., 1890-08-28
ONE GENT.
Chief ARTHUR REPLIES.
He Says Mr.. Powderly Is
aa Prevaricator.
THE POSITION OF THE ENGINEERS

They Ask No Help, He Says, ana couse-
qusntly VIII Give None-He Advised
His Followers to Keep Out of the New
York Central Strike.
NEw York, Aug. 2s-P. M. Arthur, chief
engineer OF the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, has written the following letter
to r. il. Holman, an engineer on the Third
Avenue Elevated railroad, in RESPONSE ~ a
letter on the subject OF the New ar'. Cen
tral strike This Is the first wrlt.sa utter
ance Of Mr.. Arthur, which fully deanes his
position toward the Central stsikels and
the knights Of Labor;
Chief Arthnr's letter
"DEAR SIR AND BRoTHER-Your letter
Of the 23d inst. with Mr. Povdrriy's LETT
ter and other clippings from the New York
papers inclosed, were received Ia reply
will say that have not receive sny letter
from Mr. Powderly He claims 90 hava
written me private letter Oh iie irouble
and wants me TO define my position IL be-
considers his letter that appeaseA ia she
newspapers private one don't nor viii
] answer letters that reach me IN ihit way-
The Brotherhood's Position.
1T is unnecessary for Mr.. Iowderly or
any one else to ask me TO define tie posi-
tion OF the Brotherhood OF Locomotive I'm
gineers in the present trouble or ths New
York Central and Hudson River Eailroad.
The policy OF the brotherhood is well
known to him and the public. as il has
been repeatedly explained from the public
platform and published In the newspapers.
lie says that some time ago It3asrapbed
AZ 4 al 4.
in Cleveland, and when ] arrived there
could not find him high or low learned
that the telegram had been rsaelyed by
him, but my efforts to locate h.m wcre
fruitless. Now, the facts in tie ease as
near as | can remember are tlc-: Some
| four years ago | received a telegram from
Powderly requesting me to mepe aim at
the Union depot in Cleveland en the ar
| rival OF a certain train on the LIKE shore
road. Owing TO my absence from she or
flee / did not receive the messaa. until
after the departure OF the train uad SO iu-
formed him by letter, addressing Il 10 him
at Scranton.
He Says Mr.. Powderiy PrevarIsstns.
Il do not believe he stopped over and
| looked for me. II he had he wound have
had no difficulty in finding me at My office
/ or at my house, as I am always at fne ODa
or the other when ia Cleveland He tells
wilful falsehood when he says other
leaders have been unable to find me when
they tried TO do so. Any man who tries to
find me when | am in Cleveland can Do so
with very little effort, and no man, whether
a leader or a private in the ranks oi labor.
ever came 70 my Office chat he WAS not
treated oourteously While / differ with
men as to the best methods to be employed
to secure certain ends, have always been
liberal enough 70 concede TO every m1n fhe
same rights and privileges ask for my
self
His Advice 60 the Engineers.
"When the present trouble on the New
York Central first occurred ! advised Che
engineers to abstain from all participation
in It, and to attend strictly 10 their own
business.
~ gave the same advice when the strike
occurred on the Gould system a few years
ago My advice TO the Brotherhood Of
Engineers when men employed in other
branches Of railroad service have beer, on
a strike was to mind their own business
and not do anything that did not properly
belong TO them as engineers. Can SIR.
| powderly say the samey l think not.
Whenever the engineers have been on u
strike we never asked any ether labor or
| genization TO assist US
His Grounds for Neutrality.
ut is true some members Of the oricr
during the Chicago, Burlington and Qltu-
| ey strike importuned the switchmen to
quit, but they did it on their own resy5n-
sibility and not by the authority Of ths or
ganization. Consequently hold that we
are perfectly justified in maintaining
strictly a neutral position when Others age
engaged in a conflict with their employers.
Mr.. Powderly accuses members OF tlls
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers Of
taking the places of striking firemea Ii
that is true the division OF which they are
members will deal with them. 1t Is NOT
within the province Of my authority 70
deal with individual members. | wonder
II Mr. Powderly had the knights expelled
who took the places Of our men in the c.
b., and O.? Yours fraternally,
"P. NJ ARTHURs