The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-09-11
NUMBER 81.
fere with II and its emnIoves.

! fere with it and its employees
The witnesses summoned in the inter
est of the Knights did not make favor
able impression and their testimony was
not important. But the correspondence
between Powderly and Lee, introduced
to show that the former opposed the
strike, as premature, presents some very
suggestive features that should be care
fully studied. For instance, on the Sd of
February last Powderly wrote to Lee:
my advice is to 90 cautiously.
Avoid controvey as far as possible and
fortify yourselves with facts, indisput-
able facts, if ever you have to ask for
anything. Allow no rash counsels to
sway you in anything, and do not place
headstrong or Incorporate men on any
committee. The men ON the Reading
Railroad actually controlled the entire
management and had everything their
own way. They grew restive and
allowed incendiary counsels to prevail
When they finally struck it was at the
wrong time fer the men and lust the
time to suit the company. You all
know the result of that contest
What a tremendous confession is that
admission as to the control of the Read
ing by its employees and of the fatuity
in making war against a captured rail
road when they ''had everything their
own way"
If there is any business which the inter
ests of the public requires shall be under
responsible control 1t is that of railroad
ing, and yet we find in the case of the
Reading by the employees, controlled by
an irresponsible despotism, had ''absO-
lutte CONTROL and wanted further CON
cessions. And it should be noted that
Powderly merely states this fact, not to
caution the New York Knights against
acquiring absolute control of the
Central, but to suggest that the capture
of that corporation would require
patient waiting and quiet behavior.
The conspiracy that he suggested was
one covering good deal of time and
ground. New York Knights are en-
couraged to get positions in the West in
order to create trouble there by com
plants, grievances and demands, until
the right emergency for action should
arise.
As to that, his cold-blooded calculation
as to the increased travel and traffic in
1892 and 1894 is embodied in these re-
markable words: 'The New York
Central management know that if the
organization can be kept up among the
men until the Worlds Fair they will not
be able to refuse the men any lust
concession. They desire to break your
power before you succeed in organizing
other roads, and with defeat now they
know that the chances for a reOrganza-
ton befOr 1893 is an impOssibility, and
that the men will always be at their
mercy. The year 1892 viii be Presi-
dental year, 1893 the Worlds Fair. but
the patience of the workingman will not
hold out to remain organized quietly
while doing his part to orrunize other
parts, so that they will be as one man
when these years come. 1t is but right
that you should be officially notified of
the condition of this order, so that YOU
will take no step in the dark. We can
not assist you in the coming struggle.
for the workingmen of this
age will not respond to assessments t1
support a strike, no matter how lust it
is, and for that reason we could only
look on and watch the battle"
The nature of his conspiracy is further
revealed in another paragraph of his
most remarkable letter to Lee. as fol-
lows; "This is your plan. Go on with
the work of organization, do il as
quietly as possible work hereafter under
secret orders, and divulge nothing to
the outside world as to movements or
work done Put organizers at work on
the West Shore Road and all along the
entire Vanderbilt system. When YOU
can induce young man to quit the ser