St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-26

members VINO went TO New Ork TO con-
fer with Mr.. Powderly found all the
statements made by him fully corrObo-
rated by the facts. In an interview
with Mr.. Webb, he refused to entertain
any proposition looking to settlement
OF the difficulty. He would not arbi-
trate any question, nor make any eX-
planation or concession whatever with
regard to the discharged employees. He
claimed the right to discharge employe
at will without making explanation. or
giving TO the victims of his power any
reasons for
His DespOtic Action.
He would manage his road to suit
himself, without reference to any rights
claimed by its employees, or claimed by
labor organizations, to interfere in the
matter to protect their members. The
council, having heard the statement of
its members who had visited New York
for the purpose of ascertaIRing the true
condition of affairs, eXhaustively dis
cussed every important proposition and
arrived at conclusions as follows:
First-That the proposition ofithe Knights
of Labor. as set forth by T. V. Powderly. gen.
eral master workman, and the general execu-
tive board of the Knights of Labor, meets
W1LQ our unQuallDeQ approval.
Second-That the course pursued by ID.
Walter Webb towards Mr.. Powderly and the
Knights of Labor Notwithstanding lis dec
laratiOn to the contrary, eVlnceS a purpose to
disrupt and destroy labor organizations on
the New York Central q Hudson River, as
was done by Austin Corbin on the Philadel-
phia d Reading
Third-That the policy of II. Walter Webb
is despotic to an extent that Oulrages every
principle of American citizenship, and, If
generally adopted, would, if successful, re-
duce American workingmen to the degraded
condition of affairs.
Fourth-That Fl. Walter Webb by the en-
ployment of Pinkerton thieves, thugs and
murderers vile wretches from the slums and
brothels of New York and other cities. to
kill wolkingmen because they dared to pro-
test against his rule, and strike for their
rights is q crime of such enormity as will
associate the name of H. Walter Webb, for
ever with those who, dressed in little brief
authority, have used their money TO secure
power to degrade their fellow men.
Fifth--That the efforts now being put forth
by II. Walter Webb to destroy the Knights OF
Labor would, were circumstances changed.
in like manner be made to destroy the organi-
cations of engineers, firemer, conductors,
trainmen and sWitchmen, and II successful
it is only a question of time when similar
effort win be made to seal the fate of other
labor organizations.
Sixth-That III. Walter Webb, by the course
he has pursued towards the knights of La
Dor, and the representatives of labor organi-
cations. has shown total disregard of those
principles of citizen sovereignty desired by
every American worthy of the lame. and
considering only his money power and the
corporate power of the company he repre-
sents, his acts, which speak louder than
words. say. in the language of w. II. Wander
bilt once the autocrat of the New York Cen
tral, 1.-The public be d-d.''
Seventh-H. Walter Webb seeks to support
his arrogant attitude towards WOrkingmen
and labor organizations by assuming that the
New York Central q Hudson River railroad
is private property. ana that his acts IN the
treatment of his employees is in no sense a
public concern: that he can with impunity
discharge men and remand them to idleness
and poverty, and render them homeless
wanderers without giving any reason or eX-
PLANTATION whatever for his conduct, disre-
garding the fact that the corporation for
which he plays autocrat is thing created by
laws, in the making of which the men he
seeks to degrade have voice which, once
unified, will bring his corporation to the bar
of justice, where his millions and the other
millions he represents will cease to be poten-
tal in deciding questions of this kind
In view of the foregoing facts, the
supreme council puts upon record its
unanimous and unqualified approval of
the strike on the New York Central &
Hudson River railway for the cause set
forth by T. V. PoWderly, general master
workman, as also the efforts made by
Mr.. Powderly to bring the strike to an
honorable termination. In this general
expression of approval of the action of
the Knights of Labor, the course of
Vice President Webb is unequivOcally
condemned. The power of the supreme
council in the matter of the strike has
been eXerted TO aid the Knights OF
Labor, through their representatives, to
secure the recognition of their order by
the officials of a rich. and powerful cor
poration,t to secure for WOrkingmen-th
victims of autocratic power-a hearing,
and to perform such other kindly Offices
as were proper under the circumstances,
demonstrating sympathy and good will,
thereby aiding the Knights of Labor to
bring the strike to close upon princi-
pies of right and justice. In this the
council met with failure. owing to the
autocratic attitude of H. Walter Webb.
1t now becomes necessary for the su-
preme council to say that, owing to the
fact that the order of the Knights of
Labor is not member of the federated
orders of railway employees, the laws of
the supreme council do not permit its
doing more than it has done to aid the
AuISUIS VI LdUOI dllu It's
Inability to Participate
otherwise in the strike is now known
and appreciated by Mr.. Powderly. Re-
ferring to the laws of the supreme
council rel ating to strikes, the matter
is concisely presented as follows: In
the first place. if the members of either
of the organizations. on any railroad,
l,a utiau IL is S,,hrr1iftnd IN n
proper officers of the road by the local
grievance committee. In the event of
failure to obtain satisfaction, the chief
executive officer of the order having the
grievance is called upon, and in connec-
ton with the committee seeks to amica-
bly, adjust the difficulty. If failure still
attends the efforts to adjust the
trouble. then the supreme coun-
ell is convened at the headquarters
of the railroad officials, with whom
a conference is requested, and its int1u-
ence is eXerted to obtain settlement,
alike just to all parties. If failure still
follows efforts to remove the cause of
and the council by unan-
imouS vote decides the grievance to be
of such gravity as to justify a strike, it
is promptly ordered, in which event all
the members of the various OrganiZa-
tions employed on the road where the
grievance exists, viz: Firemen, con-
ductors, trainmen and switchmen, ,aban-
don their work. In conclusion. the
supreme council places upon record its
high appreciation of the manliness of
the K. of L. employed on the New
York Central i'll struggling to maintain
a principle sacred to every workingman
on the continent, and to all who love
justice and hope for the triumph of
right over wrong as fragrant as ever
stained the pages of history.
Resolved, That the action of President F.
P. Sargent Vice President G. W. Howard,
and Brothers S. E. Wilkinson and Frank
Sweeney, of the supreme council, in respond
ing to the request of General Master Work
man Terrence V. Powderly to confer with
him and the general executive board of the
Knights Of Labor in the matter of the strike
now in progress on the New York Central d
hudson River railroad meets with our hearty
approval and having perfect faith in their
integrity, as we'll as their ability to compre-
hend situations, we recommend their iabors
as eminently worthy, not only of our appre-
citation, but of the great orders thay SO ably
Unanimously adopted.
FRANK P. SARGENT, President.
Attest: W. A. SHEHAN, Secretary.
unVN TT INV TATZEy Tr,