St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-25
Chicago Knights Want the
Secretary Of War to Cob
BILE the Vanderbilts,
And Operate Them for the
Benefit and Pleasure Of
the Public.
Pressure to Be Brought on
Congress to Take Sum-
mary Action.
How Gov. Seymour Settled q
Strike on the Central
Many Years Ago.

CHICAGO, Aug. 24.-At a meeting of
the central council. Knights of Labor,
to-day committee was appointed to
solicit funds for the aid of the New
York Central strikers. and the following
resolutions adopted unanimously:
Whereas, The toilers on the Vanderbilt
system of railroads have been gOaded into a
strike as a means of asserting their right to
combine for their common good; and,
Whereas, The Vanderbilts have said that
they will spend 100000 in this fight to
overthrow the natural and constitutional
rights of the toilers on said railroad system;
and
Whereas, A little history is a dangerous
thing if properly utilized; and
Whereas. 1t has been said that the late
Governor Seymour, of the state of New York,
settled "a strike' upon the same railway in
the year 1852. by informing the president
and board of directors of the Vanderbilt rail-
road that each and all must meet him and
his cabinet at certain place at certain
time to hear what he, as the chief executive
of the commonwealth of the state of New
York, had to say about the ''strike," under
penalty of arrest, if it took all of the militia
of the state to do it; and,
Whereas, The said railroad magnates met
the servants of the people of the state of
New York, as they had been ordered to by
said governor; and
Whereas, The said governor of the state Of
New York then an d there informed the said
railroad magnates that he had nothing to
say whatever about the fuss between the rail
road and the laborers except this, namely:
The railroad company is body of public
servants created by the laws of the state Of
New York for the purpose Of operating
public highway in said state, and in case yo II
cannot agree with your employees within
twentyfour hours from this time I shall
seize the railroad and operate it for the
public at the cost of the service
rendered; and in order that you may realize
the fact that will do so, / now place you,
each and all, under arrest. with the under
standing that 1 viii not enforce this order
for one day unless I find that you are at
tempting to escape from the limits of New
York; and
Whereas, That famous ''strike" was set
tied within one hour from that time, as the
records will show. unless they have been de-
stroyed; and
Whereas, 1t was not known until recently
that congress bad the power to own and
operate an interstate highway of transporta-
ton and communication; therefore,
Resolved, That we do hereby demand that
the congress of the United States shall at
once authorize and instruct the secretary of
war to seize the said Vanderbilt system Of
railroads, and operate the same at cost of
said service for the benefit and pleasure of
the public.
Resolved, further, That the said railroad
shall be turned over to the department Of
transportation just as soon as Senate Bill
No. 4106. or some similar measure can be
enacted by congress for the reason that sit
is monstrous absurdity that any private
person or corporation should presume to
throttle the transportation of persons
thoughts or things within the limits of this
republic at their own sweet pleasure
Resolved, That we do hereby ask all bodies
of organized labor in the United States to
substitute their name for ours in this dec1ara-
ton, and have said declaration published in
their local papers, as well as forward marked
copies of said papers to their senators and
representatives in congress with a red-hot
letter of instructions to obey their wants and
wishes or resign forthwith.
Resolved That this declaration be pub
Gshed in all city papers, so that it will meet
the attention of the public.
After the resolution was passed the
council adjourned. This resolution was
first passed at regular meeting held
Aug. II by the Wage Workers Polit-
ical Alliance of Washington, d. G.