Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-26

Statement by the Supreme Council Of
Railroad Employees.
TERRE HAUTE, August 25th.-At 6 O'Clock
this evening the following message was
sent out by the Council of Railway EN-
ployes, signed by President Sargent and
Secretary Sheehan, to Powderly at Albany
1.-THE Supreme Council adjourned this after
noon, after carefully considering the strike
in all its details. You will note the result Of
our deliberations in to-night's dispatches
which it is hoped will meet with your APP
proval. The Council was unanimous il
considering your position and the Grand
Executive Board now earnestly hopes tha
the right which you are championing il
the great conflict on the New York Contra
may finally and fully prevail"
THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
TERRE HAUTE, August 25th.-The officia
statement of the Council given to the Asso
ciated Press representative was as follows
To all Laboring Organizations:-Me anC
Brothers: On the night of August 9TH 6
strike was began on the New York Contra
and Hudson River Railroad, involving
about eight hundred men in the employ o.
the same road who were members of the
great labor organization knows as the
knights of Labor. The reasons set forth by
Powderly, the Chief Executive of the order
may be summarized as follows:
The peremptory discharge of between
fifty and sixty men, employees of the road
and members of the Knights of Labor,
without giving them any reason whatever
for their discharge. Prior to the strike, the
men involved sought, through representa-
tives of the Order, to have their grievances
adjusted, but their appeals being disre-
garded, the strike was insugurated. AT
this juncture Powderly, Grand Master
Workman of the Knights of Labor, en-
tered upon the task of adjusting the diff
Guilty and making such arrangements as
would result in an honorable peace be-
tween the employees and officials of the
road, but his efforts were unavailing.
Powderly, compl ehending the purpose of
II. Walter Webb, Third Vice-President of
the company, to make war upon the
knights of Labor, and ultimately upon all
organized labor on his road, sought a con-
ference with the Supreme Council of the
United Order of Railway Employees. The
request of Powderly was granted, to the
extent that members of the Council and
chief executives of the federated Orders
met in the city of Buffalo, as follows F.
of Locomotive Firemen, and President of
Grand Chief of the Brotherhood of Rail-
way Conductors, and Vice President
of the Supreme Council; S. E. Will
kinson, Grand Master of the Brotherhood
of Railway Conductors, and Vice-P President
of the Supreme Council; s. E. Wilkinson,
Grand Master of the Brotherhood of Rail-
way Trainmen, and Frank Sweeney, Grand
Master of the Switchmen's Mutual Aid
Association. At the conference with Pow
derby at Buffalo the members of the Su-
preme Council became satisfied that the
officers of the road, by every consideration
of fair and honorable treatment of labor
organizations, should meet Powderly and
adopt some just plan for adjustment of the
grievance of the striking employees. This
conclusion having been reached, the mem
bers of the Supreme Council, in response to
the request of Powderly, extended theil
journey to New York to afford such aid as
was in their power to bring about settle
ment between Vice-President Webb, the
official having full authority on all matters
pertaining to the strike, and Powderly
having authority to negotiate such arrange.
ments for the Knights as might end the
dispute.
An interview having been secured, Pow.
derby sought to have the men discharged
heard in their own defense in the presence
of Webb and himself. This fair and hon.
orable proposition was refused. Powderly
proposed arbitration, which was also re.
fused with other propositions made, Pow.
derby having for his object the honorable
settlement of the existing difficulty, all Of
which were refused on the part of Webb
The members of the Supreme Council
while in Buffalo and New York, had
ample opportunities to thoroughly inform
themselves upon all matters concerning
the strike. They saw and heard both
sides. They appreciated the gravity of the
situation, and compromising the impend-
ing consequences to labor organizations
deemed it advisable to convene the Su-
preme Council for deliberation, and such
conclusions as the facts should warrant In
response to the order of Sargent, the Pres.
ident of the Supreme Council, that body
convened in Terre Haute last Saturday
and remained in session until noon to-day
In making their report to the Council
the members who went to New York to
confer with Powderly found all the state
ments made by him fully corroborated by
facts. In an interview With Webb he re.
fused to entertain any proposition looking
to settlement of the difficulty. He would
not arbitrate any question, nor make any
explanation or concession whatever with
regard to the discharged employees. He
claimed the right to discharge employees al
will, without making an explanation or
giving to the victims in his power any
reason for his despotic action. He would
manage his road to suit himself, without
reference to any rights claimed by its
employees, or any rights claimed by the
labor organizations to interfere in the mat.
ter to protect their members.
The Council having heard statements of
its members who had visited New York
for the purpose of ascertaining the true
condition of affairs, exclusively dissected
every important proposition, and arrived at
conclusions as follows:
First-The position of the knights of La
Dor as set forth by Powderly, General Master
Workman, and the General Executive
Board of the Knights of Labor, meets with
our unqualified approval.
Second-The course pursued by Webb
toward Powderly and the Knights of La
Dor, Notwithstanding his declarations to
the contrary, eyinces purpose to disrupt
and destroy the labor organizations on the
New York Central and Hudson River Rail-
adelphia and Reading.
Third-The policy of Webb is despotic
to the extent that he outrages every princi-
pie of American citizenship, and if gener-
ally adopted would, if successful, reduce
American workingmen to a degraded con-
dition of affairs.
Fourth-Webb, By the employment OF
Pinkerton thieves, thugs and murderers
vile wretches from the slums and brothels
of New York and other cities, to kill the
workmen because they dared 10 protest
against his rule and strike for their rights,
is crime of such enormity as will associ-
ate the name of Webb forever 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 Webb to destroy the Knights of
Labor would, were the circumstances
changed in a like manner, be made to de-
stroy the organizations OF the engineers,
firemen, conductors. train.meu and switch
men. and if successful it is only question
of time when similar effort will be made
to seal the fate of other labor organiza-
tons.
Sixth-Webb, by the course he pursued
toward the Knights of Labor, and repre-
sentatiyes of the labor organizations, has
shown q total disregard of those principles
of citizen sovereignty desired by every
American worthy the name, and consider
ing only his money power and corporate
power Of the company he represents, his
acts, which speak louder than words, say,
=: ~. i. ta.-,ae,a If VI II Vandorhilt nnce