New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-08-27
Mr.. W EBB'S ANSW Err
Webb Makes a Statement in
Answer to Mr.. Powder
".
He Gives the Cause of the
Discharge of the
Men.

New York, Aug. 22.-With the close of
to-day ends the second week Of the strike
of employees on the New York Central rail
way. Two weeks ago tonight the wheels
! were stopped and the men went out. The
men who then lett their places
| with confidence of reinstatement upon
| their own terms are considering
| the situation tonight in their local assem-
| blies, where they are joined in council by
| the members of the executive board. The
leaders are also visiting other assemblies
not in any wise interested in the
railway strike-fraternal visits for re
Taxation from the strain OF the week.
The state board of arbitration has once
more presented itself perfunctorily to aid a
settlement Mr.. Powderly has fastened to
accede and the railroad has declined. And
there is chilly quality about the declina-
ton that suggests strong confidence on the
part of the officials.
The leaders feel this The situation to
them is more than grave. There is grow
| ing belief among persons who are following
| the course of events closely that there will
be no strike. It was rumored that possibly
the next move would be the ordering out
of all the mechanics along the line of
|
said that the New York Central road has
now 5000 men under pay and ready to take
the strikers places, and that he has the
names of as many more whom he can call
on if wanted
| Mr.. Webb tonight issued statement evil
| IDENTIFY prompted by Mr.. Powderly's mani
festo of last night Mr.. Webb starts out
with the statement that no man
has been discharged by this COM
pany because he was a Knight of La
| Dor, or member of any other organiza-
ton. Then Mr.. Webb names list Of of
| fenses among which are those because of
which the Knights OF Labor are said to have
been discharged. Mr.. Webb continues:
REASONS FOR THE DISCHARGES.
The company has discharged men irrespective
| OF their membership in the order Of the Knights
| of Labor, for drunkenness, incapacity, breach
| OF duty, INSTRUMENTATION and for lack of suffi-
Gent work to employ them; ana it will continue
| to do SO whenever proper occasion arises.
The people of this state granted to this COM
pany it's franchise, and made it obligatory upon
1t 1T to render certain services to the public
Guiding the employing and discharging Of
all classes of agents should be performed by
certain officers; and it's officers do not propose
OF these Duties or any part of them, to any one
| except their duly appointed successors.
| 1t would be a moral and probably a criminal
neglect of duty for me to omit to discharge
switch towerman for drunkenness, when upon
his sobriety and fidelity to duty depends the
safety of the life and limb of some of the mill
| ions of passengers transported annually by this
company. We could temporarily supply the place
OF a man who absented himself from work for
two days without leave and without excuse, but
what business, private or public, can be carried
on under such conditions? What private Or
public business can be carried on subject to
the dctation from the workmen that there
shall be performed only this or that amount Of
work? What employer can tolerate insolence
| and characterization, based upon the belief that
the offender will be supported therein by secret
organization to which he belongs, and by the
agency of which the employers business can be
damaged or stopped? ...
The foregoing gives, without setting forth the
names or place of employment the causes
which called for the discharge of the fifty or
| sixty men referred to in Mr.. PoWderly's appeal.
| For these discharges and to avert a threatened
strike 1 have been called on by Mr. Powderly
/ and his associates to consent to the mOnstrOus
absurdity OF satisfying, by some kind of arbi-
tration or investigation, persons other than the
constituted authorities Of the company, that
these causes existed; a demand which, as long
as [ occupy tae position with which l in
trusted feel it to be my duty to firmly decline.