St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-26
DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION.
Strikers Call Upon the State Ar
bitrators to Act.

ALBANY, N. Y, Aug. 25.-General
the five members of the general execu-
tive board arrived here this morning
and are quartered at the StanwiX, oppo-
site the headquarters of ID. A. 246. Mr..
Powderly and the general executive
board met in joint secret session with
ID. A. 246 this morning. District AS
sembly 246 comprises three delegates
from each of thirty-nine local assem-
blies who represent membership
of $4,000. The general executive board
recon lened in session with d. A. 246 at
3:15 D. NJ. Previous to going into the
meeting Secretay Hayes said: sin the
conference this morning, after Master
Workman Lee called the delegates to
order. Mr.. Powderly explained that the
object of himself and his colleagues in
colleagues was:
First-They wanted the fullest posi-
BILE information upon the causes OF the
strike: and they wanted to hear the
statements of such of the discharged
men as they had not yet been able to
see.
Second-They wanted to know the
exact condition OF affairs at every point.
How many men were out, how many,
if any, had gone back, how many men
on strike were now members of the Or
der, and what is now the condition of
the train service of the company.
Nearly all of the discharged men were
present as delegates, and ten of them
were prepared with proofs to show
that the
Reason for Their Discharge
was because they were Knights of
Labor. The investigation was then
confined to these ten men and it was
shown that until their connection with
the Knights of Labor there were no
known charges of drunkenness, insub-
ordination or incompetency. The
charges were trumped up against them.
The cases of the other discharged men,
who are not delegates. and consequently
not be admitted to the conference, will
be investigated later. In reply to a
question whether Mr.. Powderly thought
the men had just reasons for going out
on strike he replied: Yes, since my
personal investigation of the different
causes for the discharge of the several
men L am more than satisfied they were
discharged for the sole reason of their
being knights, and that it is the inten-
ton of Mr.. Webb to attempt to disrupt
our organization by such means. l
am now thoroughly confident OF
this. At the afternoon conference of
the general executive board and ID. A.
246, twenty of the men who were dis
charged were admitted. and closely
questioned by Mr.. Powderly relative to
the causes Which they thought led to
their dismissal. Close questioning ON
the part of Mr.. Powderly failed to dis
close except in a single instance that
any of the causes set forth by the Off
Gals of the Central road could have been
grounds for the discharge of the men.
On the contrary, it is claimed. many
facts were brought out which tended to
show that the discharges were the re-
suits of preconcerted plan to drop all
the prominent leaders in the circle of
the Knights. Among those discharged
were some who admitted that when they
were dropped reasons not included in
Mr.. Webbs statement were given, but
entirely different ones. Several of the
men said they were charged with in
subordination at the time of their dis.
misSal, and added that the only act of
theirs which the officials of the road
could cOnStrue as one of inSubOrdina-
ton was where they had served on COM
mittees which had waited upon the Off
Gals of the road and presented griev-
ances at different times. Other men
when they asked for the reasons of
their discharge were met with the an
swer that they working against the
interests of the company" One man
who had been given this answer said he
had been
Threatened with Dismissal
on two separate occasions for being a
knight, the last time in February.
Another discharged man said he was
asked to go Oh piece work, which would
reduce his salary one-third. He re-
fused. Shortly after he said he was dis
charged. Mr.. Powderly said it had
been charged that the Knights of Labor
was foreign organization" and this
strike was the result of their machina-
tons. Heasked all the delegates pres
ent who were born under the American !
flag to stand up. SiXtyseven delegates |
arose, and when those born abroad were
asked to rise ten men responded. The |
men were asked what sort of persons |
were filling their places Oh the Cen |
personally. The general tenor of |
their remarks was that their |
places were mostly filled by former |
employees who had been discharged for |
incompetency, intoxication and dis |
honesty. A preamble and resolution |
was adopted calling upon the state
board of arbitration to order prompt |
investigation Of the existing difficulties. |
saying that the strikers were ready and
anxious for one. Mr.. Devlin was in /
structed to inform the board of arbitra-
ton of the above action, and departed
to perform his mission. At the Office of /
the board in the capitol the secretary |
Informed Mr.. Devlin that meeting of |
the board had been called for Thurs
day, but that he would inform the men,