Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-08-23
SARGENT FAVORS FIGHT.
Labor Leaders in Session at
Terre Haute, Ind.
WHY KNIGHTS WERE DISCHARGED

AsSaaohs-Aho state board OF Arbitration
Working TO Have the Trouble Settled.
webb Again Refuses TO Arbitrats.
New YORK. Aug. 60 = Commissioner
Donovan last evening sent the following
letter TO Vice President Webb:
DEAR SIR--It having come 10 the knowledge Of
the state board OF mediation and arbitration
that another strike Is seriously threatened on
the line OF your company, am instructed by
the board 70 again communicate with you and
invite joint conference In the offices Of your
company between you aud representatives OF
your employees, with y1ew OF devising some
means, either by arbitration or such other meth
Cd as may be mutually agreed upon, whereby
the threatened strike may be averted and alb
rupt interruption OF travel aud transportation Of
freight be prevented. FLORENCE +. DoKovAR
A similar letter was sent to Mr.. Pow
derly, who replied as follows;
DIr Powdcrly's Reply.
DEAR SIR II take pleasure in acknowledging the
receipt Of your letter Ia which the general execu
tive board Of the knights of Labor are invited to
Joint conference with the officials Of the Now
York Central railroad. Our board are willing to
comply with your request and hold themselves in
readiness TO respond at moments notice We
hold ourselves Ia readiness 70 do any honorable
thing TO terminate the strike or avert another one
and sincerely hope that either arbitration or
such other methods may be agreed upon will
have the desired effect. Recognizing in you an
officer Of the aete and assuring you that we have
from the beginning been willing and anxious to
submit the matter TO your board for adjustment
dfn, very truly yours, 7. v. powDERLY.
What Vice President Webb Says.
The following letter is Vice President
Webb's reply TO Commissioner Donovan:
DEAR SIR have received your letter Of this
date. As Is we'll known to you and to the public
large number Of persons recently and suddenly
quit the service OF this company, and with but
few exceptions have not applied for re-employ-
ment, but are engaged Ia holding meetings con
fcrripg with the officials Of the order known az
the Knights Of Labor and other labor organixa-
tons, and seeking TO prevent by persuaslon
threats, intimidation and IN other ways the con.
unnance Ia lawful employment OF the persons
who did not leave the company's service and OF
others who haze been employed in the place OF
those who did. This constitutes the existing
strike" and the further strike referred 70 by
you will or will not take place as the efforts Of
the persons who have left our service may or
may not meet with success. l believe that such
Efforts vii fail.
He Knows OF No Grievance.
The operating force Of this company il full, the
passenger service Of the company Is regularly
performed. and there Is obstruction 70 its
freight service excerpt lawless interference aud
apprehension thereof am not aware of any
difference grievance existing between the
company aud its employees and must assume
that tho conference suggested by you as between
the officers Of the company aud the representa-.
tives Of our employees Is a conference suggested
between the officers of the company and the on
GERS Of the Knights Of Labor
Arbitration Again Denied.
These officials represent not our employees but
persons who have left our service and have not
asked @ be re-elnpioyed, but who, through these
same officials Of the Knights Of Labor, have asked
that the discharge w. the company Of certain
10 their investigation and 10 arbitration by some
| tribunal 20 be selected in some wAy-a request
which have felt TO be my duty 70 decline. or
| course we deprecate any interruption 10 travel
or delay In the transportation Of freight upon
the lines Of this or any other company. I shall
take every means in my power to prevent such
an occurrence, and II the constituted authorities
prevent lawiess Interference with our operatives
do not anticipate any interruption Of passenger
or freight trafic. For the above reasons IL seems
to me inappropriate and unnecessary to have
the conference suggested by you
IL. WALTER wEnB
why Men Were Discharged.
Mr.. Webb was also interviewed at some
length on the situation. He said: "No
man has been discharged by this company
because he was a Knight Of Labor or a
member Of any other labor organization.
This company has discharged men, ire
spective Of their membership in the order
of the Knights OF Labor for drunkenness,
incapaeity, breach Of duty, insubordina-
tion and for lack Of sufficient work to en-
| ploy them, and it will continue to do so
whenever proper occasion arises. The peo-
pie Of this state granted to this company
its franchise, and made it obligatory upon
it to render certain services to the public,
and provided that all its duties, including
the employment and discharge Of all classes
Of agents, should be performed by certain
officers; and its officers do not propose to
surrender, abandon or transfer the dis
charge OF these duties. or any part OF them,
to any one except their duly appointed sue
cessors.n
Against "Pinlxerton's Private Army"
The latest development OF the strike is
mass meeting TO express the sentiment Of
the people Of New York against the ex-
istence Of "Pinkerton's private army and
in behalf Of the right Of citizens to organ
iEe. A meeting was held last night at
which arrangements were made for the
demonstration to take place next Tuesday
evening. Tho meeting was instigated by
the Radical club Among the speakers in
vited are I. v. Powderly, Samuel Gompers,
Robert G. Ingersoll, j. j. Holland and
Roger A. Pryor. A personal canvass OF
every labor organization in the city was
arranged Tor to insure the success of the
demonstration.
What the Statute Provides.
When a reporter asked Mr.. Donovan
what the state board Of arbitration would
do If the Central persisted in its refusal to
arbitrate he replied: I'VE can only proceed
TO the extent Of our power as provided un-
der the statute creating the state board
This statute is as follows;
when a strike or lockout shall occur or Is Sc
riously threatening in any part Of the state and
shall come 70 the knowledge Of the board It shall
be its duty, and it is hereby directed 10 proceed
as soon as practicable to the locality Of such
strike or lockout, and put Hself IN communica
ton with the parties 10 the controversy and en-.
deavor by mediation to effect an amcable settle
ment Of such controversy, and IL, in its Judgment
it is deemed best to inquire into the cause or
causes OF the controversy, and TO that end the
board Ia empowered 10 subpoena witnesses, com
pei their attendance aud send for persons and
papers ia like manner and with the same powers
as possessed by courts OF record or the judges
thei eof 4"
The State May Investigate.
"And will the investigation proceed,
even though the railroad company does
not want it and refuses to abide by its re-
sultsS"
THAT depends on my colleagues / have
telegraphed the results of my endeavors so
far to the board, aud the other two mem
bers, on the strength OF this, may deter
mine 20 come down here and join me.