Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-28

in like manner be made to destroy the Or
carnations of engineers. hremen, con-
ductors, tra1nmen and switchmen, and, If
successful, 1t Is only question of time
when similar effort will be made to seal
the tate of other labor organizations.
''S;xtn-VFebb, by the course has pur-
sued toward the knights of labor and the
representatives of labor organizations, has
shown total disregard of those princi-
piles of citizen sovereignty. desired by
every American worthy of the name, and
considering only the money power of the
company he represents, his acts, which
speak louder than words, say in the lam
guage of W. Il. Vanderbilt, once the
autocrat Of the New York Central, The
public be damned
''Seventh-Webb seeks to support this
arrogant attitude towards the working
men and labor organizations by assuming
that the New York & Hudson River rail
road is private property, and that his
acts in the treatment of his employees is In
no sense public concern; that he can
with impunity discharge men and remand
them to idleness and poverty and render
them homeless wanderers. without giving
any reason or explanation whatever for
his conduct, disregarding the fact
that the corporation for which he
plays the autocrat is thing created
by laws, in making which the men
they seek to degrade have voice which,
once uplifted, will bring his corporation
to the bar of justice where his millions and
other millions which he represents. cease
to be potential in deciding question of
this kind In view of the foregoing facts,
the supreme council puts upon record its
unanimous and unqualified approval of
the strike on the New York Central &
Hudson River railroad for the causes set
forth by Powderly, as also the efforts made
by Powderly to bring the strike to an
honorable termination.
In this general expression ofapproval of
course of Webb is unequivocally con-
demned:: The powers of the supreme
council in the manner the strike has been
their representatives to secure the recog-
rich and powerful corporation to secure
for the workingmen, the victims of auto
crat power hearing and to perform such
other kindly offices as were proper under
the circumstances demonstrating sym
knights of labor to bring the strike 70 a
close upon the principles of right and
justice. In this, the council
met with failure, owing to the
autocratic attitude of Webb. 1t
council to say that owing to the fact that
the order Of knights OF labor is not mem
Der of the federated orders of railway en-
rOln 10 low IF no ri n
not permit it's doing more than it has done
to aid the knights of labor, and its ability
to participate otherwise in the strike is
now known and appreciated by Powderly
Referring to the laws of the supreme
council relating to strikes, the matter is
conciSely presented as follows: In the
first place, if the members Of either organ
ization have a grievance it is submitted to
the proper officers of The local grievance
committee, In event of the failure to
obtain satisfaction, the chief executive
officer of the order having the grievance
is called upon and in connection with the
committee which seeks amicably to adjust
the difficulty. If failure still attends their
efforts to adjust the trouble, then the
supreme council is convened at the head
quarters of the railroad officials, with
whom the conference is requested, and its
influence is exerted to obtain settlement
alike just to all parties. If failure still
follows their efforts to remove the cause of
complaint and the council, by unanimous
vote, decides the grievance to oe of such
gravity as will justify a strike, then it is
promptly ordered, in which event all of
the members of the various organizations
employed on a road where the grievance
exists, viz, fremen, conductors, trainmen
and switchmen aba 4don their work. In
conclusion the supreme council places up
on record its high appreciation Of the
manliness of the Knights of Labor en-
ployed on the New York Central in strug-
Cling to maintain principle sacred to
every workingman ON the continent, and
to all who love justice and hope for the
triumph of right over wrong as fragrant
af ever stained the pages of history"
Signed, FRANK P. SARGENT, president
W. A. SHEEHAN, secretary.