The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-08-25
.DEPEW ADVISED THEM
New York Central Employees We're
Told 10 Combine for Protection.
The President of the Road Told
Them to Protect Their Rights,
but Depew Is in Europe and
Webb Rules the Roost.

authoritative VIII be gwen out as 10 the
deliberations Of the supreme council un-
ill tomorrow at the earliest. Ii is among
the probabilities that the decision OF the
council may not be reached for several
days. This Sunday saw no conyening OF
the council proper. This does not mean
that agencies were not at work. The
council last night put into the hands OF
Grand Secretary Debs of the brotherhood
of firemen, Vice Grand Master Morrissey
Grand Master Downey of the Switchmen's
Mutual Aid association, the deliberations of
the council, and they will prepare certain
propositions TO be presented to the coun-
Gil, which will define the action OF the SUI
preme body.
This committee has been in session
since o'clock last evening. The men,
bers separate only TO take what may he
strictly named as lunches. Sargent was
at his Office to-day overhauling books and
papers which not only bear on the threat
ening of general strike on the Wander
bilt system, but he is compelled to look
over his work as regards the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen. An Associated
Press correspondent called at Sargent's
house this afternoon, and Sargent was as
frank as usual. He had carefully read
Powderly's letter to Webb, sent out last
night. While Sargent would not express
any opinion as to the action the council
would take on the report OF the commit
tee, yet he freely expressed himself about
Powderly's missive. He said:
~ admire Powderly's stand. Pow
tlerly puts Webb in the position he
belongs and which, when the public
thoroughly understands. will tconyince il
| that Webb is wrong. Webb's position is
| his superior officer. Depew always advo-
Gated the organization of labor"
To sustain this statement Sargent
gave the Associated Press representative
| the following extracts from the address
delivered by Depew at the meeting of the
| flremen's brotherhood held at Tammany
hall, May Is. 1887.
Said Depew at that time: IL believe in
organizations just like yours for protec-
ton. for charity, sobriety and industry.
Ii is proper in these days that there should
be organization, for the simple reason
that the business of this world cannot be
carried on in any other way; that railroad
people ought to be able To intelligently
discuss the questions of the day, and
should tell the government they did not
want imported labor"
"These expressions of Depew,' said
Sargent, "show conclusively that he was
in favor at that time of organized labor
he believed in the right of the working
men TO go to the polls and exercise their
right of franchise" said Sargent. "The
Knights of Labor have taken an active
part in the Legislative affairs in the state of
New York during the past year. Much of
this legislation has been in the interest OF
the railway employees, and the New York
Central being one of the largest corpora
tions that would naturally be affected by
such legislation, and many of its employees
going before the assembly in be.
half of the bills presented; and
the fact that some OF the men dis.
charged from the New York Central
were participating in the effort
TO bring about the passage OF these labor
bills before the New York Legislature
shows plainly that the company is antag-
onizing the Knights Of Labor in its pres
ent action; for had the men been dis
charged for drunkenness, breach of dis
cipline and such causes as are now
claimed by Webb. he would not hesitate
one moment to have an investigation.
am surprised that man should have
been in the employ of the New York Cen
tral for Is or - years and now be dis
missed on account of character. IL is a
sad commentary i'm the management ol
the road.
ain the course of an address delivered
by Depew Sunday, May %, 1889, shorty
before the director sailed for Europel, he
said 10 a meeting of the Brotherhood OF
Engineers at New Haven: There are q
few things about the relation oi
president to the employees o'
the road which would like
to say. We both draw our salaries
from the same treasury; the president %
the company has his duty TO perform tc
the stockholders of the road. But II Il
not, as many of you suppose, his onl,
duty, While he must see 10 IL tina
proper economy is maintained and Tho
earning power developed, he must sec
that the public at all times get the bes
possible service. aud that the men in th,
employ of the company are treated well
Ii is his duty to march out and take by IN
throat and throttle any man who, IN In
brief authority, treads on the toes OF som'
! one OF the men uIder him. The railroad
goes on forever and the men in its EN-
. pIoy realize the security Of their employ
ment and il gives 10 them an indepen
dence which is their right.
ANY one who reads these utterance
of Derew understandingly cannot hell
but believe that Depew, as presiden
of the New York Central road, believed
in the recognition Of his employees when
ever they desires 10 confer with him
|" and IL any Of his subordinates prac
ticed any injustice in his words he said
= Il would take them by the throat an'
throttle them The employees Who wer
discharged by the Central were denie'
the right to give their side Of the story 4
the management. They claim that the,
3 have been mistrcated by subordinate OF
ficers, they demanded redress, were re
fused a hearing, aud have now combines
for protection, justas advocated by Depew
= president of the New York Central
|, "Powderly, as the mems counsello
and adviser, comes forward and by hon
! orable means tries TO bring about AT
amicable adjustment; he is met p
the acting president of the road and IN
formed that the employees have no right
i'm the premises. lie also says he will dl,
charge any man any time and no ques
tians need be asked.
"Atthe New Haven nmeeting Depew wen
on record as advocating the combining q