The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-25
DEPEw AGAINST WEBB.
Chief Sargent Quotes the Young Mag
mates SUPERIOR In Lahnr,s Cause.

hate superior In LaDOr,S cause.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Aug. 24-Nothing au-
tnoritalve viii be given out as TO the delbera-
tions of the supreme council of the Federation
OF Railway Employees until tomorrow CT the
earliest. II is among the probabilities that the
decision OF the counci may not be reached for
several days. This SUNDAY saw no conyening of
the council proper. This does not mean that the
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 of the Brotherhood of
Irairmen, and Vice Grand Master Downey, of
the Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association, the
deliberations of the council, and they will pre-
pare certain propositions to be presented to the
council. which will define the action of the SUI
preme body. This committee has been in ses-
sion since O'Clock last evening The members
separate only to take what may be strictly
termed lunches.
Grand Chief Sargent was at his Office TODAY
overhauiing the books and papers which bear
. on the threatening general strike on the Van
deroilt system. He is also compelled to look
over his work as regards the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen The Associated Press
correspondent called at Mr.. Sargent's house this
afternoon and found him as frank as usual He
had carefully read Powderlys letter to Webb
sent out last night. While Sargent did not ex-
press any opinion as to the action the council
would take on the report of the committs. We, he
sive. He said: 81 admie Powderly's stand.
Powderly puts Webb in the position he belongs
and which. when the public thoroughly nm
oerstand, will convince it that Webb is wrong
Webb's position is directly opposite TO that
taken by Depew, his superior officer
Depew was always deyoted to the or
ganization of labor" To sustain this state.
ment, Sargent gave to the reporter the follow
ing extracts from an address delivered by
Depew at the m citing of the Firemen's Bro,h-
erhood held in Tammany hall on May I5 1851.
Said Depew at that time: Il believe in an or
ganIzation just like yours for protection for
charity, sobrieiy and industry 1t is proper in
these days that there should be organization
for the single reason that the business OF this
world cannot be carried on in any other way:
that railroad people ought to be able to in eli-
gently discuss the questions of the day and
should tell the government they do not want to
import labor"
"These expressions of Depew," said Sargent
"show conclusiyely that he was In favor at that
tim OF organic labor. He believed in the
right of workingmen TO go to the polls and ex-
ercise their right OF franchise. The Knights of
Labor have taken az active part iu legislative
affa rs in the state of New York during the past
year. Much Of this l. .gislation has been directly
in the interest of railway employees, and the
New York CT ntral being one OF the largest cor
porations that wolld naturally BE- aft scied by
legislation of that sort, and ma ny of its en-
ployes going before the assembly in behalf of
the bills presented, and the fact that the men
discharged by the New York Central were par
ticipRting in this effort TO bring atout the pas.
sage OF these labor bills before the New York
legislature, shows plainly that the company
is autagonizing the Knights of Labor
in its present action, for had the men
been discharged for drunkenness, breach of
discipline and such causes ss are now claimed
by Webb, he would not hesitate one moment to
n
man should have been In the employ of the New
York Central for fifteen or twenty years and
now be dismissed on account OF character. II is
q sad commentary on the management OF the
road. In the course of an address delivered by
Depew on Sunday, May 25 1920, shortly before
the director sailed for Europ., he said 10 the
meeting of the Brotherhood of Engineers at
New Haven:
"sThere are q few things about the relation of
the president TO the employees of the road which
would like to say. We both draw our salaries
from the same treasury; the president of the
company has his duty to perform to the stock
holders of the road, but IL II not. many of
you suppose, his only duty. While he must
see to It that proper economy is maintained and
the earning power developed, he must see
that the public all times get the best possible
service, and that the men in the employ of the
company are treated WELL IL is his duty to
march out and take by the throat aud throttle
auy man who Ia his brief authority treads on
the TO, s of some one OF the men under him.
railroad goes on for ever and the m N in its en-
p.oy re eaiize the security of their employment,
aud it aives to them an Independence which is
their right
"Anyone who reads these utterances of De-
pew understaudingly cannot lp bu. believe
that Depew. as president OF the New York Gen.
tral road b lieyed in the recognition of his en-
. Dyes whenever they desired to confer with
him. and il any o: his subordinates prActiced
any injustice, in his own words, he would have
said, i could take them BY the throat
and throttle them The employee who were
discharged BY the Central were denied the
right 20 give their side OF the story to the man
agement They claim they have been mis-
treated by the subordinate officers, demanded
redress, were refused o hearing aud have now
combined for protection. just as advocated by
Depew, president of the New York Central.
Powderiy. as the men's counsel or adviser,
comes f.r1ard and by honorable means tries to
bring about an smieable adjustment. He is
met by the acting president of the road and in
formed that the employees have no rights in the
premises. He also says he will discharge an7
man at any time. and no questions need be
asked. AT the New Haven meeting Depew
went on record as the advocate OF combining
labor ior its own protection. He said: Some