The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-22
'TWIXT PEACE AND WAR.
DOUBT AS TO THE NEXT STEP OF
THE LABOR LEADERS.

The Federation May Not Order Out
Its Men-The Vanderbilt Employees
Estimated at $4,000 to $4,000
Men - or These Only $500 Are
Knights of Labor and 5000 Fedora
/ ton Men.
New YORK, Aug. 21.-The chiefs of the
Federation Of Railroad Employees left for
| Terre Haute, Ind, this morning Mr.. Sar-
geant of the Firemen's Brotherhood said
that meeting of the federation would be
held there, at which strike ON the Wander
bilt system would undoubtedly be ordered
He said that the firm refusal of Vice Presi-
dent Webb to arbitrate had rendered this
action necessary. Mr.. Webb's arbitrary
methods made it useless to deal with him
any longer.
The Central's officials are preparing to
meet general strike, if one should be or
dered. Mr.. Webb said he did not doubt
that the supreme council of the Railroad EN-
ployes' Federation would call out the men,
but he did not believe that nearly as many
Of them as they expected would leave their
posts. A majority of the employees, he
thought, would remain at work
A STRIKE NOT CERTAIN.
Grand Master Sweeney of the switch
mems association put a different complexion
on the condition of affairs this afternoon.
He said the supreme council may not in
dorse the action Of the chiefs of the four
orders, and it is purely suppusition to say
they will order general strike. Another
thing there has been no unanimous opinion
formed by the executive council of
the federation that the COM
pany was making an attack on
our organization. On the contrary, we
have been divided on the subject. The rea-
the responsibility was too heavy for four
men OF the executive board to shoulder"
THE PROMISE MADE BY SERGEANT.
Ms. Sweeney also said Mr. Sergeant has
never stated that he would recommend q
general tie-up to the supreme council. Mr..
| Sweeney said that since the strike begun
twenty-four carloads of beef have been
destroyed between here and Buffalo and la |
to be buried, and there are now many loads
Of fruit at Buffalo which will probably
meet the same fate.
TOTAL OF THE Employees.
The New York Central officials have been
making some calculating to-day regarding
the number of men who are likely to go on
strike. They say there are ~, 600 employed
on the New York Central and Hudson river
railroad and between 10000 and 20, 900 on
the other roads of the system. OF these
men there are on the entire Vanderbilt sys-
tenn $4,000 Knights of Labor and 5000
members of the federation. Three thousand
e. men have left the Central roads employ
since the strike has been declared.
THE KNIGHTS HOPEFUL.
The general executive board of the
Knights of Labor reported tonight that
everything was very encouraging and that
they were in constant communication with
the strikers along the line The following
manifesto was given to the press by Mr..
Powderly tonight:
To the People,
For some time the management of the New
| York Central and Hudson River Railroad have
been discharging employees who have been
active In labor affairs. 1t happens that all of
those who have been dismissed are members of
the Knights of Labor, and have at one time or
another been officers of the order or have
served on committees which waited on officials
with view to presenting grievances. These dis
charges became so frequent and were so clearly
evidence of a settled purpose on the part of the
company to disrupt and destroy the organiZa-
tion OF the Knights of Labor upon the Central
system, that the executive board of Assembly
| No. 246, 10 which the knights of Labor upon
the system are enrolled, found it necessary to
call a special meeting in New York to consider
the situation.
DON'T PRETEND TO DICTATE.
After reviewing the general executive
boards efforts for arbitration, he continues:
The public may have formed erroneous i'm
pressions Of the position of the knights Of
Labor in the controversy. We do not pretend
to dictate to the company that 1t shall not dis
charge men, but in all fairness discharged
man should be told why he is
dismissed During the session of the state
legislature the Knights Of Labor Of New York
were active in the passage of the weekly pay
= bill. committee of the Knights of Labor.
representing the employees of the New York
Central and Hudson River railroad, were faced
in the 10 yslative committee room at Albany by
the attorneys Of the road and questioned and
terroriZed, Some of the members of that com
ployed by the New York Central were
discharged without cause, or rather without any
given cause. There exists not a shadow of
doubt that these men were singled out for en-
deavoring to secure the passage Of the above
mentioned law.
WILL STAND by THE MEN.
After thoroughly investigating the causes
which led to the strike and after making every
effort in their power TO induce the company to
| arbitrate or submit to investigation by i'm
partial men the question at issue, namely
Thether SaCssa tb9 5eS wera en KDbs M
and for the purpose OF destroying their or
ganization, as they believe and maintain, or for
just cause and proper reason, as the officials of
the company allege. the general executive
board have by unanimous vote determined to
stand by the men, who, whether their strike was
opportune or not, had no alternative. have
|
the management to destroy the organiZa-
tion along the line of the New York
Central and Hudson River railroad
unless the organization subsequently bends the
knee to Vanderbilt. During the controversy
Supt. Toucy and Vice President Webb stated
and repeated that the men we're not discharged
because they were Knights Of Labor and they
expected the public to believe them simply
because they say so. Both Of these gentlemen
deny certain things In relation to their converse
| tion with me- which both Mr.. Devlin and my
self are prepared to make affidavit to-.
/ / may therefore, be excused if
am not prepared TO accept
as being true beyond question any denial by
| them Of the statements made by men whose
words should be of equal value with theirs
Everything that could in honor be done to ter
inmate the strike on an honorable basis for the
men was done. and the alternative
OF unconditional and absolute surrender
on the part Of the men or a protest
against the tyranny OF the officers OF the New
York Central and Hudson River railroad was
presented TO u.s. Under the circumstances sur
render would be unmanly. 1t would be cow
ardly and unworthy of the sons OF men. whom
two hemispheres struggled and died for the
right Of humanity.
DIDN'T SEEK THE QUARREL.
We did not seek the quarrel. The general
executive board knew nothing Of IL until II was
thrust upon the N, and now that we have 10 face
1t we ask Of the entire order OF tho Knights Of
Labor TO come 70 our assistance with means TO
win the strike. We want money u carry
l "a We only aRx