The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-08-11
p0WDbRLY'S VIEWS
oh tho strlke...Grent Crisis ut IInnd
Hopeful OF Victory.

On tho strlke...Grrnt Crisis ut lIand
Hopeful OF Victory.
| WiLKEsnARnR, Pa, August l0.-Gen
eral Master Workman powdcrly, heat
OF tho Knights OF Labor, in IN interview
Says: swell, the great crisis has come
at last"
"When were you informed Of The
strikeW
"Notuntil noon yesterday-,hatis, off.
cially speaking. OF course l knew the
trouble was brewing | knew when
Chauncey Depew sailed for Europe TIM!
the crisis was near ut hand"
"How Is it that you were not informed
officially OF the strike Friday night when
1t was ordered?"
There was no occasion for It. That
Is simply q district matter. The trouble
is between the New York Central and
the Knights OF that district. | have no
more right to interfere than in the
Wilkesbarre Axle Works strike. It is
purely matter for the local district"
"Ot course you are conversant of the
trouble with the company and the
knights?"
II am"
"Ihe strike was not brought to the at.
tention OF the Executive Board?"
ALLIN THE ORDER.
at was not. The papers cay the Ex.
ecutive Board is in session in Philaiel.
phia ready to be called on II their pres
ence is desired. That is not so. Mr..
Holland, Of the Board. is the only mem.
Der who has gone TO New York"
ARE the strikers well organizcd?"
Nearly every man on tho New York
Central, from engineer to ilagman, is Il
Knight"
"Do you know the cause of the pres
ent troubler"
II do. In April last tho company
commenced to lay off or discharge every
tnan who took Il prominent part in the
Knights OF Labor, or any organization
intended for the betterment OF working.
men. When asked why they discharged
the men the only excuse given was tnat
the company had nothing for them to
do. Within the past few weeks the
company has gone into the matter of
discharges wholesale, and among the
number discharged was Master Work
man Il. J. Lee, locomotive engineer"
why is the Centra! opposed to the
Knights OF Labor?"
" believe it is an attempt OF all the
corporations to down the order. The
Central was selected as the one to com
menco the dirty work, and it was the
most capable to do it?"
do you think the Knights will win ?"
HOPEFUL OF VICTORY.
II hope so. The companies have the
money and the order has only The men.
Whether strike is the best means to
attain a victory am not prepared to
answer"
"Do you think the strike will precipi-
tate trouble on other roads?"
II do not. l believe nearly all the
other roads and their employees are at
peace"
"The other roads, it is understood, are
lending assistance to tho Central, and
transporting its passengers and bag
gage"
"Oi course. That is only natural. The
corporations will help each other every
time when the workingman is to be
ground down."
Have you any idea OF going to New
York %
"Not until I am called there, or the
matter is taken in hand by the Execu-
tive Board, should such thing become
necessary.
Mr.. Powderly told a friend in conf
dence this afternoon that this would be
the greatest battle the Knights OF Labor
had ever fought. The order all over
the country would be asked for contri-
buttons to maintain the men on strike.
Some months ago several organizers at
tempted to organize the telegraph
operators on the Delaware, Lackawsnna
& Western Railroad. The organizers
were proceeding quietly with their work,
having the sanction Of the Division Su-
perintendent of the road, when all at
once orders came from headquarters in
New York to desist, and every operator
WAS warned to leave the organization
or lose his employment.