Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-24
WEIHE TALKS BACK.
He Denies the Charges Of Underhand
Work at Shoenberger'S.
EVERYTHING WAS DONE OPENLY.
The Firm Wanted to Discharge the Whole
Mill Committee.
MAsONs ARE AGAINST EIGHT HOURS

President Weihe, of the Amalgamated
Association, has thrown considerable new
light on the recent trouble at Shoenberger's
mill. He denies the charges about his
taking part in any underhand proceedings.
He says the days of "hurrah and whoop" in
the iron business have passed, and the
Amalgamated Association is being run On
business principles and conservative
methods.
Mr.. Weihe was seen bya DISPATCH re-
porter yesterday in regard to the statements
made at the meeting of strikers on Saturday
night. that money had been given to certain
officials or agents of Trustworthy Lodge to
ruin the organization. He said:
my position is as clear now as it was
last Monday, when 1 made the decision
against the strikers. They are in the wrong,
and they have admitted it in THE Dis
PATCH. We organized the lodge, and
would have no reason for running it.
The. charge is entirely untrue, as far as
am concerned. 1 do not know whether it
| was intended to mean me or not, but posi-
lively deny that there was anything but the
laws of the Association that Influenced me
| in what did.
ALL OF THE STORY.
zone thing not made public is this-the
| whole story may come out now, as we'll as
at any other time, although do not care to
get into controversy through the news
papers: When the conference was ended in
Shoenberger's Office, on Monday afternoon,
| and there was a full understanding by
every person present, the firm wanted to
discharge the whole committee in the con-
verting mill, for causing the strike without
| any regard to order or the rules of the asso-
citation. l explained to the members of the
firm that that was not the proper thing to
do, and at my solicitation they agreed to
continue the men in their employ. They
were particularly disposed to discharge
Michael Lysert, but 1 would not listen to
1t, and with the understanding that nobody
was to be discharged, 1 told the
men to go to work. The case
of President Murray was to stand as it was
He was suspended, and wanted the Exec
utive Board of the district to decide what
should be done with him. If the members
of the firm had their way the committee
would all have been discharged, and as a re-
ward for my pleading they went against
what advised.
Whether the foreman was Questionable
or not has nothing to do with the case. That
was matter the association could not take
any action on IN its present shape. Simply
because could not sustain the strikers and
violate the rules Of the association they have
thrown out imputations that money was
used to settle the strike. The days of whoop
and hurrah in the iron business have passed,
and we now run our affairs in thoroughly
systematic manner.
NOT AT ALL UNDERHAND.
"There was no underhand work about the
settlement of the strike. When the confer
ence was called had the strikers commit
tee in the room at the time. They fully un-
derstood the situation. In the presence of
the firm told the strikers that they would
have to 60 back to work or they would for
felt their jobs. I repeated this statement
after we got outside the Office"
Florence Sullivan, District Vice Presi-
dent of the Amalgamated Association, was
called upon yesterday in reference to the
charges made at the meeting of Trustworthy
Lodge, that certain officials of the organize
ton were alleged to have accepted bribes of
money and otherwise acted in collusion
with Shoenberger & Co. Mr.. Sullivan
said:
GAS far as the matter of myself or anv
other officer of the Amalgamated Associa-
tion receiving bribes is concerned 1
have nothing to say, for the SIM
pie reason that consider it
beneath my notice. Without bringing my
name into the affair at all, anyone who
knows Mr.. Weihe and his honest, sterling
character, can understand how utterly un-
Just such allegations are. Besides, those
who know anything of the history or cause
of the strike are aware that Mr.. Weihe
ordered the men back when the trouble had
been completely sifted and all the facts
brought out.
BRIBING UNNECESSARY.
''There is no necessity to use bribes in this |
business. and the Shoenberger people are |
the last in the world to use such means to !
secure a settlement. The men who are |
making the charges know as well as do |
that the COMPANY is the best in the city to |
do business with. They are always ready |
and willing to meet the men and have any |
difference of opinion settled to the satisfac-
tion of both sides.
ST do not wish to be understood as having
any i'll feeling against the men, even those
who are the bittereSt against me, but / must
say that there is little necessity for them to
continue the use of invective or allegation.
The bluff-for such it was-has turned
against the men, and the sooner they accept
the result gracefully the better for them. 1
really think that they are getting to under
stand it in that way, too, for 1 know that
several Of them applied for work again at
the mill on Saturday, but whether they will
be taken back or not 1 cannot say.
'Do we fear any trouble from the dis
satisfied? Oh, no. 1 think that the ma
jority of them know that there is no use get
ting themselves into trouble, which would
do them no good in the long run. Besides,
L IL L Il IL I