The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-08-28
THE STRIKE.
THE MEN ARE STILL OUT
'ANDaDETERMINED.
MR.. POWDBRLY TALKS
nehhihS the Position of His Followers and
Declaring in Self Respect They
Acted as Compelled to

New YORK, Aug. 92.-The following is
the appeal in part which MIR. Powderly
! made last night
The pubic may have formed erroneous
Impressions CT the position of the Knights
in the controversy. We dent pretend to
dictate to the company that it shall not
discharge its employees, but in all fairness
discharged man SHOULD be told why he
was dismissed. During the ssion of the
last legislature the knights of New York
were active in securing the passage of the
weekly pay bill. The committee of Knights
representing the employees of the New York
Central were faced in last legislature COM
mittee room at Albany by the attorneys of
the railroads, and brow-beaten, questioned,
and terrorized by some OF the members of
that committee who were at the time en-
ployed by the New York Central. Some
were discharged without cause, or rather,
without any given cause. There exists not
a shadow Of doubt in the minds of the
men were singled out for endeavoring
to secure the passage of the above men,
toned law. After thoroughly investigat =
ing the causes which led to the strike, and
after making every effort in their power to
induce the company to arbitrate and sub
n it to an inves tigation by impartial mel
the question at issue, namely; whether
men were to be discharged because they
were knights of Labor and for the purpose
of destroying their organization, as they
believe and maintain, or for just cause and
proper reasons, as the officials of the COM
pany allege they are.
The general executive board, having, by
unanimous vote, determined to stand by
the men who, whether the strike was OPP
perfume or not, had no other alternative
consistent with their manhood. [ have no
doubt but that it is the determ ination of
the management to destroy the
organization Of labor along the
line of the New York Central
railroad unless that organization subser-
vienty bends its knee to the will of the
Vanderbilts. During the controversy
Messrs. Toucey and Webb stated, and re-
peaed the statement, that men were not
discharged because they were Knights OF
Labor, and they expect the public to be-
lieve them simply because they say so.
Both of these gentlemen deny certain things
in relation to their conversation with ne,
which both Devlin and myself are prepared
to make an affidavit to. | may therefore be
excused if am not prepared to accept as
being true beyond question and denial by
them of the statement made by men whose
words should be of equal value
with theirs. Everything that could in honor
be done 10 terminate the strike
on an honorable basis for these men was
done, and the alternative of unconditional
ard absolute surrender on the part of the
men or protest against the tyrrany of the
officials of the New York Central was pre-
scented to us. Under the circumstances
sucl a surrender would be unmanly; 1t
would be cowardly and unworthy of the
men who in two hemispl eres struggled and
died for the right Of humanity. We did
not seek the quarrel. The II neral execu-
tive board knew nothing of it until it was
thrust upon them, and now that we face it
we ask OF the entire order of the Knights oil
Labor to come to our assistance with means
to win the strike. We are not craving for
sympathy and we are not in need of moral
support, for away down in the hearts of the
American people, could they all be heard
on this question, the sentiment is on our
SIDE and IN our favor.
We have to fight power which owes its
lofty bearing to the wealth it has taken
from the labor of the employees of it's road.
Untold millions are at its command and
we want money to carry on the struggle.
our aid hut we ask it of all members of all
organized labor. 1t is our turn now: IL will
be yours anon, five are so early vanquisne
as to LEAD another company TO repeat the
experiment. We not only ask labor Or
ganizalio ions but we ask of the great public
away beyond our organizations of labor to
come to our relief. We are engaged IN a
fight d against sboo power tTef wbi ia,
10. Il
ago. Then the fight was with one king;
today it is against hundred, one of whom
said in after dinner speech not long ago
that there are fifty men in this country who
have it in their power to contrIl the cur
rency of the United States, control COM
merce and at days notice to stop every
wheel in the territory of the United States.
Mr.. Powderlycontinued at some length
to discuss the situation, paying considerable
attention to the employ of the Pinkerton
men and their instructions to incite trouble
with the strikers, and he also attacks Webb
as a man who never did any work but i'll
sure his wealth.
CHIEF ARTHUR.
CLEVELAND, o., Aug. 22.-When Chief
Arthur of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers was asked this morning what
reply he wished to make to Mr.. Powierly' S
open letter ada ressed to him through the
press, he replied he would be PLEASED to
give Mr.. POwderly the information he
sought. The letter, however, must be al,
dressed to him officially, as he never paid
any attention to letters such as was pub
Iisbed this morning The position OF the
engineers was well known, but Mr. Arthur
would be glad to emphasize it if Mr.. Pow;
DERBY addressed him letter i'll an ohclal
way.
COMMISSIONER DONOVAN,
New York, Aug. 22-At IL o'clock today
Commissioner Donovan of the State board
of arbitration reached the Grand Central
depot and went at once to the office OF Mr..
Webb. Mr.. Webb was questioned. Inc
latter said there was no conclusion reached
Inv Mr.. Donovan and himself. Mr.. Dono-
van was also reticent and positively re-
| fus d to say anything OF what had taken
place at the interview, but added That there
was very little hope of a settlement by
means OF arbitration. Mr.. Donovan VIII call
upon Powderly this afternoon. when ne
has placed himself in full possession OF the
| facts from both parties he Will MAKE
known the facts for publication. II III case
no settlement can be reached here ihe com,
missioner will return to Albany, where q
fnlI meeting OF the state board will be held.
II is understood the State board arbitration
will at once investigate the strike, Whlch IL
has power to do.