Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-08-28
THE CENTRAL STRIKE.
The Trouble on the Vanderbilt
Lines Still Continues.
Mr.. PowderIy Issues Appeal to the
People viee-President Webb on the
Situation = The Company Will
Not Arbitrate.
pownEKLY's APPEAL.

the people. he repeats the charge
against the company Of dis
charging employees because they have
been leading members of the Knights
of Labor and gives a resume of his
interviews with Mr.. Toucey and Mr..
Webb, the causes leading TO the strike
and the repeated efforts made by him
and others 70 settle the matter by arbi-
trat.on. He continues:
Finding all Efforts to effect peaceable set
Element Of their grievances impossible. and be
ing convinced that it was only a question Of
time when knights would one and all be dis
charged unless they forfeited their manhood
and abandoned their privileges as citizens Of
free country by renouncing their rights to Join
their fellows in organization calculated 10
protect their just rights without intrenching
upon those Of others, the district executive
board had no alternative but 70 order strike,
which they did.
"The public may have formed erroneous i'm.
pressions OF the position Of the knights in the
controversy. We do not pretend TO dictate TO
the company that It shatl not discharge lis EN-.
ployes but in all fairness the discharged man
should be told why he is dismissed
we did not seek the quarrel The general
executive board knew nothing OF it until il was
thrust upon them and now that we have
70 face it we ask Of the entire order
Of the knights Of Labor 20 come TO
our assistance with the means to win
the strike. We are not craving for
sympathy We are not in need OF moral sup.
port. We have to fight power which owes its
lofty bearing 10 the wealth IL has piled up from
the labor OF is employees untold millions are
at It's command and We want money 10 carry on
the struggle.
I'VE ask al members OF organized labor 20
come 10 cur aid. We not only ask labor organi
cations, but We ask Of the great public beyond
our organizations Of labor TO come to relief.
II is not because afew cents more day or some
paltry concession to the men was required that
this strike was precipitated The real animas
lies in the fact that our order has been
struggling with the questions which concern
the control Of trusts corporations and syndi-
Gates by the government OF the people. The
allied forces OF the Knights OF Labor and the
Farmers Alliance are marching 10 Wash
ington TO secure legislation favorable to the
whole people and secure the repeal Of certain
unjust laws. II is in the hope Of turning our
attention away from these matters that this
warfare is made on the part OF the allied forces.
The struggle is far more momeptous than il
was during the American revolution. Then our
fathers fought for liberty; now we are lighting
10 maintain II. Then The enemy was 5000
miles away. To-day he is intrenched in our
own dominion He has his fingers around
our Legislatures He stands at the doors Of
=
Of the masses. He presumes TO dictate 10 the
Executive Of the Nation. He attempts to
strange and corrupt the judiciary, and be does
all Of these by no shadow Of divine right but
by the power Of money wrung from the bending
back OF the railway laboreri wrung from the
mortgages Of farmers Of the land; wrung from
The business interests Of America, wrung from
the hearts OF the best and modest Of the Ma
tons poor.
1T is against such a power as this, power
that cares for no right but It's own that we
struggle: and, whether we win or lose in the
present contest. the battle win so on until that
power is weakened forever or the public is
damned. Question the opportuness Of the
battle il you viii, but its justice not but be
apparent to every disinteres ted person.
''The conduct OF the men since the strike be-
gan has been most orderly ard commendable,
and until It's close no knight Of Labor win be
found in an unlawful act OF any kind. We are
pledged TO maintain the law. We will obey the
legal commands Of the State but not q the
corporation which dehes public opinion and
has no regard for justice when dealing with its
employees. Cancellation and arbitration can
deal with the most intricate questions Of dis
pute.
II. Walker Webb stands today the repre-
sentative Of over 500 cocoa He is new 10 the
position and the novelty OF the situation has
turned his mead. The writer repre- snts direct.
ly and indirectly over 2O0Ol001 Of workmen.
Shall dollars alone be heard and humanity re
main silents Vlh dollars win when flesh and
blood are shot down in the streets OF the CAPT
tal city Of the Empire State at the dictatiOn Of
this wealth. Shall a moneyed aristoeracy rule
and ruin without giving an account Of why they
do it,
These questions can best be answered by
the 20 600 Of ueustrialists Of the United
States, and they can best answer them by
holding up the hands OF the men along
the line Of the New York Central rail
road who are striving for the prin-
| ciple CT justice.
| n " PowpERLy.
General Master Workman, X. Of l."
NEW YORK. Aug. 23.-State Arbitra.
ton Commissioner Donovan on Fri
| day sent letters to Messrs. Powderly
and Webb inviting both to a con-
| ference with a view to devise means
either by arbitration or such other
method as might be agreed upon where
/ by the present and threatened strikes
may be settled. MIR. Powderly replied
that the executive board of the knights
| Of Labor was ready to do any honorable
thing TO terminate the strike or avert
the threatened one.
Mr.. Neob has issued reply to Pow.
neither public nor private business
could he carried on subject to dictation
by workmen who declared that only this
or that amount should be performed.
No employer could tolerate insolence
and INSTRUMENTATION based on the beliei
that the insolent and insubordinate EN-.
ploye would be supported by a secrei
organization. He declares that he die
not discharge men because they were
Knights OF Labor, but for drunkenness
incapacity, breach OF duty. insubordi.
nation, and because Of lack of work t
employ them. 1t would be moral an6
criminal neglect 20 omit to discharge
switehmen for drunkenness upon whose
sohriety and fidelity depended the safe
~ Of millions Of passengers. He con
cludes:
The foregoing gives, without setting forth
the name or place Of employment the causes
which called for tie discharge Of the fifty O
sixty men referred 10 in Air Powderlyi
appeal. For these discharges and (,
| "A