Morning journal and courier., 1890-08-26
THE LABOR CONFERENCE.

THE LABOR CONFERENCE.
Decision of the Terre Haute Meet.
fng-WiII Not Strike-The Official
Statement-An Address to All Labor
ing OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the
Strike From Its EnceptfOn-IHOvv
MIR. Webb Received the News-Ru-
mors of a Roycott-Tife Mass Meet
ing at Albany.
TERRE HAUTE, Aug. 25.-The official
statement issued tonight from the head
quarters of the Supreme council of the
United Orders of Railway employees is as
follows
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Aug. 25, 1890.
To all I.aboring Organizations:
Men and brothers-On the night of
August 7 strike began on the New York
Central and Hudson River railway in
volving about eight men in the employ of
said road who were members of great
labor organization known as the Knights
of Labor. The reasons set forth by T. V.
Powderly, chief executive of the order,
may be summarized as follows:
: The peremptory discharge of between
fifty and sixty men, employees of the road
cause they We're Knights of Labor, with
out giving them any reason whatever for
their discharge. Prior to the strike the
men involved sought through the repre-
sentatives of the order to have their griev-
ances adjusted, but their appeals being
discarded strike was inaugurated
At this juncture T. V. Powderly, gen
eral master workman of the Knights of
Labor, entered upon the task of adjusting
the difficulty and of making such arrange
ments as would result in an honorable
peace between the employees and the Off
Gals of the road, but his efforts were una
vailing. Mr.. Powderly, comprehending
the purpose of III. Walter Webb, third vice
president of the company, to make war
upon the Knights of Labor and ultimately
upon all labor organizations represented
on his road, sought conference with the
supreme council of the United Order of
Railway Employees. The request of Mr..
Powderly was granted to the extent that
four members of the council, the chief ex-
ecutives of the federated orders, met him
in the city of Buffalo, N. Y, viz, F. P.
Sargent, grand master of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen and president of
the supreme council; George w. Howard,
grand chief of the Brotherhood of Railway
Conductors and vice president of the SUI
..
master of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen, and G. E. Sweeney, grand mas
ter of the Switchmen's Mutual Aid associa-
ton.
At the conference with Mr.. Powderly at
Buffalo the members of the supreme coun-
Gil became satisfied that the officials of the
road, by every consideration of fair and
honorable treatment of labor organize
lions should meet Mr. Powderly and adopt
some just plan for the adjustment of the
grievance of the striking employees. This
conclusion having been reached, the mem
bers of the supreme council in response to
the request of Mr.. Powderly extended their
journey to the city of New York to afford
such aid as was in their. power to bring
about settlement between H. Walter
Webb, third vice president of the company,
the official having full authority on mat
tiers pertaining to the strike, and 7. V.
Powderly, general master workman of the
Knights of Labor, having authority to
negotiate such arrangements as might set
tie the dispute.
An interview having been secured Mr..
Powderly sought to have the discharged
men heard in their own defense in the
presence of Mr.. Webb and himself. This
fair and honorable proposition was refus-
ed Mr.. Powderly proposed arbitration,
propositions made by Nh. Powderly having
for their object the honorable settlement
of the expected trouble, all of which were
refused on the part of Mr.. Webb.
After reciting further grievances the re-
port continues:
The council having heard the statement
of its members who had visited New York
for the purpose of finding out the true
condition of affairs, exhaustively discussed
every important proposition and arrived al
| conclusions as follows:
| First, That the proposition of the knights o.
| Labor as set forth by r. v. Powderly, genera
master workman, and the general executiv,
board of the knights of Labor meets with ou
| second, That the course pursued by II. Wal
| ter Webb toward MI Powderly and the knights
of Labor, Notwithstanding his'declarations to TIN
| contrary, evinces purpose to disrupt AM
! destroy labor organizations the New Yorl
Central and Hudson River, done by Aus
| tin Corbin on the Philadelphia and Reading.
Third, That the policy OF H. Walter Webb |,
despotic to an extent that outrages every princi
adopted would, if successful reduce Americai
| workingmen to a degraded condition of serfs:
ment of Pinierton thieves and thugs and mGr
| derers vile wretches from the slums and broth
els of New York and other cities to kill working
men because they cared to protest against hi
rule and strike for their rights, is guilty of Grim
of such enormity as will associate the name O
II. Walter Webb forever with those who, in
secure power to degrade their fellow men.
Fifth, That the efforts now being put forth b
were circumstances changed, in like manner, b
made to destroy the organizations of engineers
firemen, conductors, trainmen and switchmer
and IL successful It Is only question of tim
when a similar effort will be made to seal tn
fate Of other labor organizations.
Sixth, That H. Walter Webb by the course h
has pursued towards the Knights of Labor an
the representatives of labor organizations, ha
shown a total disregard of those principles
worthy of the men, and considering only h
money power and the corporate power OF I'll
company he represents, his acts, which spea
Vanderbilt, once the autocrat of the New Yor
Central 1.-THE public be damned"
Seventh H. Walter Webb seeks to support h
arrogant attitude towards workngmen and
bar organizations by assuming that the Ne
York Central and Hudson River railroad is pl
| vate property, and that his acts in the treatme
of his employees is in no sense matter OF publ
concern, that he can with impunity discharl
| men and remand them to idleness aud power
| and render them homeless wanderers Yltho
giving any reason explanation whatever I
his CONDUCT dsregarding the fact that the e, &C
: poration for which he plays autocrat Is TIM
created by laws, in the making OF which the M
he seeks to degrade have voice which, on
: unified, will bring his corporation to the bar
justice where his millions and the other millio
he represents will cease to be potential in dec
ing questions of this kind.
/, In view of the foregoing facts the 8
; preme council puts upon record its unaI
NOUS dnU HquailHeu. dPPSotaA VI T.
strike on the New York Central and HUI
son River railway for the cause set for
/. by 7. V. Powderly, general master vor
man, as also the efforts made by Mr.. Pc
:, derby to bring the strike to an honoral
y termination. In this general expressi
of approval of the action of the knights
Labor, the course Of Vice President We
m is as unequivocally condemned.
The report goes ON to define the pow
of the Knights to aid in the strike and
" conclusion says;
. The supreme council places upon rece
its high appreciation of the manliness
Z. the Knights of Labor employed in
~ New York Central struggling to maint'
m principle sacred to every workingnan
the continent and to all who love just
and hope for triumph Of right over wrc
!. as fragrant as ever stained the ages
I. history.
ul Resolved, That the action Of President F.
is Sargent, Vice. President q, w. Howard
Brothers Wilkinson and Sweeney OF the Supre
is council, in responding to the request OF Gem
m Master Workman Terence v. Powderly, to {
les fer with him and the general executive boar,
the knights of Labor in the matter OF the ST.
:, r1ou in Trnoroec m, the New York Central