The morning call., 1890-08-21
GETTING SERIOUS.
Latest Phase Of the New York
Central Strike.
The Railroad Officials Declare There Is
Nothing TO Arbitfate.
The Knights Of Labor Will Fight to the Bit
ter End-An Appeal to Be Issued
to ALI the Employees.



the whole organization, and it will use
every means in its power to continue the
fight. he intimated that the Federation of
Railroad Employees will support the move
ment. The situation is serious.
Grand Master Sargent, President Of the
council and chief of the fremen's organ
ization, has ordered a meeting of the Su-
preme Council ON Saturday, at Terre Haute,
for the consideration of the question Of the
New York Central strike. Whether this
movement means that the council must go
through certain formalites before general
strike can be declared, or whether no strike
will be declared at all, remains to be seen.
NOTHING TO ARBITRATE.
Powderly and Devln, of the Executive
Board Of knights Of Labor, called on Webb
this evening Toucey was with Webb, and
the four gentlemen had an interview, which
lasted twenty minutes. The offer of Pow
derby to submit the matter to arbitra-
ton Webb refused, on the grounds already
presented.
He said the company was not jumping on
the Knights of Labor" They didn't dis
charge the men because they were Knights
of Labor, but Tor good reasons. Neither
Depew nor Vanderbilt was opposed to
e Knights of Labor as an organ
ization. Powderly once more urged
that the matter be arbitrated, but
Webb remained firm. Devlin asked
Webb if he would consent to an investiga-
ton of the causes surrounding the discharge
Of the fifteen men. Webb reiterated that
there was nothing to investigate; that the
company WAS managing the road, and he
did not see why their actions should be
questioned. Devlin then asked him if he did
not owe the public and employees road any
dutV regarding its MANAGEMENT in which
all were more or less interested. Webb
did not reply. Devlin then said there was
no use in further discussing the matter, as
the railway company had declared them
Toucey then said that Master Workman
Lee was primarily responsible for
the strike. Devlin asked Toucey if he
would waive the question of Lees action and
consider the discharge of the other men.
Toucey and Webb retired and that ended
the conference. Powderly and Devlin then
withdrew without making any threats or
intimating what they intended to do. Webb
gives this version of the interview, and
said the whole conference was carried on
in the most pleasant manner.
MEDICATION NECESSARY.
At the Terre Haute meeting Sargent said
he would lay the whole case before the
council. lie fully Endorsed the position of
the Executive Board. "Ihe Executive
Board said Powderly tonight, says TO
the Knights of Labor and the public that
the position finally assumed by the COM
papy makes it necessary for them to vindi-
cate the right Of labor to organize by pros
ecuting the strike to the bitter END.
szs NO NOTICE OF A STRIKE.
When the ominous condition of affairs
| became known late tonight that a strike of
| all the employees of the New York Central
would without doubt be ordered either to-
night or in the morning, reporter went to
| the Grand Central Depot to interview rail-
| way officials Webb and Voorhees,, who, for
| the present, sleep there. Both had re-
tired to their improvsed, cots and were
| clad in night-clothes. After rubbing their
| eyes to get the sleep out OF them, although
| it was IL O'Clock, they received the reporter
| cordially. Webb said he considered that
| the strike was declared i'll the belief that
| the Central management was opposed to
the knights of Labor. He wished to reit-
| crate the statement that this was not the
truth. When told that strike over the
whole road would be declared tonight,
or tomorrow, Webb said that in spite of
| all the road would run all their trains in
the morning as usual. Neither he nor
Voorhees, appeared much depressed. He
wished the public to know that he had no
| official notice from Powderly of strike,
and said all this time the company had not
been lying idle When told that a strike
meant all the employees but the engineers.
he appeared somewhat startled. Neither
he nor Voorhees, made any comment thereon.
AN APPEAL TO EMPLOYEES.
Powderly was asked tonight what would
be the next move. He said it had not been
determined, but he would tomorrow issue
an appeal to the mechanics and all other
employees of the Central Hudson system
and connecting lines. The do .ument will
be based upon the refusal of the
company to arbitrate the difficulties.
and will call upon them to stop work at
once. At the ST. Cloud Hotel all seemed
barren of incident A few reporters lounged
around waiting vainly for the labor
leaders return. The usual attendance Of
subordinate Knights Of Labor ceased. The
few that came in disappeared quickly
Sweeney, WilkesOn and Howard will leave
at an early hour in the morning for Terre
Haute, to attend a meeting of the Supreme
Council.
PREPARED FOR THE STRIKE.
Every step 1 have TAKEN" said Webb,
"has been approved by Vanderbilt. Depew
and others high in the councils of the COM
pany." Webb said he could not see Why,
of all others, the firemen should strike.
They were, he added, better paid on the
Central than any other line. Speaking of
the connecting lines, he remarked that he
was in constant communication with their
chief officers, and that the Bee Line, Lake
Shore and every linked railway was pre-
pared for the strike if it came.
AN ALL-NIGHT's SESSION.
Hayes of the Executive Board said to-
night that no more news would be given
out tonight. Whatever the Executive
Board decided upon would not be known
until tomorrow. The board will continue
in session all night A few minutes
after midnight Powderly, Hayes and How
land left the ST. Cloud Hotel and
walked over to the Grand Central Depot.
sank out of sight somewhere about the
depot. At midnight the express on the
Central went out as usual, showing appar-
emily the fated hour was not midnight. In
the depot are encamped about seventy-fve
fremen and the same number of switchmen,
supposed 10 be there to provide for any
emergency that might come up.
AN ASSERTION OF WEBB CoNTRADICTED.
An Albany special says: Information
obtained here c0ntra0icts the assertion
made by Webb that he did not
discharge any men because they were
sault was being made upon the
Knights, and fully fifty men, who are on
strike here, testify that for months past
Station Agent Stephens has been informing
them that they had better sever their con-
nection with the order as the road intended
to get rid of those belonging TO it.
Purpose Of the Federal Election H.
CINCINNATI Ohio. Aug. 2O.-Ex-Gov-
ernor Foraker has written a letter to an
evening newspaper, giving, at the editors
request, brief statement of the nature of
the proposed Federal election law and the
purpose of the Republican party in enacting
it. Foraker says it is not an outgrowth of
sectionalism, hatred of the South nor even
partisanism. Its sole purpose Is to give
effect to constitutional provisions, with es-
pect to the exercise Of the right OF suffrage,
and to secure honest Congressional cleo
ti0ns. and the whole cutlery against it is be-
cause its provisions are such as are likely
to accomplish its, purposes. He predicts
that its enactment would bring material
prosperity to the South, and that ten years
hence its opponents will be ashamed Of
their opposition.
Chinese Trickery.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. Ca scheme for
the running-in of Chinese women over the
Canadian border is about to become ope-
rative on the Atlantic Coast ON a plan ia
milar on the Pacific Slope. The case is that
of Lee Hong Kwong, who is said to be
Philadelphia merchant. He is aged 40. A