The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-08-28
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
A FULL STATEMENT OF THE
STRIK ERS' CASE.

following appeal TO the puDllc:
To the People:
For some time the management of the
New York Central and Hudson River Rail
road have been discharging employees who
have been active in labor affairs. 1t hap
pens that all those who have been dismissed
are members of the order of Knights of
Labor and have at one time or another
been officers of the order, or have served on
committees which waited on the officials
with view Of presenting grievances. These
discharges became 50 frequent and were SO
clearly evidence of settled purpose on the
part of the company to disrupt and destroy
the organization of the Knights of Labor
On the Central System that the Executive
Board of District Assembly No. 246, in which
the knights of Labor upon the system are
enrolled, found it necessary to call a special
meeting in New York to consider the situa-
ton.
In the meantime the Executive Board,
having been appraised of the condition of
affairs, sent one of it's members, J. j. HOl-
land, to New York with instructions to use
all possible efforts to bring about an AMIGA
bic adjustment of the difficulty. On his ar
rival in New York, after conference with
representatives of the District Assembly, he
waited upon ii. Walter Webb, Third Vice
President and acting manager of the COM
pany. Mr. Holland stated to Mr.. Webb that
he had called to endeaVOr to adjust the UNI
DleasantneSS existing between the company
and its knights of Labor employees. Mr..
Webb denied that there was any trouble
existing between the company and its en-
Moves Mr. Holland told him that he, as a
member of the General Executive Board Of
the knights of Labor, had come at the re-
quest of the men, through the organization
to which they belonged, District Assembly
246 Mr.. Webb frequently declared that he
would not discuss the matter with any one
not an employee of the company and closed
the interview by saying:
Il don't care to state what preparations
we are making for a strike We are MAX
ing such preparations as would seem rea-
sonable and proper to any prudent railroad
man. But / don't believe there is going to
be a strike. | can't believe that the men
will act in the ill-cOnsidered manner in
which it is alleged they will act. Should
a strike be ordered, am pretty confident
that neither the Federation nor the knights
would move many of our men from our
service
Finding all efforts to effect a peaceful set
Element of their grievances impossible, and
being convinced that it was only a question
of time when they would be one and all dis
charged unless they forfeited their man
hood and abandoned their privileges as
citizens of n free country, by renounCing
their rights to join their fellows in an Or
ganizatiOn calculated to protect their just
rights without intrenching upon those of
no alternative but to order u strike, which
they did.
On Wednesday morning John Devlin, of
the General Executive Board, and myself
waited on Mr.. Toucey, General Manager,
and endeavOred to have the matter arbi-
trated or investigated. Mr.. Toucey was
emphatic in his refusal. On the afternoon
of that day Mr.. Webb was visited and he re-
iterated what NJ Toucey had said. 1t was
suggested to hi that diSinterested parties
hear and determine; it was also suggested
that during the investigation the strike be
declared off and the investigation proceeded
with That was refused. Then Mr.. Webb
refused my proposition that he sit with me
in the presence of the men who were dis
charged and allow me to question them in
his presence that l might know the facts of
the case and be better able to arrive at a
decision.
During the session of the State Legislature
the Knights of Labor of New York were
active in the passage of the weekly-pay
bill. The committee of the knights, repre-
senting the employees of the New York Cen
trial Railroad, were met at Albany by the
attorneys of the railway and brOwbeaten,
questioned, and terorized. Some of the
members of that committee, who were at
the time employed by the New York Cen
tral, were discharged without any given
cause. There is not a doubt in the minds
of the committee that these men were sim
gled out for endeavOring to secure the
passage of the above mentioned law. After
thoroughly investigating the causes which
led to the strike, and after making every
effort in their power to induce the company
to arbitrate or submit to an investigation
by impartial men the question at issue, the
general executive board have, by unan-
imOus vote, determined to stand by the
men, who, whether their strike was oppor-
tune or no, had no alternative consistent
with their manhood.
Everything that could in honor be done to
terminate the strike on an honorable basis
for the men was done, and the alternative
of unconditional and absolute surrender on
the part of the men or a protest against the
tyranny of the officials of the New York
Central & Hudson River Railroad was pre-
Sented to
Under the circumstances it would be un-
manly. 1t would be cOwardly and unworthy
of the sons of men who struggled and died
for the rights of humanity. We did not
seek the quarrel. The General Executive
Board knew nothing of it until it was
thrust upon them and now that we have to
face it we ask of the entire order of the
knights of Labor to come to our assistance
with the means to win the strike We are
not craving for sympathy. We are not in
need of moral support. We have to fight a
power which owes its lofty bearing to the
wealth it has piled up from the labor of its
employees; untold millions are at its COM
mand and we want money to carry on the
struggle.
We ask all members of organized labor to
come to our aid. We not only ask labor or
CARNATIONS, but we ask of the great public
beyond our organizations of labor to come
to our relief 1t is not because few cents
more day or some paltry concession to the
men was required that this strike was pre-
cipitated. The real animuS lies in the fact
that our order has been struggling with the
questions which concern the control of
trusts, corporations and syndicates by the
Government of the people. The allied
forces of the Knights of Labor and the
Farmers Alliance are marching on to Wash
ington to secure legislation favorable to the
whole people and secure the repeal of GER
tain unjust laws. 1t is in the hope of turn
ing our attention away from these matters
that this warfare is made on this part of
the allied forces.
The conduct of the men since the strike
begun has been most orderly and COM
mendabIe, and until it closes no Knight of
Labor will 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 of the corporation which
defes public opinion and has no regard for
Justice when dealing with its employees.
Cancellation and arbitration can deal with
the most intricate questions of dispute. The