Workmen's advocate., 1890-10-11
WEBB WRITES A LETTER.

WEBB WRITES A LET TER.
 Although spider" Webbs letter. or derng the expulsion of every k, of l.. who may still be employed on the New York Central, will probably have been published by every daily newspaper in the United States before our little week ly reaches it's subscribers, this document is of such importance to organized labor that it should be placed on file in our columns. We therefore give the full text of it, as follows.
 "The recent strike, the acts of lawless- ness committed n conneCtiOHtherewith the published correspondence between the leaders of the organization that or. dered 1t. and the fact that many men they quit work from fear of personal violence, and did not dare to offer to resume work for the same reason, con- pei the management of this company to announce that 1t objects to its employ es being members of ti.e organization known a Knights of Labor.
 "The man., ement is satisfied that membership in this particular organiza tion is inconsistent with faithful and efficient service to the company and is liable at any time to prevent 1t from properly discharging its duties to the public.
 You will at once take such action as will bring this circular to the attention of the employees of your respective de- partments. II. WALTER WEBB.
 Third Vice President"
 In this connection the following re- marks from the New York Tribune are not less suggestive:
 In Wall Street, while the action was regarded as the logical result of the recent contest on the Central road, opinions were expressed that it might cause irritation among employees which it was judiCious to avoid. Railroad men were 10th to discuss the subject. In the early days of the Central strike rumors were circulated of an organiZa- tion among the railroads of the country for the purpose of extinguishing, if pos sible, the influence of Mir. P0wderlys secret society upon the railroads. Some denials were obtaned from leading railway men, but most of them objected to saying anything for publication. It was pointed out at the tune that if such an understanding had been reached it would be folly to proclaim the fact from the house tops. A similar view of the situation is taken now. Railroad men are not anxious to antagOnize the labor organizations on their lines or to invite unnecessary friction. The Philadelphia and Reading road now employs no Knights of Labor and the New York Central will be the second great Eastern system that has defeated the organiza- ton and otficered it's line with employees owing no obedience to the Powderly order, Railway men point out that no a.tack Is made upon labor societies as such in the case of the New York Gen. tral; it is only one particular society that is condemned because of the char acter of the leaders and the facts con corning it developed by the It cent strike and the subsequent train wrecking".
 In its issue of last Saturday the New York Herald had upon this subject an editorial article that provoked much comment and would have caused genuine sensation if our esteemed con temporary were not widely known as a weather cock. As it nevertheless reflects, not, perhaps. the true inwardnes5 of the class of readers that patronize the Herald, but the apprehensions of that class at the sight of any symptom which shows the true nature of the conflict be- tween Organized Capital and Organized Labor, we quote the following passage:
 |" The people are tired of it; tired of government methods under which the rich grow richer and the poor poorer; under which, as in Pennsylvania, the jurisprudence of the State is fashioned to the needs of the Pennsylvania Rail way; under which nine. tenths of the inhabitants Of New York are daily taxed to pay the thefts involved in the "wa- tering" of the elevated railway; under which our telegraph system has been mixed. watered and robbed by the Sitdltst iudiIttdi pii 1lt UT tit dSei uu- der which we have tariff in the interest of trusts and monopolieS; under which Presidents are elected by four hundred thousand dollar subscriptions from men who grow rich over the sufferings of the starved and starving poor. And when to this dreary catalogue we add the resolution of the New York Central to deny to American citizens the inherent right of citizenship, the right to meet, confer and organize, we cannot but feel that those who believe they build upon granite are playing with fire.
 Mir. Depew should put aside the vanity