Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-22
THE EVE OF BATTLE
Represents the Strike Situation at
This Critical Period.
P0WDERLY MAKES EXPLANATION
Of the Causes Which Led to the Executive
Boards Order.
CONDITION OF THINGS IN NEW YORK

NEW YORK, August 21.-This day has
been to the labor leaders here like pause
in battle. Rather say it has been to them o
day of preparation after the declaration
and before tho set-to. Never before
has Mr.. Powderly, the head
of the Knights, been personally
in tie heat of contest like the one be-
lieved to be coming. He never yet has or
6ered a strike, and feels some pride in the
record of peace which he feels is his. There
is little doubt, however, about his determi-
nation in this case. His men say he is
here to stay, and the Executive
Board says its headquarters during
the strike, if one is ordered, will be in this
city. 1t is clear that Mr.. Powderly and his
cabinet intend, if the strike is made general,
that the responsibility shall be brought just
as close as possible to the rank and file.
This purpose underlies -
THE ORDERS OF THE BOARD
to Master Workman Lee to convene his
district assembly. also the order which has
gone up the river to Albany to convene
their district assembly on Monday. At
these meetings the local assemblies will
voice their disposition as to general strike,
and the result will be that fair concensus
of opinion among the men may be had. The
federation's supreme body will not meet till
Saturday and will probably communicate
its determination to the Knights here that
night or Sunday. The Albany District As
sembly, whose action will be Influential in
the evident plan laid cut by Mr.. Powderly
to make the men themselves declare the
strike general, does not meet till Monday as
stated. The fair conclusion from the facts
and circumstances is that the grand stroke,
il it is to come, will not fall before next
week.
PowDERLY's STATEMENT.
To-day Mr.. Powderly has been preparing
the following, which he makes public to-
night:
For some time the management of the New
York Central and Hudson River Railroad have
been diseharging employees who have been
active in labor affairs. 1t happens that all of
those who have been dismissed are members of
the order of the Knights of Labor and have
at one time or another been officers of the
order and have served on committees which
waited on the officials with view to presenting
grievances. These discharges became so fire.
Quent and were SO clearly evidence of a settled
purpose on the part of the company to disrupt
and destroy the organization of the Knights
of Labor upon 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 situation.
In the meantime the General Executive Board
having been apprised of the condition of affairs
sent one of its members, Mr.. ]. ]. Holland, to
New York with instructions to use all possible
efforts to bring about an amicable adjustment
Of the difficulty.
PEACEABLE SETTLEMENT IMPOSSIBLE.
On being ushered into the presence of Mr.
upon him to endeavor to adjust the unpleasant
its Knights of Labor employees. Mr..
Webb denied that there was any exist
ing trouble between the company and its
employees. Mr.. Holland told him that he, as
a member of the Executive Board, K. of L.,
had come at the request of the men made
through the organization to which they be-
longed. District assembly 246 Mr.. Webb
brusquely declared that he would not discuss
the matter with any one not an employe of the
company and closed the interview.
Finding all efforts to effect a peaceable set
tlement of their grievances impossible, and
time and convenience of the company when
they would, one and all, be discharged unless
they forfeited their manhood and abandoned
their privilege as citizens of a free country
by renouucing their right to join their
fellows in organization calculated to protect
of others. the District Executive Board had no
alternative but to order a strike. which they
did, The public is already acquainted with
the details of the affair. and repetition is
scarcely necessary The most earnest and sin
cere efforts of the general officers to secure
hearing for the discharged men were unavail-
able.