Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-09-05
Chief Arthur set. HIm.eirR,en,.

NEW DIRK, August 2S.-Ihe lette
given below was written by p. NJ. Al
thur, chief engineer of the Grand In
ternational Brotherhood OF Locomotiv
, Engineers, to the engineers on tn
Third avenue elevated road. The let
ter is in response to one on the subjec
OF the Central strike and is the frs
utterance of Arthur, which fully de
fines his position towards the Contra
strike and Knights Of Labor. The let
ter is as follows:
CLEVELAND. o., August Pr. H
Holman-Dear Sir and Brother: Your
letter of the 22d instant with Powder.
ly's letter and other clippings from the
New York papers enclosed, received.
In reply | will say have not received
any letter from Powderly. He claims
to have written me private letter on
the trouble and wants me to define my
position. Ifhe considers his letter that
appeared in the newspapers private
one, | don't, nor will | answer letters
that reach me in that way. 1t is I'M
necessary for Powderly or any one else
to ask me to define my position to the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
in the present trouble on the New York
Central. The policy of the brother
mood Is well known to him and the
public, as it has been repeatedly ex-
planned from public platforms and pub
lished in papers.
lie says; Some time ago | tele-
graphed him (meaning me) that would
meet him in Cleveland and when | ar
rived there | could not find him high
or low. / learned a telegram had been
received by him, but my efforts to
locate him were fruitless." The facts
in the case, as near as / can recollect,
are these: Some four years ago | re-
celved a telegram from Powderly re-
questing me to meet him at the union
depot in Cleveland on the arrival of a
certain train on the Lake Shore road,
owing to my absence from the office
dld not receive the message until after
the departure OF the train. and so in
formed him by letter, addressing it to
him at Scranton. | do not believe he
stopped over and looked for me, for if
he had he would had no difficulty in
hnding me at my Office or home as |
am always at one or the other when in
town. He tells a falsehood when he
says other leaders have been unable to
find me when they tried to do so. ANY
man who tries finds me when am
here very easily and no man, whether
a leader or private in the ranks of
labor ever came to my office who was
not treated courteously.
While differ with men as to the
best methods to be employed to secure
a certain end, | have always been lib
eral enough to conoede every man the
same rights and privilege / ask for N.Y.
sell. When the present trouble first
occurred | advised the engineers to
abstain from all participation in it and
attend strictly to their own business.
l gave the same advice when the strike |
occurred on the Gould system few |
years ago. My advice to the brother
hood OF engineers, when men employed |
In other branches of railroad service |
nave been on strike, was to mind their |
own business and not do anything that
dld not properly belong to them as
engineers. Can Powderly say the
sameP think not Whenever enpin-
GERS have been on strike, we have new
Or asked any other organization to as
Sist us. 1t is true some members of
the order, during the Chicago, Burl-
ington d Quincy strike, importuned
the switchmen to quit, but they did it
IN their own responsibility, and not by
he authority of the organization. Con-
'equently hold that we are perfectly
justified in maintaining a neutral posi-
ion when others are engaged in con-
iict with their employers.
Powderly accuses members of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
u taking the places of striking fire.
men. If that is true the division of
Which they are members will deal with
hem. 1t is not within the province of
ny authority to deal with individual
MEMBERS. | wonder if Powderly had
he knights expelled who took the
places OF our men on the Chicago. Bur
lngton " QuincyP Yours fraternally.
p. M. ARTHUR.