Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-08-23
Discharged without Cause.

!
Powderly writes:
Discharged without Cause.
During the session of the last state leg
islaturc. the Knights OF Labor, of New
YORK, were actlVe In the passage of the
weekly ray bill. The committee of the
knights. representing the employees of
the New York Central, We're faced
In the legislative committee room
Mt Albany by the attorneys Of the
railways and brow-beaten. questioned
of the committee. who We're at the
time employed by the New York Cen
tral, We're discharged without cause.
Spite Work.
"There exists not the shadow of u
doubt in the mind of that committee
that their men We're singled out for
endeayoring to secure the passage of
the aforementioned law After thor
oughly investigating the causes which
led to the strike. and after making every
effort in their power to induce the COM
pan to arbitrate or submit to any in
vestigation by impartial men, the ques-
ton at issue-namely, whether the men
We're discharged because they We're
Knights of Labor. and for the purpose
of destroying their organization, as they
believe and maintain, or for Just cause
aud proper reasons, as the officials of the
company allege.'.
Would Not DO Either.
After declaring that he had offered to
arbitrate or to investigate with Mr..
Webb the complaint of the discharged
men and that both offers had been re-
fused, Mr. Powderly writes of the com
ing struggle:
a Struggle to Maintain Liberty.
"The struggle is far more momentous
than it was during the American revo-
luton. Then our fathers fought for
liberty; now we are fighting to maintain
it, Then the enemy was 5000 miles
away. To-day he il int enched III our
own dominion. He has his fingers
around our legislatures. He stands at
the doors of congress to bar out legisla-
ton in the interests of the masses. He
presumed to dictate to the executive of
the nation. He attempts to ctrangle
and corrupS the judiciary, and he does
all of these by no shadow of divine
right, but by the power of money wrung
from the bending back of the railway
laborer; wrung from the mortgages Of
farmers of the land; wrung from the
business interests of America; wrung
from the very hearts of tho best and
noblest of the nations poor,
VIII Make Hard Fight.
1T Is against such power as this-a
power that cares for no right but its
own-that we struggle and whether we
win or lose it, the present contested bat
tie will now 90 on until power is weak
ened forever or the public is damned,
Question the opportuneness Of the battle
ii you will, but its justice cannot but he
apparent to every disinterested person.
il is not because few cents more day
or some paltry concession to the men re-
guire that this strike was precipitated.
Its origin lies way beyond these consid-
erations. The real fact 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.
hr knights and Farmers.
"The allied forces of the Knights
of Labor and the Farmers AL
alliance are marching on to Wash
ington to secure legislation favor
able to the whole people. They are 60
ing there to secure the repeal of certain
uIJNlSl ldNS W1llCI Etdllil III tllt WAY Vi
progress and which antagonize justice
II is with the hope Of turning our at
tention awav from these matters that
this warfare is made part OF the allied
forces. 1t is 70 weaken us when we can
do the worst harm and the country the
greatest amount of good that these an
1oyances are visited upon us. We are
not the disorderly mob that their papers
paint us.
Orderly and Law-ibiding.
"The orderly and law-abiding conduct
Of the men on strike has won the
admiration of the public, and yet the
best feelings Of the community have
been destroyed by the introduction of
an armed force under command of
Robert Pinkerton, a man who holds no
commission from the state or nation to
recruit or arm men for military duties.
Had the interas = of the state Of New
Yofik required il there were many thou
sands of old veteran soldiers within her
borders who faced death in all it forms
aquarter Of a century ago that our conn
try's flag might be planted over a ma
ton Of free mcu, who w1uld willingly
step to the front again did the nation or
state need their aid.
No Troops Necessary.
I'VE have T. military fCitc within
the state itself sufficient rcrt anv