St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-17
Supreme Council Of Railway
Employees Decides Against
the Men.
After a Prolonged Session the
Lockout Is Declared
JuStifiabIe.
The Switchmen Are Bitter
Against the Order Of
Tpainmen.
Serious Trouble May Yet Re-
suit From the Coun-
cil's Action.

CHICAGO, May 16. - The supreme
council of Federated Railway Employees
decided against the Chicago Il North
western switchmen this evening. The
council recommended that the switch
mems officers call upon the railway of
hcIals with view to the reinstatement
OF as many of their old hands as places
could be provided for The proceed
ings of the council were pro-
longed and stormy. When the body
was called to order in the
Grand Pacific hotel, the following were
present: Switchmen. Frank Sweeney,
j. NJ. DOwney, Miles W. Barrett; fire
men, Eugene Debs, +. z. Sargent; con-
duct0rs, g. w. Howard. j. w. Martin,
ID. j. Carr; trainmen, s. E. Wilkinson,
w. \. Sheahan, P. w. Morrison. At
the close of the session, which lasted
nearly eleven hours, Mr.. Sargent said
representatives of the switchmen and
their opponents, the trainmen, had
each been given a hearing, and the
course of the former In demanding
the discharge of Yardmaster McIneTney
was declared unjustifiable. From others
1t was learned that all of the Out-of-toWn
switchmen could be probably reinstated
on application. and the same was true
of many of the Chicago switchmen. The
switchmen appeared tonight to be
somewhat embittered toward the fire.
men, neither Mr.. Sargent nor Mr.. Debs
having voted on any question before
the council, ostensibly because the order
OF firemen had no quorum present, but
really, it is asserted, from desire not
to be put on record. The question of
sustaining the action of the railroad
was Settled hU
Vote OF Six TO Three.
favOring the company. A resolution
introduced by the switchmen was adopt
ed by the same vote, requiring the train
mems officers to request the company
to remove the tralnmen who have been
given Switchmen'S places. land that the
switchmen be reinstated. Tie train
men, however, voted against the reso-
luton, and the secretary of the supreme
council, who is one of the trainmen, re-
fused to sign it, and Mir. Wilkinson, chief
of the trainmen, refused point blank
to act upon it. The outcome of the ac-
ton of the council, therefore, is far
from settled. Yardmaster Brooks,
whose name has figured in the inter
views brought out by the strike, and
who is a member of the trainmen's
brotherhood. was discharged from the
with the sanction of the trainmen. This
action was sustained by the council,
atfOrding about the only crumb of COM
fort given to the switchmen.
Contrary to the Northwestern off
cials' statement that no trouble has oc-
CURED, it was learned this afternoon
that five brakemen who were doing
sWitchmen'S work at the Western Ave
nue. yards had refused this morning to
continue to do that work, and that As
sistant Superintendent W heeler had dis
charged them. At the South Branch
yards two switch engineers created con-
siderable excitement by refusing to
switch certain cars. Wharf are your
reasOns?' asked a Northwestern official.
because we decline to work with pick
ups and n0n-union men," they replied.
No action has been taken on their cases.
Other trainmen are becoming uneasy.
but the disaffection may not become
general. On the other hand, there are
those who think this means the begin
ming of serious trouble for the North
Upctprn