Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-11-21
OWN THEIR DEFEAT
Homestead Amalganated Men
Give Up the Fight.
DECIDED BY A SMALL MAJORITY,

But 1t Is Over aud the Men Are Asking
for Work That Is Eot-A Gloomy Out
look for the Winter-Brief Review of
the Events of The Great Strike-Fur-
ther Testimony in the Critchlow Case
The Chicago Observation-Disclosures Dis
credited-Tl,e Knights.
HOMESTEAD, Pa, Nov. 2l.-The great
Homestead strike, or lockout, was brought
to an end yesterday morning at meeting
held in the rink which was presided over
by Richard HotchIiss, the new chairman
ot the strikers advisory board. Secretary
hillgallen, Vice President Carney and
Treasurer Madden, national officers of the
Amalgamated association, were present.
The lockout had reached It's l44th day. It's
| history is known the world over. The
vote that opened the Homestead steel
works to Amalgamated men stood l01 yeas
to 81 nays. The meeting was red-hCt one
all the way through, and at one time it
looked as if Burgess Hollingshead would
have to exert his official authority to pre-
vent serious conflict.
Now Comes General Recr!minatiou.
Charges and counter charges were the or
der of the day. Newspaper representatives
were excluded, but the information is re
liable that those wishing to delare the mill
open barely succeeded in carrying their
point. Now that the agony is over the
the men are not backward about expressing
their opinions of the men who have posed as
leaders, confidently promising a victory
when they knew for a certainty that the
battle was hopelessly lost. 1t Is expected
that the Amalgamated men viii join in the
rush for positions today. According to
Superintendent Wood, of the Homestead
works, not more than 500 or 800 OF the total
number Of old employees viii be able to
secure employment. Before the break Of
| last Thursday there were left in Home
stead about :, SEQ of the ariginal $500 men
who We're locked out on June p. OF these
men, $500 were mechanics aud laborers
and 600 Amalgamated association men.
Up to date 1000 men have applied for work
and II Is estimated that not more than $50
men have been supplied with employment.
beginning of the Backdown.
The question of declaring the mill open
began to agitate the minds of certain Anal
gamated mensas soon as it became appar-
ent that the mechanics intended breaking
away in body. Not only the rank and
file, but MANY of the leaders recognized
that without the numerical aid of the me-
chanics and laborers they could not hope
to carry the day. Money, or lack of it, also
became an important factor. The failure
to receive promised money of large
amounts, followed by the bottom dropping
out of the promise of victory for the steel
workers in event Of the Democratic party
| coming into power. together with the un-
iultllmeut OF other promises, ell came in
for consideration. They could not subsist
upon promises and 80 told their leaders. who.
seeing that II would De useless 10 try to
hold the men together longer tool. stems to
place their brethren upon equal footing,
"I,h the mechanics in the grand rush for
work.
It The Decisive 3rcetiac.
The meeting which decided this ones
ton of going Aacl, TO work began SI.ur-
day, and one of the first THINGS considered
was the resignation OF Chairman Crawford.
who goes to UniCntOEu as head roller of
the Columbia Iron and Steel works. It
| was accepted. Then p striker arose and
| moved that the lockout be declared at an
end and that the men he allowed to seek
employment ia the Homestead mill. Dis
SNSS.OiA VI bA-S question continued until 6
p m, when the meeting adjourned with
ont result. Yesterday morning the s,me
question was taken MP, but those for and
against such a move were afraid TO force
a vote, so evenly We're they divided.
Those opposed to bringing the fight to nm
end struggled hard to prevent ballot.
pleading, arguing and predicting the dfsin-
| te9ration OF the Aa3lgImated association
II the event of such action.
Eject of the Vote to Give Up.
Argument was of no avail. The aues-
tionwas put; the vote WIS a STAINING one
When Vice President Carney. announced
the result there was no Joyous ousbu~st
For few minutes the men sat and stared
at each other. Then followed arrrv DE-
nunciatigns. The men slowly left f5a bq7T
in twos and thTeas. They seemed Ioeh in
leave the building, the very raf,rrs Of
which have Quivered with tie declarations
made thousand times that victory vs.
theirs if they would only he PATIENT. TIE
men are in a bad plight. The COMPANY
viii not discharge It's present force or anv
Of it 10 take in the old men, AID but few Of
them can set work. Winter is rpnn them
and famine staTes them il the f,.r