St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-25
sweeney GIVES UP,
The Buffalo Strike Officially
Declared Off by the
Leader.
Forced to Admit Defeat by
the Refusal Of Other Or
deps to Aid.
Avery Limited Bank Account
One Of the Weaknesses
of Switchmen.
Successful Running Of Trains
by the Roads Left No
Recourse.

BUFFALO, \. Y, Aug. 24.-At mid
hight tonight Frank Sweeney, the head
of the switchmen's order. officially re
cognized the fact that the strike move
ment of switchnen. which was inaugu-
rated twelve days ago in this city, had
failed. In the official terms OF the order
the strike was declared off.
The men who were formerly en-
ployed as switchmen in the railway
yalds here will before daylight be
notified by their local officials that the
purpose for which they cult their en-
ployment has not been accom-
plished and that they are now at
liberty TO get back their places
if they can. The beginning of the
end of what was until last Sunday an
almost general strike of sWitciimen in
the Buffalo railroad yards was marked
by Mr., Sweeney's appeal to the heads
OF other orders of railway workers 10
meet him in conference in this city.
Mir. Sweeney was brought face 10 face
with the fact that. as stated in these
dispatches Sunday night, there was
No Longer Amy Strike
of switchmen in the Buffalo wards. The
fact that the companies had resumed
the natural conduct of their business
without the men who had left their en-
plOy with Mr.. Sweeney's sanction
pressed home to the grand master
workman the conviction that his local
followers had become no longer strck-
ing switchmen, but only idle men whose
work Is the throwing of switches but
whose position had been forfeited with
out profit to themselves.
ETheir leader Was brought to realize
by daily developments in the yards
that, if his men were saved at ali, some
power beyond his resources or theirs
must be invoked. AT this point fact
should be stated which has not before
been made public as one of the ham
pering conditions which entered into
the problem Mr.. Sweeney had set him
self TO solve. The finances of his order
are exceedingly limited. The organiza-
ton is without reserve fund and with
out money. The leader who has been
trying here to win against the railroads
has found DOW how necessary is bank
account in an organized effort of labor
Tor new conditions which are not ac-
ceptable to railroads with large money
reserve.
Recognized Defeat.
Thus at the close of the week. with
the physical fact of rene wed traffic
movement by the railroads confronting
him, and without an official bank ac-
count at bis command, Mr.. Sweeney
knew that his cause was lost. He
turned. as a last resort, toward the
other organizations Of railway workers,
and his invitations 10 Messrs. Sargent,
Clark, Arthur. Wilkinson and Thurston
were the visible indications that the
switchmen must confess defeat without
fraternal aid.
Before noontime today each of these
labor leaders. save Messrs. Arthur and
Thurston. was in the city. Already
Mr.. Sargent had Informed Mr.. Sweeney
that his men would not come out unless
the men of ali other railway Or
ders also co-operated. Mr.. Wilkinson,
the trainmen's chief. had not met
MIR. Sweeney since their memorable
meeting al Terre Haute. and his aid
could scarcely be reckoned upon on
other than grounds of absolute justice
10 his own men. while Mr.. Clark. of
the conductors, had already stated the
men Of his order bad no grievance of
their own.
The Deciding Trio.
Such was the situation when at 4
O'Clock this afternoon three men
ascented the stairs OF the Hotel Bros
leau and proceeded TO room overlook
ing the depot and passenger yards of
the New York Central. One of the
three iuen sauntering slowly along the
hallway-a spare. light-mustached man.
about thirty years OF age, whose short
cropped hair is already gray, whose
face is sharp. and whose sharp. blush
white eyes conceal all expression of
impulse was Master Workman Swee-
ney, OF The Switchmeu.
Another one of the trio was an eX-
ceedingly tall man with plain. broad
brimmed hat. whose crown had no dent
or crease: whose eyes were blue and
whose entire face indicated conscious
strength, with kindly impulses very
near the surface. That was the leader
of the organized trainmen of the United
StateS-Master Workman S. Z. WiikIn-
son.
The other OF the three men was of
medium height, attired mostly IN black,
under whose Derby hat appeared a
strikingly handsome face, black nous
tache. brown eyes and nose based
strongly. The sort of a man he was.
when he had business on hand, was to
60 right to the point without buster.
excitement or hesitation. and that was
Chief Clark. of the Brotherhood of
Railway Conductors.
They Have Vital Talk
Arriving al the room occupied by Mr..
Sargent, of the firemen. that gentleman
received them at the Threshold. ushered
them in and closed and bolted the door.
Some one from within also shut the
transom. There was little formality in
the procedure of conference. Mr..
Sweeney was asked at once
to set forth the position in
which he and his men were placed. He
did so at length and in detail At the
conclusion of Mr.. SWeeney's statements
Mr.. Sargent reiterated what he had
already stated, that his men should not
go out on a sympathetic strike unless all
railway organizations did so. If this
was case WHICH demanded that n
eral issue should be made by all organ
lied railway labor, then he would be In
the line with his firemen: otherwise the
fremen would be kept boiling water.
MIR. Clark stated that the conductors
had nc grievance. and that. while they
believed the demands Of tne sWitchmen
were just. there would be no strike of
conductors, save it was to redress
wrongs to the conductors. MIR. Wilkin-