New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-25
THE STRIKE DECLARED OFF
MR. SWEENEY ADMITS DEFEAT
LUCKLESS SwITCHMEN TOLD TO GET BACK
THEIR PLACES If THEY CAN.

|
CHIEFS OF OTHER RAILWAY oRGANIZATloNS
MEET IN CONFERENCE IN BUFFALO AND RE-
FUSE TO ORDER SYMPATHETIC sTRlkE-
oHrErs ARTHUR AND THURsToN NOT
rREsEyT-pRENCHED MLITIAMEN
A DYING STRIKERS ANTE
| MoRTEM STATEMENT.
| nr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBrSF.'
RufYalo. Aug. 24-At midnight tonight, MT
Sweeney, the head Of the Switchmens order OIL
cially recognized the fact that the strike oil
svitchmen which was begun twelve days ago
in this city, had failed In the official terms Oh
| tho order. tbe strike was declared off, The
mon who werc formerly employed as switchmeh
in the railway yards here will before daylight
be informed by their local officials that the pur-
pose for which they quit their employment mas
not been accomplished, and that they are now
at liberty to get back their places If they can
| The beginning Of the end of what was untii
last Sunday an almost general strike of switch
men in the Buffalo railroad yards was marked by
Mr. Sweeney's appeal to the heads OF other ohrders
of railway workers to meet him in conference
| H. this city Mr. Sweeney was brought face to
face with the fact that stated in these dis
patches Sunday night there was no longer any
strike OF switchmen in the Buffalo yards The
| evident fact that the companies had resumed the
natural conduct Of their business. without the
men who had left their employ with Mr.. Sweeney's
| Gram
Workman the conviction that his local follow
ers had become no longer striking switchmen'
but only idle men whose work is the throwing OF
switches, hut whose positions had been forfeited
without profit to themselves. Their leader was
brought to see by daily developments in the
yards that IL his men were saved at all some
power beyond his resources or theirs. must be
invoked.
At this point the fact should be stated when
has not before been made public as one Of the
hampering conditions which entered into the prob
| lem Mr. Sweeney had set himself To sove-thc
| finances Of his order are exceedingly limited The
organization is without reserve fund and without
money The leader, who has been trying here to
win against the railroads. has found how neces
sary Is a bank account in an organzed effort OF
| labor for the esta blshment Of rev conditions
which are not acceptable 10 railroads with large
money reserve Thus at the close Of last week,
with the physical fact Of renewed traffic move
mcnt by the railroads confronting him, and with
| out an official bank account at his command, Mr..
| Sweeney knew that his cause was lost lie
| turned as n last resort. toward the other organ
| izafions Of railway workers. and his invitations
| 70 Mcssrs Sargent Clark Arthur. Wilkinson and
| .kat @hA
sw,,olmen must confess defeat without fraternal
aid
Sweeney was discovered this morning at his
hotel in close conference with committee Of his
order. At II o'clock the door was opened and
waiting reporters called in.
"Gcntlemen," said Sweeney, Il declare this
| trouble over
lie was not going TO say any more. but close
| questioning dragged out Of him that he was
| directed by the committee TO declare the strike
| on
We can't fight against 5000 militia and n
dozen railroads." That was all he would say.
| RAINING on LUCKLtSS MTLlT1AMEN.
| II rains heavily tonight and the militamcn
on guard drcnchcd
| Grand Master Sargent OF the fremen Grand
Master Wilkinson, Of the trainmcn, and Grand
Master Clark Of the conductors, met at the Broc1el
House to-day at the urgent request OF Grand Mas
ter Sweeney, and each OF them positively
| refused 10 call ont the men in their respective
orders The conference lasted all the afternoon.
and after il was over Sweeney had disappeared.
H. il said he made his escape through the cellar
in order TO avoid reporters. The conference did
not even let him down easy, but said he had
oskcd them 10 strike and they had refused.
| Grand Master Sargent was seen at the Broezel
| House as soon as the long conference was over
Well he said, IL shall leave for home tonight
| on the Chicago limited
| The 6rcmcn are not going out, then
| "Wc hnve talked il all over. and looked at the
ou.stion from every side. and have decided that
| the fremen cannot join the switchmcn in Their
strike"
"Is this tho decision Of the conductors ana
trainmcn,, too?'
| that -
| "Is the swi,chmen's strike a failure. then?'
| well. said Mr. Sargent. smiling. THIS striSe
has been Of much benefit TO the newspaper mem
ANYWAY. II has also resulted in making II ap
parent that the various orders Of railroad men
must .ct together again. For two years. uh'ii
last .JuIv the Federation held them together but
tbc hest families have divorces sometimes
| think this strike will bring the switchmen IRE
men. trainmen, engineers and conductors into one
body something which have been devoting NY
| hest efforts TO bring about. Our Grand l"ugo
will hold a convention soon. and the subject VIII
be considered there without doubt"
Did you consider anything except the s'riNe
at your conference -
Nothing except that and the possibility oil re-
union.'
Grand Master Clark of the Order of Railway
Conductors, said I'VE told Mr.. Sweeney that a
sympathetic strike would be out OF the question
We can't 70 without grievance. Mr.. sweeney
talked to us all the afternoon about what line
| thing a strike would be from his point OF view