The morning times., 1896-07-06
Dismissed Metropolitan Men to-
Answer TleIr Employers. d
ASK PUBLIC TO JUDGE
Executive Board of the Street Rail-
way Assembly Meets and Decides
on It's Policy-They Note Defects
In the Argument of the Directors.
Men Did No Lobbying.

III Tile week an Official reply to the state
ment Of the board OF directors Of the Metro
| politan Railway, which was made public
| on Saturday. 1t il known that the directors
will have another meeting On Wednesday y.
tits not known In what manner the reply
to the directors will be made, but the
executive board state positively that
no neaDs will be used except those OF
reason and fair play. The position OF the
executive board and the Street Railway
Assembly was given In the statement pub
lished yesterday in The Times.
The men are ut a loss to know what the
directors mean by "agitatioD' and arous-
Ing discomfort among the employees OF the
company. 1t is well known that the agita-
tion OF the assembly consists only In the
| Invitation TO other employees to join the
assembly, which is merely beneficial
organization, and the directors in their
statement disclaim any hostility to it.
They say that there have been two oc-
casions OF agitation, one which was fol-
| lowed by the F street strike In 1894,
| and the other more recently on the Ninth
street line. In both of these cases the
company, or rather Mr.. Phillips, admitted
| that the men were right, and granted their
requests. II the men were agitating for
| discomfort and such was known to the
directors, as they say, for eighteen
MONTHS" 1t was as much an offense dur
ing that whole period as it is now, and
| set the men were not disturbed for eighteen
months.
| TOO LATE FOR THAT PLEA.
They argue that, If the company believed
| all along that the men were sewers of dis
| content, 1t would have acted promptly long
ago. Is it has exhibited in this case the dis
position TO act arbitrarily and without CIV
| ing the men the right OF trial which is
| generally conceded TO all citizens.
They further say that 1t is the most un-
Likely thing in the world that the men who
have been discharged should, as intimated
by the directors, have been engages par
ticulariy ''since the adjournment of Con-
gress' in agitating against the company
because the new underground trolley is
about to be put into operation and they
would not be foolish enough TO afford the
pretext to the company to get rid of hem
1t also seems peculiar to the discharged
men that the directors should say that
they were particularly obnoxious after
the adjournment of Congress- The way
they explain this is that IL the directors
had charged that they were obnoxious be-
fore the adjournment OF Congress, there
would have been no reason why the men
should not have been discharged while
Congress was In session. But, If this had
been done. the men would have had the
right to go before the District Committees
and demand an investigation and 1t is
clear from the MESA ges OF the Congress-
men who have spoken on the subject that
they would have got such an investigation
in short order.
They, therefore, see the reason why the
directors SO shire wdly, as they thought, put
in the clause stating that the chief cause
of offeDse arose otter Congress had ad-
jourDed. And again the statement of tile
directors that this gravest offeDse took
place after the adjournment of Con ngress dis
proves conciusively the statement by one of
the directors that they were discharged for
opposing legislation during the session of
Congress.
: The general opinion among the men is
that the directors have put themselves in a
hole, out of which 1t will he very difficult
to crawl. The complete refutation of the
charge that the men made themselves OBJ
poxioGs to the company by interfering in
legislation will be found in the letter of
Senator Faulkner given below, being one of
a great many received at X. of L. head
quarters yesterday from members Of the
House and Senate.
BACKED BY CONGREssMEN.
Charles Curtis telegraphs that he had
wired Mr. Phillips ana hopes that the men
had been reinstated.
George C. PeDdleton of Texas telegraphs
Mr.. Phillips that if tn es tory is true he need
not expect favors from Congress-"
Senator Paseo says thai The men must
be protected from the exercise OF arbitrary
power" and that, il injustice has been
done, there will be disposition on his
part in the future, when the officers of
the company come up for consideration
and further legislation, to restrain and
limit their power SO far as it can properly
be DONE"
John B. Corliss says: II am watching
with interest the controversy and will
remember tie conduct Of tine company with
reference to future legislation"
II. Griffin says to Mr.. Phillips that his
is mot a private business, by reason Of
which you might claim its management
to be beyond the pale Of public concern"
BE says that ''if the company attempted
legislation, the purpose Of which was
directed against the interest of your en-
ployes, and in defense of their own rights
they succeeded In defeating any measure
Of this kind, it is right which your
company would claim under like circum-
stances and you should also concede that
right to them without any penalty or
punishment in consequence Of their acts"
He hopes that II in Justice has been done
the case will be reconsidered.
REFuTED By Faulkner.
Senator Faux ner says that although
he opposed the Metropolitan Railway leg
islation, he would state that mo member
of any labor organization or any employe
of your company called upon me to sug-
gest or urge that should oppose it or any
legislation in the interest of your company,
and am satisfied that an investigation
by you will demonstrate, beyond question,
that these parties did not attempt to inter
fere with the line OF policy attempted to
be engrafted upon that bill 1.-THE Eckingtonl
by your road"
He asks for a full opportunity for the
men to be heard.
Senator Pritchard asks for a reinstate-
ment.
C. N. Brumm admits the right of the
company to make discharges at will, but
II it is done in hostility to labor organ
izations, he would be in favor of taking
away their privileges.
A. Miner says that the right OF the men
to belong to lator organizations cannot
be denied, and asks that the men be rein
stated.