Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-14
iSSUE A STATEMENT
Knights Of Labor on the Metropolitan Rail
road Affairs.
The Proposed Boycott to Be Started
General Secretary Hayes Has
Returned to the City.

= General Secretary-TreaSurer John w.
Hayes of the general executive board Of the
Order of the Knights Of Labor at an early
hour today reached Washington on his re-
turn from the west, where he has been for
two weeks past, and a little later held
conference with the executive board Of the
Street Railway Assembly In reference to
the pending railway troubles with the
Metropolitan company.
After the conference dissolved the follow
ing statement. addressed ITO the people
of Washington" was given to a Star re-
porter:
Their Statement.
The members of the Street Railway As
sembly. L. A. 1886. having by every fair
means at their disposal tried to secure JUS
tice from the Metropolitan Street Railroad
Company, hereby appeal to the people of
Washington for their moral support and
assistance In securing justice.
''On the 18th of June twelve of the off,
GERS and members of L. A. 1896 were dis
charged from the employ Of the Metropoli-
tan Street Railroad Company. and from
that time until now no reasons has been
given for their discharge. 1t Is true that the
company. through the secretary OF the
board Of directors, has presented q screed
to the public purporting to give reasons
for such discharge. but no fairminded per-
son can read 1t and not be more fully con-
WINGED that the company has taken an un-
fair and un-American stand.
In the document referred to the COM
pany claims. first, that these men Were not
discharged for being members of the
Knights of Labor. but follows this s-ate-
ment by giving as reason for thei- dis
charge that for the last eighteen months
these men have agitated, ETC. Now, the
assembly has been formed for just about
this length OF time. and, Of course, rs was
perfectly natural. the officers tried to gain
hei mi 10
part of the duty Of a Knight Of Labor to
ag1tate. organize and educate, and they
would have been bad members and derelict
In their duty had they not done 30; they
would be doing what as men they had a
perfect right to do. and what duty COM
PEELED them to do. Again the statement
says: That since the adjournment Of
Congress these men have been particularly
active In fomenting dissatisfaction and in
subordinaticn. and in some instances at
tempting to terrorize the other employees.
This is another proof that the first
statement is lying and mischievous sub
terfuge. Since the adjournment of Con-
Eress. and, in fact. for some time previous
the assembly had been receiving large
numbers Of applications for membership.
and as spies of, the company undoubtedly
reported this fact to them, they concluded
that they would get rid OF the officers of
the LEGAL. and supposed that by such tao
sics the work OF the organization would be
stopped. Therefore this statement proves
that our claim that the men were dis
charged for being knights Of Labor is
true.
I'm regard to terrorising other employees
we will say that the conscience of a bad
man will always give him trouble and as
there were some of the employees who had
been members of the local and had either
failed to pay their just Dues defrauded
the assembly of money intrusted to them
or done other things not in keeping with
honesty. of course they feared to see the
organization grow, fearing that they
would have to give account of their
misdeeds. So much for that
THE whole statement is false and mis-
leading and no sensible person can be fool
ed by it.
''Since the discharge of the men we have
tried, and successfully, to prevent any
trouble from arising. We have persistenIy
endeavored to have the directors give us
a hearing, feeling that If this was done we
could prove our case, but this has been de-
MED US. There is nothing left now but to
ask all fair-minded citizens to refrain from
paIronizing this unfair corporation until
such time as they are willing to cease
using methods Of tyrants and use their
employees as Americans should be used
You can thus show your disapproval of
their actions and assist US to get Justice
I'VE live in the United States not in Rus
sia-the Constitution guarantees to us GER
tain rights, Life. liberty and the pursuit
Of happiness-equal rights to all, special
privileges to none
Help US to make the Metropolitan Rail-
road Company realize this.
by the Street Railway Assembly, L. A.
$780,