The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-15

that the city OF scranton furnish vou adequate
protection or "a sufficient force Of men" TO pro.
tect the workmen Of the Delaware. Lackswanna
and Western Railroad company and allow them
to perform their work without fear Of molesta.
tion, in reply would say;
As | understand the duties Of tho recorder Of
the city of scranton and the obligations that
the city Of scranton is under 10 corporations and
individuals alike, some overt action must occur
on the part Of the individual or individuals,
thereby creating riot tending 10 destroy life or
property or preventing the full exercise Of the
individual rights Of the citizen, before the city
can call out its police fofce or any other au-
thotity that It may have al us command 10
suppress such riot. As understand the condi.
ton that now exists in the affairs Of the Della.
ware, Lackawanni and Western Railroad com.
pany the men who are at the present time in
its employ in going 10 and from their work
are met by various individuals and arc solicited
u refrain from work; in many cases violent
language and cpithcts are used, their lives are
threatened. creating fear In their minds suf
hcient in many cases to cause them TO refuse
10 work The rights Of the individual Ia work
or not TO work have never been questioned under
the constitution by any reasonable person. The
man who works enjoys the same full rights as
the man who will not work and intimidates,
and IL seems IN me the workman IL he will in a
legal way present TO the proper authorities the
names OF those who attempt 10 intimidate him.
ing to protect him in the full rights OF his clt.
zcnshp.
believe YOU will agree with me when I say
that Il should attempt 10 carry out the request
Of your petition, 1t would he necessary for the
city Of Scranton n furnish bodyguard for every
individual workman Of your company. That is
impossible for me TO do. I beg TO assure you,
however, that this administration stands ready
at any and all times to protect the property
Of the corporation or individual alike; but IL
requires an overt action on the part Of those
who disregard the law before the local authori.
ties can intervene. ! an
Very respectfully yours,
". l.. Connell, City Recorder.
CONTENTS OF BILL.
The full text of the company's bill
of complaint would fill four columns.
1t recites the incorporation and pur-
poses of the company, states the kind
and amount of business il does. sets
forth how necessary il is, not only to
the company, but the public which it
serves, that its operations should not
be hampered, outlines the history Of
the strike and the evidence leadiD; up
to it and concludes by telling of the
alleged illegal acts performed by the
strikers to prevent the company from
carrying out its charter rights.
Among the acts specifically COM
planned of are: Calling the workmen
opprObious names; assaulting the
workmen; gathering in large crowds
about the company's premises to In
timidate and Coerce the employees re-
naming at work, and others who want
to return to work; stoning the houses
of these men, sending them threaten
ing letters and attempting to lure
them from their homes at night to do
them bodily harm; making threats to
the wives and children of the work.
men; stoning the company's prop
| erty and threatening to destroy it,
and intimidatng and coercing mer-
chants and others from patronizing
the company.
In one paragraph of the billl it is set
| forth that the company has 600 work.
men quartered at the shops.
The car builders of Local union, No.
| 1904, held a special meeting at 10
| C'cjock. yesterday morning. in Car
penter's hall. f. c. Newcomb. attor-
ney for the union was directed to ap-
| pear at the Injunction hearing next
| Thursday to oppose the perpetuating
| of the TEMPORARY decree.
w
| The car builders will make denial of
the allegations that they have done
the several unlawful acts charged
| against them in the injunction bill.
| From the very outset of the strike,
they say, they have carefully avoided
anything leading to the creation OF
| disorder and the strikers have been
| time and time again warned by their
! leaders against trespassing on the
| company's property or using any vio-
lenCe or intimidation against the men
! al work.
If there have been unlawful acts,
| they say, it is not the strikers, but
misguided, over-zealous sympathizers
who have been guilty of them.
1t is not to prevent the enjoinng
of the acts complained of in the in
| junction that the strikers will oppose
the injunction but to show that there
is no necessity for an injunction OF
any kind against the men to whom
this injunction is directed.
In this connection, il is claimed by
the strikers, that many of the men
who have been made defendants in the
injunction proceedings have had nc
active part in the conduct of the strike
| llOI even lt llle fAlflll VI
the headquarters.
The machinists will have a mass
meeting az Carpenters hall, at II
O'Clock this morning, to review the
| situation.
At the regular meeting of Scranton
Typographical union, No. 112, yester.
day afternoon, 500 was voted to the
aid of the striking car builders and
machinists.