Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-05
Strike Situation on Wabash
Turns Into a Legal
Battle.
TO SEEK DISSOLUTION
Attorneys for Employees Are Prepar-
ing Affidavits to Be Filed in Case
President Ramsey Declares He Does
Not Oppose Labor Organizations.

st. Louis, March 5.-The Wabash
strike situation is resolving itself into
a legal battle for the dissolution of the
injunction granted two days ago by
Judge Adams. The attorneys for the
firemen and t1ainmen are still at work
on affidavits, to be filed in court, show
ing why the restraining order should
not be made permanent. Grand Mas
ter Morrissey is of the opinion that the
motion and affldavits may not be filed
today.
May Go Out.
The possibility of the Wabash fire.
men and trainmen striking as individ
uals without waiting for the word from
their leaders is now being discussed.
1t is stated that the men are ready to
so out at moments notice.
Statement of Ramsey.
President Ramsey admits the grav-
| ity of the situation in his letter to the
members of the Wabash last night, in
which he says:
The crisis now existing On the Wa
bash line is a very grave one not only
| to the Wabash company and it's en-
ployes, and to other railway compan-
les and their employees, but also to
the commercial and industrial inter-
|. ests of the country, as q strike on
the Wabash would in all probability
spread TO large number of other
roads and would involve not only all
organizations of railway employees, but
/ other labor organizations, and the re-
/ suits might he SO serious that the
great anthraeite coal strike would
dwindle into insignificanee. Therefore
I i deem it wise to keep the employees
i all over the system and the public cor
! rectly advised Of the exact facts re-
Z garding the matters at issue. For this
reason only | make reply to some mis-
Z statements lnadc by Mr. Morrissey in
! the morning papers.
/ The first is personal to the president
4 of the Wabash. Mr. Morrissey says:
/ For years he (Mr. Ramsey) has
/ boasted OF his contempt for labor cr-
\ ganizaticns. He liked the distinction
/ it brought him of being the one man
4 aging officer in this section who could
! get along without them. Every pre-
vious effort of the employees to meet
anil deal with him has proved futile"
Declares it Untrue.
This statement is absolutely without
truth. | have never expressed con
tempt for labor organizations" 1
may have for some hot headed leader
who advocates the rule or ruin pol
icy. On the contrary, | have frequent
/ ly said to labor leaders. members and
others that | had no objection to them
i when properly and conservatively con-
lducted and when they did not abso-
4 lutely ignore individual rights or obli-
/ cations. There are hundreds Of organ.
/ ization men on the Wabash who know
this; there are dozens who were re-
4 employed by me after the strike of
1894 1.-TWO years before | became con-
i nected with the Wabash, who offered
to leave their association to get back,
to whom l said: THAT is not neces-
sary. | don't care what organization
you belong to, so you are reasonably
4 loyal to the company and good work
man" | have not discharged or de-
Eclined to employ any one on account
lof membership in an organization.
1 The Wabash employees are treated as
men, with all their rights as indiyidll.
ais recognized, and as long as they rec
Iognize the rights of the other fellow
employees and give fair service to the
company they have a right to join any
church or political, IA
Dor or other kind-they wish.
Morrisscy Declines to Reply.
In speaking of Mr.. Ramsey's state
ment and of the general situation, p.
H. Morrissey, grand master of the
trainmen, said last night:
All have to say regarding Mr.. Ram
sey's statement is that don't care to
enter into wordy contest with Mr..
Ramsey, because it would not inter-
J est the public, and l do not think it
would be profitable to either of us.
!, The public has my statement as well
as his, and can judge between the two.
!, My statement was based on absolute
facts and can be verified if necessary.
HAD CLOSE CALL.