Strike bulletin. (Clinton, Ill.) 1913-1915, 1915-05-12
|kaQNT c. l. MARKHAM OF ILLINOIS CENTRAL
COMPANY SAYS FEDERATION OF SHOP CRAFTS
WOULD CREATE A TOO POWERFUL ORGANIZATION
RAnRoAD GNAt wEkEs AFTER
BY MEMBERS COMMISSION
(Witness c. n. Markham)

| WAYS that Mere dealing with the Fed
GRAFTON Unions organized on this plan
Mr.. Markham; do not know sir
Chairman Walsh And was fur
'h"r requested TO ask you II IL Is not
Tact that at present time there are
nfty two Railways that are dealing
With the Federated Unions organized
upon this same general plan
Mr. Markham: | do not know il 10 h.
Tact no sir may | add To that. how.
ever II II Is a fact and II keeps on
going they Will be- sorry they have
ever done IT.
Chairman Walsh Can YOU estimate
approximately the amount that has
been expended that this strike has cost
your company
Mr. Markham. Several million Of
dollars. could not attempt TO saw
how much
Chairman Walsh: Ii there any OF
flcial Of the company who has figured
out the costs OF the strike
Mr.. Markham No. We made up
our minds sir that IL was a Question
that had To be fought out. regardless
OF cost
from the doucuments YOU read into
the record. your fear OF the combina
ton becoming so strong and powerful
Was that II would have an influence In
the best interest of society In general
Mr.. Markham: Yes.
Commissioner OConneli That hy
the combination they would become *
traordinary strong as II were
Mr.. Markham. Yes
Commissioner o. Council Would II
be rather strong argument In favor Of
organization. a combination OF that
Kind of men,
~ XArk&aw The trouble with
II would Re too rnueh pose.- -. sss
hands Of few men and the question
IL whether they would excerise II
wisely or not Power never has been
exercised wisely. too much in the
hands OF any one man or set OF men
In the past and I doubt II II will ever
be. II will be- just as Injurious In the
hands OF the labor leaders as In the
hands OF the capitalists
Commissioner O'Connell SO the
real cause Of YOU opposition to meet.
ing the men as combination prior
TO the time the strike occurred or
after. was II that they had not given
what you considered the thirty DAYS
notice In accordance with the agree
ment OF the men. or Of the fear Of
Mr. Markham The real cause wss
the fear Of the combination. And Ne
justified our refusal 10 these men nv
putting before them the fact they had
not given the thirty DAYS notice. n
you want me to he frank. the real
cause was the fear Of putting too
much power into the hands Of the men
who would not use II wisely
Commissioner Garreison: You
stated n moment ago Mr. Markham
that the real underlying reason OF the
attitude OF your company was the
fear OF placing power In the hands OF
few men.
Mr. Markham: Yes sir.
Commissioner Garretson. Is II your
opinion that II Is more dangerous TO
place the power OF representing the
employees OF corporation like your
own In the hands OF few men than
IT Is to place the handling Of a proper.
" In the hands OF one or two or three
men,
Mr. Markham: Most decidedly.
Commissioner Garretson: Il the
m. VINO represents labor Of weaker
moral fiber or more OF n law breaker
tnan the man who represents cor.
poration'
Mr. Markham don't think so as
rule. sir but he Ia not answerable
~, h., I'LL ~
man Is.
Commissioner Garretson: whether
he IL answerable TO the same tribunals
is he not answerable TO the same
moral tribunals +,
Mr. Markham: They ought to ans
wer 10 the same: ought TO be no dif.
ference.
Commissioner Garretson Well. do
they
Mr. Markham: l am afraid not
Commissioner Garreson In your
opinion which would suffer the most
II they did answer TO the same trib.
unals.
Mr.. Markham: That is too purely a
hypothetical question for me TO try
to answer.
Commissioner Garretson. You don't
mean that the morals are hypothe
tical' According to the Testimony
that has been given before this com
mission by all the representatives OF
all the great financial groups Of the
country. the average man handling
an Industrial corporation or trans
portation Corporation. Is absolutely
unhampered by his Board OF Directors
He Is absolute. II there In your opin.
Ion, a greater incentive for a man who
stood rs the representative OF labor
men on q property like this to admin
lister that power less inteligently and
less honesty than the other man
Mr.. Markham: II depends on the
man. yes. Now lets take since you
are discussing that question and we
are sitting around q table rs II were.
lets take my own case. You know
something Of my history. OF how
came TO the Presidency OF the Illinois
Central Railroad. think that you
know that I have not forgotten how
To talk language Of the men still In
the ranks. now have the same
sympathetic feeling towards the
men occupying the subordinate posi-.
tons that I have ever had and the
same desire to have pleasant rela-