The Washington times., 1917-04-05
STRIKERS DENOUNCE
TRANSIT OFFICIALS
Unionists Reply to Charge That
They Have Incited Deeds
of Violence.

Officials. OF the Washington Rail.
way land Electric Company we're de-
nounced today at a meeting of the
Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electric Railway Employees for
accusing striking street car men of
melting violence. The meeting was
| in Typographical Temple. Addresses
were made by Edward McMorrow,
Frank O'Shea, George A. Wilburt, and
other union officials.
Nearly all the strikers, numbering
about 100, attended. Another meet.
| ing will be held tonight at o'clock
for pickets on day duty.
Denunciation OF the Amalgamated
Association by the traction company
overshadowed all other phases of the
strike. The strikers we're indignant.
Officials of the union said reports
they had received regarding a Con-
gressionaI investigation and action
on a bill for Government ownership
OF street railways systems were most
encouraging"
their IS strike benefit yesterday were
paid today.
UnionIsts Deny Charges.
George A wilburt, NJ. T. Slater, and
J. w. Cain. representing the Amalga-
mated Association OF Street and Electric
halfway Employees. issued the following
in reply to the company,s statement:
President C. p, King. of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company. in his
paid advertisement. seems to have done
what President Wilson said about the
n
has arrested, tried. and convicted fifteen
men before they have ever had a CHARGE
TO try their own cases IN court. He as
serted without the slightest shadow Of
foundation that they have confessed
their guilt. when he knows he doesn't
speak the truth.
The men who were arrested simply
said they were in the vicinity Of an &C.
currence on tire right Of March a. All
fhe talk about guns. holding up pas.
sengers and crew is a product OF Prssi-
dent Kings very vivid Imagination. and
has not the, slightest foundation in fact
II Is on a par with his assertion that
Chief Executive Board Member Edward
McMorrow offered 1900 reward IL the
company could prove that any member
OF the union was interested in any
demonstration and violence. Every man
who Is arrested, whether he Is guilty or
| not, Is put under boEd to assure his at
tendance at court.
Challenge to King.
I'VE defy President King, or any
officer Of his company. to prove that
any officer OF the Amalgamated Asso-
citation or OF our local union has at
tempted to incite our members to do
violence or commit crime. We were
entirely familiar with the history and
achievement Of the Amalgariated As
ISOLATION before We all became MEM
bers Of IL. and we know that during
the twenty-seven years of the exist
ehce OF the Amalgamated Association
not single one of its officers has
ever been arrested for attempting to
incite men to do violence or to COM
NIT any other crime. This proud
record Is true in spite of the attempt
of every street car railway company
in the country, where organization
was attempted. to destroy the reputa-
tion and the character OF the officers
OF the Amalgamated Association. and
sometimes to hire thugs and assassins
to blackjack them and make them,
suffer permanent injuries. the scars
of which many of them carry with
them.
president Kings quotation from
the Baltimore Sun of April 1, entitled.
Organizer Gets Six Years-Street
Car Union Official and His Aide Given
Terms is just as untrue as the rest
of his paid advertisement. Not one of
the three men mentioned in the Balti-
more sun article ever was a member
of the Amalgamated Association.
They were members OF the Brother
hood OF Electrical Workers. which
has absolutely no connection with
the Amalgamated Association. and
they themselves were on strike In
their organization at the time men,
toned in the article.
.DistrIbution OF Facts.-
president Kings quotation from the
New York Sun of March I6, entitled
Subway Dynamiter Bares Plot De
tails. is a distortion OF facts to at
tempt to prove that the Arhalgamated
Association always Incites violence.
THE HerlIhy mentioned in the art
icIe did turn States evidence against
George Pollock. who was on trial in
the supreme court of New York. Presi-
dent King omitted to state that the
Jury which heard Herlihy's testimony
paid so little attention to ii that they
acquitted Pollock.
president King was glad enough