Year: 1877

The Original Plan Of the HaiirOaa Em-


pieyes.


IN. Y.Times.J


BALTIMORE, Aug. Sin the course OF
conversations with the most intelligent
representatives could discover ia the
different branches OF labor, tone Of
sullen discomfort was the most observa-
bic feature. Naturally. my first inquf-
ries were among the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad employees who had either
refused to return to work or whom the
company had refused to take back, i
found knot OF them at farorite rem
dezvous--a tavern close by the water side
la South Baltimore-and listened for q
half hour to their complaints and
their threats Of what might be done In
the future to cripple the railroad. There
was not much to be- gained from them,
but i learned OF an engineer who had
quit the road, and who was spoken OF
as the man to see on the subject. +
found him, and his views OF the whole
labor question were interesting enough
to warrant reproduction. He is q man
Of more. than ordinary intelligence,
keen and quick in his talk, and has q.
way about him that conveys the impress
sion that he is anything else but an en-
thusiastie and ignorant fool He said.
In tho first place. that he had left the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad because,
under the 10 per cent redetion, no
could not earn enough TO support hiH
large family decently, and he thought
he could find more profitable employ
ment elsewhere. Z But he soon dropped
personal matters and went on to more
strike, he said that IL had been unwisely
precipitated. Away back in tho spring
the railroad hands on the trunk lines
had been convinced that their wages
| were to be cut down, and there had
been interchanges OF opinion among
| them MS to what should be done.
why" said my informant, I'VE had
delegates here Ia Baltimore from tho
PenDsylyania, the Central, and the Erie,
them, and the whole thing was
thoroughly talked over before any
orders for the reduction had been given
from either Scott, Vanderbilt, Jewett or
Garrett. There were conferences here
and In Pittsburg and In Jersey City, and
the railroad officials, with all their
smartness and their detectives, never
dreamed Of what Was going on right un-
der their noses. Well, the upsi1ot OF 1t
all was that there was o general UNDER
standing that there should be grand
strike against the reduction OF pay.
Now, young fellow, | am going to tell
you something that none of the news
paper men have got hold Of yet. We
had no notion Of striking in the summer.
All OF US old railroad men knew that the
companies would have the whip hand
OF us then, because there would be-
little business doing, and they
could get along with the blacklegs and
| the green hands. Our programme was
to accept the reduction without q mur-
muir, work straight along until the fall
business was at it's height, then to do
mand an increase OF pay from Garrett,
Scott, Vanderbilt and Jewett, and IL 1t
was not at once granted, to strike as
quick as q stroke OF lightning, and drop
trains wherever they might be at any
point along any road. We think we
would have won the fight ON that, but
the freight firemen and brakemen on the
Baltimore and Ohio knocked the whole
plan to flinders by striking too soon. I
don't know that / can blame them,
for the company wanted to send them
up the road on starvation wages, and
then make them eat up what little pay
they got while they were waiting for q
train back but Ii they could have stood
1t until October, We should all have pat
| In our big licks at once on every road,
and no soldier would have saved the
companies then. or course, when the
strike commenced here, the men on the
other roads were prematurely dragged
| luLO Ii DcIOTc our arrangements were
made, and so l may say that for the
present we have been whipped in detail,
while as unit we would have
been invincible." Your correspond
ent endeavored to draw this man
out by questions as to whether
the original intentions OF the confeder-
ates might not yet be carried out by a.
simultaneous strike later in the year,
but on this point he was wary. ALI he
would say was that people who thought
the trouble was ended had made an
immense mistake. The roads had all
promised the men that they would get
more pay when business became better.
| "Now," said he, I'VE know well enough
that in the fall business will be a great
deal better, and all the roads will be-
earning money. II the men consent to
be starved, that stockholders may be
paid their 10 per cent dividends, then
they are bigger fools and towards than
/ take them to be"