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Show singled out for endeavoring in hecu.ro I the passage of the above mentioned la w. After thoroughly investigating tie j causes which led to the strike, and after j making every vfioit in their power to ; induce the company to arbitrate or submit sub-mit to an Investigation the question nt issue, namely, w hether tho men were discharged because they were knights of labor and for the. purpose of destroying destroy-ing their organization, as they believe or maintain, or for just cause and proper reasons, as the officials of the company allege. "The general executive board have, by unanimous vote determined to stand by tho men, who, whether their strike is opportune or not. had no alternativ e consistent with their manhood. I have no doubt but it is the determination of the management to destroy the organization organi-zation along the lino of tlio New York Central unless tiie organization suliscr-vcntly suliscr-vcntly bends the kneo to the will of the Yanderbilts. "lMiringthe controversy, Toucey and Webb stated, and repeated the statement, state-ment, that the men were not discharged because they were knights, and that they expected the public to believe them simply bee auso they say so. Both of I these gentlemen deny certain things in relation to their conversation n it It me, which both levl'm and myself are pro-pared pro-pared to make allidavitto. "Kvcrything that could in honor be done lo terminate the strike on an honorable basis for theso men was done and lite alternative of unconditional and absolute surrender on the part of the men, or a protest against, the tyranny of the railroad officials was presented to us. 1,'nder I lie circumstances, circum-stances, such a surrender would bo unmanly. un-manly. It would Iih cowardly and unworthy un-worthy of the scores of men who, on two hemispheres, struggled and died V'Olt TIIV. IlllillTS OK III VIAMIV. " We did not seek tho quarrel. The general executive board kuuw nothing of il until il was thrust uxm them, Now thr.l we havo to fane il, wo ask the entire order of knights of labor to come to our assistance with means to win the strike. We havo to tight a power which owes its lofty bearing to the wealth it has tilled up from tho labor of tho employes em-ployes of the road. Untold millions arc at its command, and wo want money to carry on the struggle. Wo not only ask the knights of labor to come to our aid, but we ask if of all the members of all organized labor. We not only nsk of labor organizations, but we ask of the great public, away beyond our organization of labor to come to our side. "We are lighting against a power far more dangerous than that, which laid down its arms at Yorktowii one hundred hun-dred years ago. Their light was against one king. Today il is against a hundred, hun-dred, one of w hom In an tfter-diniicr speech not long ago, said: ''There are lifty men in this country . . . WHO HAVK IT IN TIIEIK l'OWEU to control tho currency of the United States, control her commerce, and at, a day's notice slop every w ieet in Ihrt whole territory of the Uu .;d Stales.' Thn struggle is far inorr.momunlous than it was during the American revolution. revo-lution. Then our fathers fought for liberty; nw-we are. lighting to maintain main-tain it; then tho enemy was itOOU miles away; today he is entrenched in our own dominions. 11c has lingers around our legislature; he stands at tlio doors of congress to bar out legislation in tho interests of the masses; he presumes to dictate to the executive of tho nation; lie attempts to strangle and corrupt the judiciary, and he does all these by no shadow ' of divine right, but by tho power of money, wrung from the bend-ing bend-ing backs of the railway laborer; wrung from the mortgages of the farmers tif the land; w rung from the business in-terests in-terests of America; wrung from tho very heart of tho best and noblest of ualious. "It is against such a power as this, a power that cares for no right but its own, that we struggle, and whether we win or lose, tho present battle will go on until that power is weakened forever or tho public is 'damned.' The real iinimbs of this strike lies in the fact that our order has been struggling with questions which C'OM'KHN THE CONTIIOI. OK THL'SIS, corporations, and syndicates by the government of thn people. Tint allied forces of tho knights of labor and farmers' farm-ers' alliance are marching on to Washington, Wash-ington, to secure legislation favorable to tin; whole people. They are going there to secure tho repeal of certain unjust un-just laws which stand in the way of orocrress and w hich antagonize justice, A IITeIIL ill, The Renowned Labor Agitator Cuts Loose On Webb and tie New York Central Railroad. . HIS FERVENT APFEAL TO ARTHUR, Demanding an Expression as to His Stand In the Mighty Struggle Being Enacted, Xkw Yoiik. Aug 23. At a lale hour last night tho following circular, issued by T. V. Powdcrly, was given to the newspapers for publication: "For somo time, tho management of tho New York Central & Hudson Hud-son Uiver railroad has been discharging employes who have been activ e in labor affairs, it happens that all who have been dismissed are members of the order or-der of knights of labor, and havo, at one time or another, been ollicers of the order, or have served on committees vvhicji waited on officials with a view lo presenting grievances. These discharges became so frequent and were so clear evidence of settled purpose on tho pari of tho company lo disrupt and destroy the organization of Iho knights of labor upon the Central system, that tho executive exec-utive board of district ast-'cruhly 2-M, in which tho knights of labor upon the system are enrolled, found il necessary to call a special MliKTlNIi TO CONSIDKlt TJ1H SITUATION. "In the meantime the general executive execu-tive board, having been apprised of the condition of affairs, sent one of its members, J. J. Holland, to New York, w ith instructions to use all possible efforts ef-forts to bring about an amicable adjustment adjust-ment of the difficulty. "On his arrival in New York, Holland, Hol-land, after a conference with a representative repre-sentative of the district assembly, in the course of which he obtained full knowledge of tho trouble from tho stand point of the men, waited upon Vice President Webb. Holland stated to Webb that ho had called upon him to endeavor lo adjust the unpleasantness existing between the, company and its knights of labor employes. Webb domed do-med that there was any trouble existing between the company and its employes. Holland told him that he, as a member of the general executive board, knights of labor, had come at tho request of the men, made through the organization organiza-tion to which thay belonged, district assembly as-sembly 2411.'' ....... Webb brusquely declared that he would not discuss the matter w ith any one not an employe of the company, ANH CLOSKl) TUB ISTEKVIKW. r "Finding nil efforts to elfect a peaceable peace-able settlement of their grievances impossible, im-possible, and being convinecd that it was only a question of (into and convenience con-venience of tho company when they would otto and all be, discharged unless they forfeited their manhood and abandoned aban-doned the privilege lis citizens of a free country by renouncing their right to join their fellows in an organization calculated to protect their just rights without intruding on those of others, the district executive board had no alternative al-ternative but to order a strike, which they did. The public is already acquainted ac-quainted with the details of tho affair, and a repetition is scarcely necessary. ."Tho most earnest and sincere efforts of the general ollicers lo secure a hearing hear-ing for tlio discharged men were unavailing. un-availing. The correspondence which passed between the gcucral master workman and Webb has been published. pub-lished. Wednesday morning, August 30th, John Devlin, of the general executive execu-tive board,' and myself, waited on 'J'ouccy, general superintendent, and endeavored to have the matter arbitrated arbi-trated or investigated. Toucey WAS KMl'tlATKJ J.N HIS ItKl-'LSAl.. "On the afternoon of that day Webb was visited by tlie same gentlemen, and l. ,.ntnr;t Ot W tl t TollCPV liaii S.1.id lt was vistum uy wc mio (,v..... .. Iib reiterated what Toucey had said in the morning. It was suggested to him that disinterested parties hear and determine de-termine t he. question. It was also suggested sug-gested that during the investigation the strike be dcckaredsolT and tho investigation investiga-tion proceeded with. That was refused, "Thou tho following proportion - was I made by tin';- 'Webb, could you not sit.dovv ii with me in the presence of the j men who were discharged, and allow j me to question them in your presence, j so that 1 might know the facts of the, case and bo belter able to arrive at a j decision?' This Webb emphatically re- j fused. '; ' , , , ,! "Devlin then said: 'Do I itndeistaml : von to assume, that the public and the j employers have no rights that you arc j bound' to consider, and do you look upon up-on the matter simply as though the railroads rail-roads wen: your , own property V Because, Be-cause, if you take that view of it, there is no need of our saying anything further.' fur-ther.' "Webb hesitated and took refuge in i silence. ' The public may Iujvp formed erroneous erro-neous impresstons'of. the knighH of la- j ilrorin the controversy. We do uot j j prepaid lo dictate to the company that it shall not discharge employes, but, in allfairne.". thd discharged man should-be should-be told ' , i WHY HE 15 PtSMISSm During the session of the last state j legislature the knighLs of labor of Sew j York were active in the passage of the I weekly pay bill.' A committee of; knitrhts. representing the employes of j tne'Xew York Central, were faced in ; the legislature committee room at Ai- ; bany by the attorney of the railroad, i and browbeaten, questioned and tor- j rorized. j Some of the members of that com. j niittee who were at the time employed j by the New York Central, were dts- j charged without cause, or. rather without with-out any given cause. There exists not j the shadow of a doubt in the mmd of! that committee that these men were j I It is with tho hope of turning our atteti-I atteti-I tion away from these matters that this warfare is made upon the allied forces. It is to weaken us when wo can do them tho worst harm and the country the greatest amount of good that these attacks at-tacks are visited upon us. j 'The order and law-abiding conduct of tho men on the strike has won Out admiration of the public, and yet the best feelings of the community havo been destroyed by Iho introduction of ait armed force, under Hubert Tinker' ton, the man who boldly holds no com-mission com-mission from the state or nation to recruit re-cruit or arm men for military duly. Had the interests of the state of New York required it, there are many thoits. amis of old veteran soldiers wit bin her borders Will) K A It. 11 Itl.ATll a quarter ot century ago. It was not necessary to call upon them, and yet a hireling mob of the worst characters in the laud has been quartered upon the people of New York, to terrorize ber citizens, lo provoke them to anger and wrath, lo shoot down those who asked for Iho right lo be beard In tlu-ir own beh-.lf. The uiiehrNliati attitude of the New York ctitral otlicials is lu st iilu-i iilu-i rated bv the manner in which they j violate the laws ol the land Dnrtng this strike RoU-rt Pinkerton it on aicnt I of thai railroad company. His aHvcr-l aHvcr-l ises for men : thpy respond and are hired without regard to the qualifications qualifica-tions f'f manhood Apparently the i biotealon') is sought for, anil tjeh creatures will do any deed of desperation. despera-tion. "Adolph Pollcshek came toNewxork August and made affidavit thai he was hired in w York by the Sevr s York Central company as a watchman ami sent to .Ub:-.ny, and upon, arrival there was handed a commission appoint- f ing him a deputy sheriff, without j j-nse to the county, . j AVI I.IVI.S A I LI B ANO rihTOL, ! anil told to use them. 1'olleshek could j scarcely speak thfc KngUsh language, t Jt will tie well to a-k any blank com missions with the sheriff's name til- j taehed are placed al the disposal of, Roliert l'iiikerton to ! placed in ..the ; hands of ignorant men. who believe, ' Hvifiiuci'! fiftii vv.) ' A POWDERLY R0AST7 Continued Irotn First pape. that under this authority thev have the right to shoot citizens to deaih. "In order to test this case still further to learn if all citizens would receive the same treatment, 1 telegraphed Sheriff rappan of Rcnnesselaer county, asking mm if he would swear in two hundred deputies to protect the lives of our members. He replied that he did not think the present situation would warrant war-rant the appointments. " W. Walter Webb applauds the action ac-tion of Pinkerton in shooting, aud savs they did right. W. Walter Webb never did one stroke of work to acquiro the wealth he now abuses. It came to him by inheritance and he does not fully appreciate it, but regards it as something some-thing to be used for himself alone. The elder Vanderbilt Was a workman aud kucw Something about the feelings of the man who toils. It was during his day that the record of the New York Central for its generous treatment of workmen was made, and not under the present management. 'The conduct of the men since the strike began has been most orderly aud commendable, and until it closes no knight of labor will be found in an Unlawful fret of airy kind. We are pledged to maintain the law. Wo will obey tho legal commands of the state, but not those of a corporation WHICH DEFIES PUBLIC OHNIOX and has no regard for justice when dealing with its employes. Conciliation Concilia-tion and arbitration can deal with the most intricate question of dispute." "The knights of labor hold themselves them-selves in readiness now, and will continue con-tinue to hold themselves ready to yield to the will of the people in this matter. The company, on the other hand, holds itself above and superior to public opinion. opin-ion. I would here ask the men still in the employ of tho New York Central & Hudson River railroad, whether it be not to their interest to stand by and support those men who iro striking to vindicate the common right to organize. The general executive board will conduct con-duct this contest with all their ability, within the law, and without violence. To do this we require funds and that at once. Public spirited citizens who believe be-lieve in fair play, ore asked to contribute contrib-ute to a liberty fund in aid of tho striking strik-ing employes of tho New York Central & Hudson River railroad. Send all contributions to John W. Hayes, 814 North Broad street, Philadelphia, Pa. T. V. Powderly, G. M. W. K. of L. |