Annals of the great strikes in the United States

Interest in the Strikes—Kansas City—The Sedalia Trainmen—The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway—Hannibal and St. Joe—“Strike Smashers”—The General Tumult—Growing Quiet—The Decline—The End—Peace.

Within the limits of the great State of Missouri there are more than three thousand miles of railways. The companies operating these lines employ in the aggregate, more than fifteen thousand men. It was scarcely to be expected that all these would remain quiet while the whole country suffered from the throes of a social disturbance, unparalleled in the annals of our country’s history. But there were conditions which did exist elsewhere, which had no small influence in determining the position which the railroadmen, as well as other workingmen in the State. The companies operating the Missouri, Pacific, St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern, the St. Louis and San Francisco, and the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern lines, representing together more than two thousand miles of railway lines, by a consummately wise policy, very effectually cured the “striking disease” in its incipient stages.

In St. Louis, Mayor Overstolz was pursuing a conciliatory course with the workingmen, and evinced no disposition to precipitate a collision. There were not wanting among his advisers, men who were thirsting for a cheap notoriety, as heroes in a conflict, between the workingmen and the representatives of the constituted authorities. Happily for the city and for the State, the Mayor thought differently, and acted in a manner calculated to save the lives and protect the property of all classes. It must be stated, however, that the Mayor was not certain that he possessed the requisite force to suppress disorders, in case even a slight collision should take place in St. Louis, hence, it was that he actually sought the aid of the regular forces of the United States, not to suppress, but to prevent outbreaks. He believed that a strong force present in the city would prevent the necessity for an exercise of its repressive power.

In many places in the State, the authorities feared outbreaks. This was particularly true of the municipal officers of cities like Kansas City, Sedalia, Moberly, Hannibal, and St. Joseph. The Governor of Missouri was peculiarly devoted to precautionary measures. The State capital, Jefferson City, is a small place, unimportant as a railway center, and inhabited by comparatively few persons who depend upon employment on railways for a livelihood. Nevertheless, his Excellency, John S. Phelps, as early as Monday the 23d of July, directed Assistant General E. Y. Mitchell to provide a guard for the State Armory. The purpose was to protect State arms in case the few railroads in that place, or the Labor Union, or any other persons should engage in a riot, and endeavor to seize them. But the small population of Jefferson City did not afford a sufficient number of such evil-minded persons to organize a disturbance, and the Governor had the satisfaction of knowing that he had, at any rate, provided for an emergency that might have arisen, provided there had been any one disposed to engage in precipitating a collision. However, there were no such persons there, at least none who cared to let their views be known. The Governor rested in peace. The Penitentiary guards received instructions to be on the alert, and prepared to receive the rioters, should they appear. There had been no evidence of any disposition to engage in strikes, or otherwise disturb the social order of the city, and during the continuance of the troubles in other sections of the country, Jefferson City remained perfectly quiet.

The workingmen of Springfield, Missouri, a city in which extensive shops of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway are located, called a meeting on the evening of July 23d, at North Springfield. The call created no little apprehension among the good people of the city. But the meeting was held, a number of speeches were made, all couched in language at once admonitory and pacific. No harm came of it, and the class of alarmists and simpletons who showed their fears, felt heartily ashamed of their folly.

At St. Joseph, a terminal point for several lines of railway, there were a few days of great uneasiness among the people on account of the strikes engaged in by the employes of some of the railroads. The employes of the Hannibal and St. Joseph, the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs, and the Missouri Valley Railroads, were on a strike. There was a freight blockade, and even passenger trains were detained on some of the lines. The strikes began on the 24th, and continued until the 30th of July, when freight trains were moved as usual. During its continuance there were times of no little excitement, but it is but just to say, that there was not a single act of violence committed by the strikers while railway business was suspended.

At Kansas City, meetings of the employes of various lines of railways having their terminus at that city, were held on the 24th, and at noon all ceased to work. A crowd of some three hundred strikers took possession of the Union Depot, and held it. No freight trains were allowed to depart. During the afternoon of the same day, a band of some two hundred and fifty men were organized, and proceeded to go in procession to all the railroad shops, packing houses, founderies, elevators, and other places where large numbers of men were employed, and invited them to quit work and join in the general strike. In nearly every instance their invitation was accepted, and labor was generally discontinued in Kansas City.

Meantime the excitement in the city had become very great. A call was issued for the assembling of a mass meeting of citizens to take action concerning the threatened disturbances. At that meeting a Committee of Safety was appointed, and other measures looking to the preservation of the public peace and the protection of property. On the same evening the strikers met in council, and resolved that no more freight trains should be moved—at least for the time being.

The City Council met in secret session and passed a resolution providing for the appointment of a large number of special policemen, to preserve the peace and protect property. The next morning July 25th, the special force was assigned to duty.

All freight trains on all roads were stopped on the 25th. The strikers made their headquarters at the Union Depot. During four days the strikers held undisputed sway, and would not permit the movement of freight. On the 29th of July a consultation was held between the Executive Committee of the strikers, and an Arbitration Committee under the sanction of the railroad corporations, which resulted in the satisfactory adjustment of the pending disagreement between the railroad companies and their employes. During the afternoon of the same day the strikers held a mass meeting, before which the members of the Executive Committee laid a report of the action they had taken looking toward a compromise. The result was the passage of conciliatory resolutions declaring the desire of the strikers to see business resumed on all the railroads throughout the land, expressing confidence in the justice and fair mindedness of the railroad managers of that section, and appointing a committee to notify the Superintendents of all the railroad lines that they were ready to resume work the next day. Thus the strike closed at Kansas City. During those four days there were some exciting scenes, but not a single act of violence was committed, neither was the public peace disturbed, nor the rights of property invaded.

At Hannibal, the point where the Hannibal and St. Joseph railway terminates on the western bank of the Mississippi, as well as the northern terminus of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, and other lines, much apprehension existed among the people generally. There were a large number of railroad employes in the city, and several extensive manufacturing establishments, particularly founderies and car shops, served to awaken uneasy feelings among all classes of citizens. The employes of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway struck on the 24th, and all business was suspended in the transportation of freight over that road until the 29th. The employes of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railway had joined in the strike as early as the 23rd, and the employes of the car shops were also among the strikers. On the 25th the strikers required employes in large establishments who had not struck, to join them. All the large shops, founderies, mills and other manufactories of Hannibal were closed on the 25th, and the business of the city was completely embargoed. On the 29th most of the railway employes who had been engaged in the strike resumed their places, the trains were moving as usual, the shops had reopened, the mills were at work, the founderies were in full blast, and what at one time threatened a dangerous disturbance of the social order, had passed without a single act of violence. It is true that at times there were exciting scenes, and timid persons may have been alarmed, but there was little cause for it. Hannibal had become quiet on the 30th.

At Moberly there was little trouble during the continuance. The wise policy adopted by the managers of the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern Railway prevented any strike at that time, and the employes of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas road were not numerous enough to create a great deal of trouble. The people were compelled to pass several anxious days, but their fears, happily, were never realized.

Sedalia, a city of some ten thousand inhabitants, is located at the junction of the Missouri Pacific and Lexington branch, and these roads are here intersected by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway. It is a “railroad town,” the population being largely composed of employes of the various divisions of roads which have headquarters at this place. No doubt the sympathies of the people were with the strikers. It was apprehended that Sedalia would become the Hornellsville of Missouri. But the railroadmen of Sedalia behaved admirably. Those on a strike were not ruffians, and aside from causing some days of anxiety to timid people, Sedalia escaped from any serious consequences on account of the strikes. Not an act of violence was committed. There was no trouble at Booneville. So ended the strike in Missouri.