Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1894 — THE JENKINS INQUIRY. [ARTICLE]

THE JENKINS INQUIRY.

Investigation of the Judge’s Act Regarding Union Pacific Employes. The Congressional investigation of Judge James Gray Jenkins for his action in enjoining the employes of the Northern Pacific Railroad from striking was begun in Milwaukee Monday. Representatives Boatner. Terry, and Stone, who comprise the subcommittee of the House Committee on Judiciary, which was appointed to conduct the inquiry, began the work assigned to them. Chief Clark, of the Order of Railway Conductors, and Chief Sargent, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, were the two witnesses before the committee Monday. Their examination clearly defined the attitude of organized labor toward the action of Judge Jenkins. It was admitted that no actual harm had been done to the Northern Pacific employes by the celebrated injunction of the b ederal judges, yet the claim was made—and in no ambiguous language, either—that these writs were fraught with too much danger to organized labor to allow them to go unchallenged. The statement wad boldly made that the strike was labor's only weapon of defense,and that itdid not purpose to have that weapon knocked from its hands by Jenkins, Dundy, or any other Judge. The issue wa? squarely joined when Chief Sargent told the committee: “We object to any court saying to us, ‘you must accept these conditions, whether you like them or not.’” The far-reach-ing effect of the Jenkins injunctions was shown when Chief Sargent gave his interpretation of them. Here it is: “If I, as an individual employe, should quit the service of the Northern Pacific receiver, and such quitting should embarrass the operation of the road, I would be liable to punishment for contempt of court.” Chief Sargent did not hesitate to tell tl<r Congressional committee that he had openly defied the supplemental injunction which restrained the chiefs from meeting with the men and advising them regarding a strike.