Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-01-16
The Strike and the Brothcrho cd.

me stftke anu the brotherhood.
The late strike Of the Engineers on the
Western Division of the PENNSYLVANIA
Railroad, has confused many as to tho
position of the Brotherhood Of Locomo.
tive Engineers, and in some Instances
has brought odium to that noble order.
without inquiry into objects and workings
OF the order. The Railroad Gozette of the
the Sd inst, gives the following light upon
the subject
The Brotherhood, las all our readers may
npt Know, consists Of central organization
with branches or divisions, there being one
OF the latter usually where there are large
engine houses and where the runs of a
large number of the men begin and end
There ID one consiitution for all these Gi-
VISIONS and their action on certain points
Is limited by it. 1t is d,S iitely limited
wan regard to strikes, concerning winch
lhe proceeding, according to the method
laiu down III the constitution, woulL take
something like the following euuise: The
llvlsl0n whose members Cuusider them
selves aggreved and desire to strike must
communicate through the officers of the
entral organization with all the other di.
visions, ami can strike only when u ;lcertain
number of them (tWo-ihirds, we believel
nave approved such action and agreed TO
support He striking members bU puynent of
money. Now the Brotherhood is SO eX-
,ended. reaching nearly every part of the
United States aud Canada where there are
railroads, that it takes considerable time to
90 through this process. Then, ,as the men
WI" are not aggrieved have power to de-
termine whether those complaining are
lustined IN striking. and as, moreover, they
must pay Tor the support of the strikers if
hnffE Sauthnrize them to strike, it is not nj
this way either |Fikc will bs authro zed in
passion. Indeed it seems very tmbF great
hat the Brotherhood as body would ever
determine upon strike. according TO these
regulations, unless the circumstances were
very aggravating, SO that as long as the
authority of the central organization the
Grand Division-Of the Brotherhood ia
maintained, ii seems better calculated 10
Irevem than cause strikes. though il would
probably WELD enormous power if il did
nnce aui uihorize strike nn one rnad. as in
that case all the other runners in the corin-
Try would unite to support the strikers.
Now the consequence is not that strikes
are entirely prevtn nted, or nearly SO, but
that when the men on any line are very
angry and has.y they disobey the laws Of
the brotherhood and strike in spite Of it.
ihey VIII not wait for the slow action and
uncertain result of 4 vote taken in a hun
lred and fifty other divisions, none of
whom are aggiieved, but act like an indie
pendent body of men, very much as if there
were no Brotherhood. 1t is true. proba-
bly,, that the determination TO strike is ar
rived at IN meetings Of the division, and
llReiy enough 10y It's vote. IL is none the
less true that such action is contrary To
me laws under which the division acts.
Inc acton comes from the division because
nat u The only organization which the
."comot We runners have, and, instead of
"rming one for the purpnse, they use the
me IN which they are accustomed To act.
hough in 30 dning they violate It's funda-
mental law. This is not so strange an ac-
ION as To call for great wonder. Almost
Ill sncieiies act TN whatever NAV seem of
overwhelming interest To all, or nearly all,
Ils u einhers. though that particular thing
nay not be amo, g the objects for which
he organizations were made, and though
'hry may even be- rohibiting from acting
u shch matters. Penp!e generally use the
weapons they have at hand when they wish
make Il sudden attack, and useful
hammer 10 not infrequently turned into an
Instrument of vipltqIce, for remains which
may Dc iusiidable or not according 10 cir
cumstances,
In the strike now pending. thus, we see
society taking course which its own
rules forbid IL TO take, and using TO declare.
promote and carry un strike am ornaniza-
tlon made part y for the purpose of pre-
venting altogether strikes of that kind
mat is strikes determined upon BY the men
u one single road Or system Of roads.