St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-14
MINI ESOTA FIREMEN.
Proceedings of the Annual Meeting
Yesterday at st. Cloud.
Speeches by Mayor Mcdonald, Of st. Cloud,
and Major Newson, of st. Paul.
Especial Telegram to the Glohs.I

and found waiting on the platform the St..
Little Giant No. and Hook and Ladder
Company No. |, and Hose Company No. l..
Thirty-One degrees below zero did not pre-
vent the gallant fremen from warming up
on the occasion and falling into line. Headed
by Chief Coates and President ROsen berger,
the music, and the flags, and between 300
and 400 men fell into line, and after march
ing through the principal streets, making an
imposing appearance, entered the lower floor
of the Opera house, where bounteous lunch
was partaken of, and then the delegates were
assigned their respective hotels--all at the ex-
pense of the good people of st. Cloud.
Tic convention met in the Court house at
about l 80 O'Clock, President Rosenberger in
the chair who introduced Mayor Mcdonald,
who delivered the following speech:
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the State
Firemen's Association:
1t affords me great pleasure to extend to
you, on behalf of the citizens of st. Cloud, a
cordial welcome to our city. We are heartily
glad to greet you, gentlemen, and sincerely
trust that your stay among us will be as pleas
ant as we desire to make IT, We wish YOU to
feel that you are an.o 9 friends friends
whose hearts are big with hearty good will Tor
the firemen Of Minnesota.
Nine years ago this month your fourth an
nual meeting was held in tuiS city. It was
largely attended, and, l have been told that
the occasion was thoroughly enjoyed by our
visitors. To US the recollection of that event
has ever been fraught with pleasant memoir
- F-;.. n
endure as long as life shall last. For these
reasons, gentlemen. as we'll as in recognition
of the honor bestowed in selecting this city
as your place of meeting, We rejoced when,
at your last session, you decided to visit st.
Cloud again.
Much has been said and written In praise
OF the self-sacrificing devotion and heroism
of the fireman, but no eulogy can ever be
pronounced which which will accor to him
the credit he is entitled. Far be it from me
to pluck one laurel from the brow Of the pa
triot soldier whose love OF liberty impels him
to lay his life upon the altar of his country.
Yet it is no dispIragrment to say that his act
is not more meritorous, not more heroic,
than that Of the fireman who dies in rescuing
the weak and helpless from a fiery death
Too much cannot be said in honor of his
He suffers pcuniary loss, physical exposure,
and all sorts of discomforts for the privilege
OF rskng life aud limb for nothing No, not
for nothing. The man who joins
volunteer fire company does so, because OF
an innate generosity, which tells him that
there is duty to perform from which he
cannot shrink. The inward consciousn IS of
duty well performed is his reward. Tnrre is
too, danger and excitement about the life
of fireman which attracts kindred spirits
together, aud hence it is that we find volun-
teer tire companies composed of the bravest,
jolleSt, most wholesoued men in every
community. This was true in the past--it
is true to-day.
take it, gentlemen, that while all fremen
are eligible to membership in your associa-
ton, 1t is in reality. a volunteer fire 2SsOcia-
ton, and that your annual meetings com ne
business and pleasure. You assemble to
discuss measures for the increase of your
efficiency at fires and the improvement of the
service, and you find your pleasure in
that generous socia5iiity which is so
peculiarly characteristic of fremeu.
trust that your deliberations may be pro-
ductive Of good results to the association
and that when you return to your homes you
will carry with you pleasant recOllections of
the second ~,ing at st. Cloud
Again, gentlemen, bid you welcome in
the name of all the people of st. ClOund, and
| assure you that II you do not enjoy YOUR
selves it will be fault of the fire ladies of
our city.
The response was by Secretary Strong, who
spoke com plimentary of the city, the manner
the iremen had been received on a former
occasion and also on this, and said they we're
here now for work, aud hoped TO accomplish
a great deal.
The committee on credentials, con-
sistiug of George w. Freeman, st. Paul; F.
e. Joy, Saltwater, aud w. f. Hawkins, Red
Wing, reported that twenty-three new COM
panies had joined the association since the
ast meeting, and that there were present
ninety-four delegates, being an increase of
thirty-seven over that of 1884, which con-
sisted of hlty-seven. Twenty-one depart
ments are represented. There Is In the
treasury Sl74.ls. The questions prepared
for discussion were taken up and ably dis
cusscd, occupying most of the afternoon.
The iiremeu's bill called out the most earnest
discussion, and S the topic of the conven-
ton. Maj. Newson made the following
speech, which elected much enthusiasm:
SPEECH OF MAI. NEwsoN.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the State
Fircmen's Association
The question under discussion, viz: "How
to obtain the necessary legislation 10 secure
the passage OF the fircmen's billf' is of great
importance, not only TO the tremen them
selves, but also to the community at large,
for Whatever tends TO benefit Que, aids the
other. How, then, 20 effc ct this result, is a
matter pertinent to this occasion. But first,
let us examine this bill and see what it's pro-
visions are. We find IL sim Pile In its Ian
guage and direct IN It's purpose. II asks the
legislature to set aside one per cent. OF the
income from foreign insurance com panics
doing business in this state, and 10 "p1y this
amount overto the duly incorporated Gre de-
partmpnt relief association - IL takes no
extra money from the state treasury, but
simply divides that which Is obtained from a
tax on foreign insurance com 0anies TO aid
those who have become sick aud crippled in
defending their interests, for u good
fireman who aids 10 pat out a fire, and
does his duty faithfully aud effeciually, is the
pest friend an insurance compIny can have,
and so Tar IS the insurance companies them
selves are concerned, they certainly cannot
object to the passage Of this measure; nor,
indeed, ought anyOo ~ else 10, in view Of the
just and Humanitarian principles involved
Tue purposes Of the association, thus as
sisted by the AID Of the state, is TO relieve the
sick and disabled iirenen, who in the per
fOrmauce Of their duties have become either
injured or have contracted an insiduOus dis
ease which incaplftate- them from earning
an honest livelihood. WHAT more noble, or
grand object could be conceived than this
And Why should not great and ricb state
like Minnesota extend her hand ~ the brave
and the TALENT Congress grants a pension
TO msined an crippled spllier5, ani by this
means smooths their rugged paths down
the bill Of life-ghy should
not the state do something for our gallant