The Press., 1886-04-29

The uOW6ES WOI0 OCdAGAAuA and profuse. Among others were cross from the church an anchor from the Sun day school pillow from John W. Coogan basket from MT. Vests Sunday school class standing anchor from MT. Cum mings wreath from A. P. Hyde; pillow bearing the word "husband;" ;" and sickle from a friend.
 The union meeting of members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in Hartford last Sunday attracted great in- terest. The members arrived on special trains furnished by the different roads and made up of the best cars on tue lines. A private business meeting was held at 10 a. m. A public meeting was held at Allyn hall at 2. .45 and drew crowd that filled the hall.
 Chief P. M. Arthur delivered an address and was received with hearty applause. He said the me ting was an unusual one for Sunday, but he hoped thst those who had missed church would find they had lost nothing. It was misfortune of rail- way men that they had to choose Sunday for meeting to get any number of the Brotherhood together. The trains must be run all the week. Hence Sunday is their only day far union meeting. This meeting was decided upon because it seem-
 
 the Brotherhood that people might know just what it is Workingmen need to be we'll organized and intelligently handled if they would accomplish anything. The Brotherhood was organized twenty-three years ago in Detroit as ''The Brotherhood of the Foot Board' A man had not only to be an engineer. Men who came in and thought their first work was to dictate to the railroads were wrong. That was not the policy of the Brotherhood. Soon after No. 1 was formed twelve divisions were organized and representatives were sent to Detroit and created the national division. In August, 1864, the first convention was held with forty -four delegates. Then the name was changed to the Grand Interna- tional Brotherhood of Locomotive En- gineers The publication of a monthly journal followed. It now goes to IT, 900 people. It gives practical knowledge and an opportunity for free interchange of ideas. It has black list of men expelled for drunkenness, dishonesty or immoral conduct This publication of black list has checked men on the wrong road thro' fear of exposure. The publication of the list is in accordance with the agreement, signed when a man joins the Brotherhood It has been benefit not only to men and families but to railroad companies. Iu
 
 was formed. This gives &, ,000 to the fam fly if man is killed or disabled in service Since organization the association has dis bursed $1 ,850,0 ,000 to families of members and half a million for other purposes. Twenty five years ago men not infrequent- ly got on their engines half drunk and took a train out. Old engineers do not like such statements, but they are true Such things have passed. The tendency of the Brotherhood has been upward and has given the railroads what the legisla- ture could not do-faithful service ''But they say we engage in strikes. We do. We have had strikes, but what caused them?" On all we'll regulated roads there is 8 grievance committee. Put employer and employee in contact and let them dis cuss the differences. Let the employers make those under them feel they are not to be used and then thrown over like worn out metal in the scrap heap. The griev- ance committee has the duty of waiting upon the officers of any road where there is trouble and trying to effect settlement. If they fail they send for the chief execu- tive, and he sees the officers of the road if possible. If he fails and thinks it neces- sary he consents to a strike. But there have been no strikes where the officers have met the committee of the Brother hood. In one case superintendent said he would not recognize the Brotherhood. To such men the speaker said they must expect trouble. The relations between the men and their employers are today of the best. There are exceptions. Men on the Vermont Central road had yielded to the persuasion of employers and stayed out of the Brotherhood. They were rewarded by cut of ten per cent. in their wages. He had told them he hoped they would be cut ten per cent. more.
 "No man has the right to say to anoth- CT, thou shall or thou shalt not" This is the mistake of many organizations. We have no right to go to an employer and say "you shall not employ that man be- cause he does not belong to our organiza- tion." This is what we oppose. We do not believe in dictation, but we come with truth and equality and we expect re- spectful hearing. There has been too great 8 chasm between employer and en- ployee. It should be closed. Those who represent labor should remember that cap- ital has rights that must be as much re- spected as those of labor. He denied the newspaper stories about his being in East St. Louis to form coalition of Knights of Labor and the Brotherhood. He was not Tn East St. Louis, and explained where he I was at the time. (Applause) He had been quoted as opposed to the eight hour law The report was false Applause. | He had been before the public thirty years and had never posed as labor reformer. Most of those laborer reformers were dem agogues (Applause.) The strong orga- nizations of the past had gone down. Why Because their leaders dabbled in politics. (Applause.) His advice to work ingmen is "Be sober. Be frugal Be industrious and practice a little self-denial for the benefit of those who are dependent on you."
 All he had to say to the K. of l.. was If you expect to succeed and prosper carry out the golden rule and do unto oth- CTS as you would they should do to you. Be fair to your employer as we'll as to yourself. It is not the cloth that makes the man. Have character. If you have character your brotherhood will have it. Lose it and your organization will have no power" Prolonged applause.)
 Chief Arthur was followed by Grand Chaplain Everett, Mir. Fennel, Mr. Mo Carty and others. MT. Everett Stevens