St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-16
Opening of the National Convention of Lo-
connective Firemen at Mime
apolis.
They are Received With Open Arms and
Given the Freedom Of the Flour
City.
The Addresses of the Grand Master,
the Grand Secretary and Other
Speakers.
A Member of the Brotherhood OF Lo-
connective Engineers Delivers
Happy Address.
The I.ocomntlxe Firemen.

of North America yesterday began its
thirteenth annual convention. with dele
gates in attendance from $50 unions of the
brotherhood in different parts of the country.
Promptly at $50 o'clock the delegates as
sembled at the West hotel, which is the
headquarters for the brotherhood during its
stay in the city, and escorted by a platoon
of police the Musicians Protective Union
band, and members of local unions, marched
to the Grand opera house by way of Hen
nepin. Washington and Nlcollet avenues.
There were in line 1l2 firemen in full re-
gala and 173 wearing badges. Arriving
at the opera house selection from
Mariana was rendered by the band, and
then f. Y. HOll. as chairman of the local
reception committee. introduced
COL. JOHN t. WEST
as chairman of the day, who delivered the
| following address:
| Gentlemen of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
| tive Firemen: In accepting your kind invi-
| tation 70 preside at the opening exercises of
your thirteenth animal convention permit me
to say do so with much pleasure, and thank
| you most heartily for the honor conferred. 1t
| comes home to me with greater force in that
at a former period of my business life my
| associations were with the men on the loco
!
remembrance Of that period to me has always
| been of great pleasure to me. Since the
| organization of your order at Port Jervis, in
! New York state in 1873 your membership
| has increased until now we find more than
| Is, 600 members enrolled in your ranks, surely
| a most wonderful and phenomenal growth,
| and one worthy of great rejoicing and con-
graduation. When we consider that quite q
| large percentage of the young men of the
| United States are employed in active rail-
| road work, and that your organization en-
| braces present large and-tO-be in
| creased percentage OF those young
men, who having once entered into railway
| service rarely leave it, we see the necessity
| for an organization, one that must command
| the respect of the business interests and tn e
support and encouragement of every class in
our community. That it may have perpe-
tuity, these classes should and will be fully
convinced that your aims are high. looking
toward the improvement of your members in
every way. With strict observance of your
motto, 'Beuevolence, Sobriety and Industry
there can be no doubt of the final outcome.
In your body we have class of men who are
all bound to improve their business condition.
You are all in the line of promotion in your
profession, and to you the growing transpOrta-
ton interests of the country must ever look
for the skilled labor that is their constant
need. In conclusion, let me say that L trust
your stay with us may be pleasant to you all;
that you may carry to your homes and asso-
ciates good tidingS of your visit to our city,
and that in all worthy undertakings you are
about to engage in you have my sincere
wishes for your present and future success.
After the invocation from Rev. J.
q. futile, Col. West read letter OF regret
from Gov. Hubbard, explaining that sick
ness prevented his attendance.
MAYOR AMES
u. Of to bo 81
lowing language:
Gentlemen OF the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Firemen, Ladies and Gentlemen: On be-
half of the good people of the great city of
Minneapolis. it is my pleasure at this time to
extend to you cordial and most sincere well
come to our midst. From what / see before
me and from what have learned this morn
ing in reference to your organization, I hope
it may continue with God-speed from every
body who likes TO see good progress. 1t is
through such organizations as yours that
believe the world has become better and that
there will be soon worked out that which we
all hope for! Peace on earth, good will
toward men. Again 1 extend to you a most
cordial welcome to our midst and hope you
willsfind when you leave Minneapolis that you
have been in a city which has extended to
you every welcome that you could desire.
Col j. B. MAYNARD, the poet laureate of
the occasion, next read his address, which
was tuned in easy-fowing metre and
served as a vehicle for many happy ex-
pressions of dry humor that occasioned no
little amusement. The colonel read his
poem in capital style, and was several
times interrupted by applause.
GRAND MASTER f. P. SARGENT
followed with his annual address, which
proved to be a most interesting paper, pre-
senting the history Of the growth and work
of the order, together with many valuable
suggestions for the future. He said:
The ever-moving wheels of time, the ever
rushing tide of humanity, stop not and if the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen expects
to keep pace with the eyer-onward march of
civilization it must keep fully abreast of the
age in which we live. 1t was TO carry out
the determination to accomplish this object
that had called delegates here from all Sec
lions of the country to attend the convention.
This same spiritsof ambition enables the found
ers of the city of Minneapolis to look with
pride upon the result of their efforts, while
the people of the whole country acknowledge
her to be the peer of any city in the land.
Like the city of Minneapolis the growth of
the brotherhood has been phenomenal and
within twelve years has grown from little
band of eleven men to grand brotherhood of
1000 members, organized together for the
purposes of advancement, with
BENEvOLENCE, SOBRIETY AND INDUSTRY
as their watchwords. During the few years
that our order has been in existence three
have Deen paid out for the benefit of mem
bers aud their families over three-quarters of
a million dollars. This money has gone out to
relieve the wants of those who would have
been left to the cold charity of the world had
it not been for the benevolent work of our
brotherhood. Again, this brotherhood teaches
its members sobriety. Realizing how essen
tial it is that locomotives should be manned
with sober men, the brotherhood has placed
in its platform this plank, and when d candi-
date enters our order the great principle of
sobriety is taught him in such manner as to
leave lasting impression upon his min d.
Industry is another of the teachings of the
brotherhood, and we desire all our members
to be good workmen, prompt in the discharge
of every duty and faithful at their posts.
THE LABOR QUESTION
We are labor organization, you would
say. | will answer yes. Knowing that only
by organized efforts we can protect ourselves,
we have adopted certain methods whereby
we can obtain justice at the hands of our en-
ployers. The Brotherhood of Locomotive
Firemen asks nothing that is not just; we do
not want one penny more than we rightfully
earn; we believe that our calling is one that
should command good wares for faithful
service and we desire also that our members
shall render such service We recognize the
that we, as employees, are bound to respect,
aud it is never our purpose to antagoniZe.
Justice is our motto; justice not only to our
selves, but to our employer. I believe that if
organizations of labor keep in mind that great
principle, and are Differed by men that are
conservative. that are willing to look at both
sides of question and settle on a basis of
equal justice to both employer aud employee.
and when the employer will be willing to treat
his employe with that spirit of fairness which
is due all faithful workmen, recognizing in
them men Of intelligence, capable of knowing
right from wrong. that strikes and strife will
seldom come. and if they do, it will be when
every well-thinking man that has the true
principle of manhood will indorse the organ-
cation struggling for its rights. Capital is not
the enemy of labor: it is not capital that labor
is opposing: it is the monopolist and such a
monopolist as grinds down the laboring man
to starvation wages in order that he may en-
rich his own Golfers. Labor is the creator of
capital and as such there can be no strife be-