The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1886-10-31
TEE p. ~ r. RE11Ey AcaEll I.
Mr.. Eoonan's Ein TO Defeat u 2aiI-
roads Oppression o, its Emp yees.

roads Oppression o, its Emp 0 yees.
Mr.. Noonan zee Democrats candidate
for Assembly in the Eighth District, was
the author OF the bill TO prevent The
Pennsylvania Railroad from carrying out
its so-cslled relief fund project, which
was a scheme to force its EMPLOYEES
into an association for insurance in
case of sickness, accident or death, the
fund out of which the benefits were 10
come being made up Of deductions from
the monthly earnings of the men. The
whole scheme was perfected by the COM
pany and its officials, without any con-
sultation whatever with any of the men
whose money was 10 make the machine
so. AT the commencement, the persons
to represent q the employees in the board
OF officers were to be selected by the rail-
road magnates. and ever thereafter they
were TO be elected by the employees
themselves, 6ut under rules and regula-
tons to be made by the first board of
officers Constituted as above) and under
the direction of tellers, to be appointed by
the company. Employment By the COM
pany and promotion in its service were made
dependent on membership in the depart
ment. The officers of the road have AN 10 say
as 10 the management of the treasury, while
the owners of the treasury were always to
be in the minority. All disputes were to
be settled by the railroad officials. The
men were not to have any auditors or
other representatives to investigate the
accounts, but were to be kept in dark
ness as to the inside workings of the or
garization. Accident benefits would not
be awarded except the accident happened
to an employee !" in the actual discharge
of his duty" and of this the company, OF
course, was to be the judge, and from its
judgment there was no appeal. Going
to and returning from work, and sitting
around during dinner hour. etc., etc., was
not within "the actual discharge of duty"
On joining the department every employee
would have to waive every right he had. or
everwould or could have, to any claim upon
or against the company for any cause
whatever, be it even lawful, equitable
or just. All these requirements were
stipulated in written contract to be SOL
EMMY entered into by the employees. by
which contract they were also compelled
to consent and agree. that they might
and could be discharged at any time by
the company or its officers, with or zvitE0Mt
cause, and that upon being so discharged
from the employ of the company, they
lost all right, title, interest and estate
in the relief q fund; so that if man
were in the company's employ for quar-
fer of century, and always been a good
and faithful servant, .and never had re-
ceived cent from the fund, and had con-
tributed to it all that time, he could be dis
charged by the company with impunity, for
any trivial offense, or for no reason what
ever, and have absolutely no redress against
such monster of iniquity. 1t was to pre-
vent this outrage upon the dignity and
independence of American labor that Mr..
Noonan introduced his bill. From the
outset, the bill met with vigorous and
determined opposition. and its young
author persistently and perseveringly
fought the opposition step by step, from
committee to calendar, from calendar to
second reading, through wilderness of
adverse amendments when on second
reading, from second reading to Engross-
ing Committee thence to Engrossing
Clerk, from him back to committee;
thence to calendar for third reading. and, at
last, after months of fighting, he got the
bill up for third reading, and had it made
a special order for the Monday night ses-
sion following. Even here, the enemy
sought postponement, and when finally the
bill was actually taken up on third read
ing, it met with a storm of opposition
Goblin, Whitaker, Banks, Doremus, A.
F. R. Martin, r. w. Parker--all Repub-
DEMONSTRATING the floor to talk it to death.
Mr.. Noonan closed the debate, and while
discussing the measure, was very fire.
quently interrupted by all sorts of catch
interrogations from the opposition; but
the non-capsizable young orator was thor
oughly conversant with his subject. and
threw aside their queries like schooner
in gale the spray. On the completion of
tha roll call tho Hill xryoe found .c I, .va
enough votes to pass it, and then many of
the opponents of the measure (their servi-
tude to the Pennsylvania Railroad being
no longer of avail to their masters). Topped
over and asked permission to have their
votes changed from "No" to q Yea"
Mr.. Noonan literally forced the bill
through by popularity and by argument,
and its passage was an achievement which,
perhaps, no other member of the House
could have accomplished under the ad-
verse circumstances. And the night that
that bill was passed, Mr.. Noonan was
far litter subject for sick bed than for
Legislative council, and it was only by grit
and perseverance that he managed to fight
as he did for his bill. But he is a man
whose energy and resolution increase
rather than decrease in the face of obsti-
nate opposition.
Wnen tnelI VoteS were necessary 10 pro-
gress the bill to its passage the Democratic
candidates for reelection in this county
cheerfully gave them. Assemblymen
Tumulty of the Second. Pearson Of the
Filth. Hed.speth Of the S.xst. Bcsssa Of
me Seventh and Lennon OF the Tenth,
all gave it their votes; and so showed not
only their freedom from railroad inHu-
ences. but their substantial recognition Of
The nronay and inst claim IF Iahcr
The bill, however, did not become law,
as the Republican committee, to which il
was referred in the Senate, would not re-
port the bill. AT this stage of affairs, Mr..
Noonan, regardless of precedent and sena-
IL de faII .