Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-01
WE WILL OPERATE.
THAT'S WHAT TAG ENGINEERS SAY TO
THEIR RAILWAY BRETHREN.
This Means No Federation, but Fratsrnal
Relations-AdOpted by One Majority
To Adjourn Tomorrow.

To Adjoura Tomorrow.
There will be no federation.
The Locomotive Engineers have not voted
directly on this question, but Il Is decided
nevertheless.
After mature deIiberatiou they come TO the
conclusion that such an alliance would not
be wise, and they adopt plan OF cooperation
which they think will work better and more
satisfactorily.
To their sister organizations OF railroad
operatives they say that while they cannot
enter such an alliance they extend the hand
Of iraternal greeting and promise not 10 IN
| teriere with them IN any way, but on the
contrary 10 lend assistance whenever II eau
! be done without involving this brotherhood.
This matter worried the special committee
OF seventeen 10 which II was referred for ten
DAYS. and then no solution satisfactory 10 all
| could be reached and two reports were made
30 the cOnVention-one isvoripg federation
IN 4 somew hat mild form and the other re-
! commencing q cooperative plan. The in
formal discussion Of this matter bad en-
gagged the atteniion OF the convention more
than half OF that tune and the sentiment OF
the body was so well established that only
| two days were consumed In talk after the
issue was brought squarely before the con-
yenton.
VOTE TAKEN.
IL was some time ait0r noon when the hal-
lot on this momentous question was taken.
aud the body was all expectancy while the
| Issue was in the balance. Many OF the dele-
gates were absent from the ball, and only
| 33i had either the responsibility or The
pleasure OF expressing their voice IN the
decision OF the puzzling problem. IL i said
that there were numerous changes IN the
voting, and that at ore time the result was a
I've. The decisive vote WAS l6J for and l6l
aeainst the plan-carried by the fvmendous
majority oi one Had the vote been taken
at an earlier day il is not at all certain but
that federation would have won by quite a
neat majority. At any rate the expressions OF
opinion soon after the assembling OF The con-
yeutlon were lrgely In fayorof an alliance,
with greater restrictions and reservations
perhaps than were c0utslncd IN the articles
! adopted by the Firemen's Convention st
| Atlanta, Ga, about six weeks ago.
WHAT TIE PLAN PROPOSES.
All Of the grand officers approached by
| the Dispatch man declined either TO give for
| publication the paper adopted or to outline
or define its provisions. When approached
Immediately after adjournment aud before
he left his piatform Chief Arthur would only
say " There is no iederation,' and with this
he excused himself, saying that be was COM
| PEELED 10 be IN hurry. and snalchlug bis SIX
| bat he made haste for the door.
Secretary Hays said the plan adopted would
! not be given 10 the press under any circnm-
1 cf. INIT fHaf II simt1lV Hg-iIT1npp
Of friendship, sympathy. and. a. far As prac'
| ticablo, help 70 other organizations OF men
/ connected with the operating department oi
the railroads OF the country. No outside
| labor or trades organizations are in-
! cluded in the alliance, rs II might perhaps be
cllled. As far rs cOuld be- learned il
! Il really nothing more than pledge
OF sympathy without any further obligation,
unless it be that in case Ot one organization
! becoming involved in a strike or other trou'
| bic no member OF another branch u railway
service shall IN any way interfere with TIE
strikers places. This il substantially such
| an understanding rs was outlined by Mr..
Arthur on the evening Of his arrival In
Richmond az % what would be the probable
action of the convention.
TIE ADVERSE ARGUMENT.
One OF the oldest and most leyel-beaded
members Of the body, in speaking on this
subject, said: ave have been struggling
! for twenty-five years In behalf OF the lnto-
| rests of our Brotherhood. and now we have
the respect Of the railTCad managers and
| tho confidence and esteem OF The pub
| lie. The adoption OF system OF
federation, while designed by us for good
| only, might destroy all that we have gained IN
| tins quarter OF b century. lt might possibly
! impress the railroad COrpOratlOns a. stei
| toward autagonism on our part, aud this
/ would engender such feelings as would pos
sibly lead TO trouble. We want nothing Ol
| this kind. Most OF the railroad managers
are very humane and even Kind 10 their men,
| aud We have neither the cause nor the desire
| 70 an,agonize them" This gentle
man said further tnat many Of the
delegates present would 20 through
! Gre for their managers. He Ieiucidonially re-
! marked, and what he said is borne out by
/ the record of the order, thst the Brotherhood
! does not undertake % dictate tO the railroads
What they shall or shall not do or who they
shall employ. The Brotherhood, he said,
has never made any demand except in The
"Ov strike, when the men we're forced tC
work FOR $40 to Slj less per month tlIan
those employed by other less wealthy roads
running out Of Chicago.
ABOUT ADJOCRNNESr.
Chief Arthur and Secretary Hays, in re.
sponse to questions asked them yesterday,
said the convention will adjourn on Friday.
| There are several important matters 10 the
organization set 10 be decided, but this IL
no doubt the only one In which The public Il
10 any extent interested about which any
! thing will be given ont for publication,
! There will be some action on the 40
strike, but ths will bo diligently secrcted
! The question n increasing the emergency
fund, which y now over Ss00.0CO, 10 larger
am-say about S55j ,000-H It'll pending
and may or may rot be voted upon. tn,
] delegates are becoming restless snd vii
| soon begin leaving for their homes.