The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-20

that calls for . considerable present oatisv
q funds These presidents and general
managers want 30 be reinforced ~acn they
10 before the boards by public sent
mens or thus saith the law. While
some o. tie roads are doing Sosneshins
toward supplying these devices. our appea
Is 70 boards Of directors snsi managers o,
al railroads and TO the legislatures. both
state and national. 20 give this humane
sueserf their first consideration
Is IS with the public 70 say whether this
snsli be done or not. So common Is this
xlaiitg OF hrakemen the public has come te
shinK II an fnseparabie part Of railroad
transportation. Mast these poor fellows
BY the thousand yearly he sukr;6ced on the
aisar OF the penassonsness OF owners OF
railroad property
IS almost beyond belief thar the public
has sat stall and allowed this terrible price
10 be paid year after year and made no pro.
test The tine for any excuse is now past
Time Was when an engine without . driver
brake on could be called finished and pu,
70 work on the road--an almost uumanaee.
able thing-not SO now. Time WAS when
freight cars without automatic couplers
and power brakes could be called finished
and he put 10 service. with ali their death
dealing aprsianees-not 50 now.
The great humane and Christian public
when once aroused by q knowledge of
these terrible facts which disgrace our rail-
road age, will not longer sit still and allow
ears 10 built four-iifths wood and iron and
the other fifth the mangied flesh and
broken bones Of these train men engaged
IN railroad service.
There is not a railroad director in Amer
sea that would for all the railroads in the
nation do duty as a brakeman one single
night on the top of these trains. why.
II will be looked back upon rs one of the
most inhuman things of this civilization, 10
compel human being TO the exposure rs
Is done everv day and every night in ten
thousand cases, on the top OF these fast
moving, swaying trains al all hours Of the
night In storms of snow and driving sieet
and Ice, to 90 from one end OF the train To
the other over slippery decks To set up the
brakes.
We have society TO prevent cruelty Ia
dumb animals. but here is a refined cruelty
practieed on 100 GOO brakemen in this ma
ton every day. but no one opens his mouth
in protest.
Now one more plea and / am done.
come now to the Christian conscience of the
public. Is il not enough that these brave
and faithful men serve us night and day in
summers heat and winters cold, always at
their post. always ION time'' if it be in the
possibilities IL not enough l ask, that
these men serve us six days and six nights
without their being compelled TO give up
the hours OF the Sabbath TO this same ex.
acting public? Perhaps railroad work on
the Sabbath is not so prominent in the East
As here and in the farther west. Unless
one has given attention 10 this point he
would be surprised at the amount
OF freight train work there is done
on the Sabbath. The writer was
at a station in this state on Monday mora
ing one day year ago last winter, and ON
looking at the register he saw that 81 trains
had registered there the day before. This
was on one road-S4 trains on sunday in
the country too. Think for q moment
what that means. How many men that
takes from their homes on the hours we all
so much prize as rightfully our time-as
ours to be with our families-at home, at
church, at the Sunday school, or where We
can get the most possible rest or good and
do the most for humanity.
Yes, next to saving the lives and limbs of
these faithful and accomplishing men of
the rail, this question OF rest on Sunday to
these same men-this stopping the rolling
OF tens OF thousands of clanking iron wheels
over the steel rails, and shutting off the
scream of and shrek OF the steam whistle
that so CRATES upon the nerves of good peo-
pie everywhere on this day We all have
been taught should be kept holy. is one of
the most important questions that con-
fronts the Christian public of America to-
day.
These great corporations must be brought
to observe this one day in seven as private
persons do or Sunday will surely be lost to
Us as people.
In the exigences OF railroad transpor-
tation and commerce OF q great nation like
ours, there will be-there inevitably must
be- more or less of Sunday work impcra-
tive Our plea is for the rule, Sunday
rest for train men," Think of it, Chris
tan men, and Christian women of
Americal Have we not ignored and shut
out from our Christian sympathy. and
from the bonds OF universal brotherhood,
TO a very great extent. unthiukingly ii may
be, but none the less cruelty and inexcus-
ably, this great army OF the most faithful
and accomplishing class of wage workers.
who have served the public at such terri
bic cost OF death and suffering?
In the name Of the Christian humanity
of this nineteenth century | bring the
claims of these men before the public and
ask for them what we would ask for our
selves were our case theirs.