The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-22
TRAINMHN AT CHURCH.
They Are Opposed to Strikes
Congressman Coffin
on Grievances.

L
| acting Mayor presided, and on the plat
form were L. II. Coffin, Railroad Com
missioner and member of Congress, of
Iowa; the Rev. DR.. John Il. Scudder. P.
H. Morrlssey; First Vice Grand Master
Of the Brotherhood of Railroad Brake
| men, City Collector P. H. O'Neill and
James Brennan, of the local branch of
| the trainmen.
| The meeting was opened with prayer
rick's Church Mr.. Morrisey made an
address, in which he said that the associ-
| alton was composed of honorable men
ana patriotic citizens, and gave history
of the organization. 1t has a membership
| of 5000 men, who for courage and hou-
\ esty have no superiors."
who ever heard of the Brotherhood of
Trainmen engaging IN striker" the
| speaker continued "You never did, 1t
has never lodged an issue. When the
| Central Railroad strike was in force, If
the Supreme Council of the Brotherhood
| had been hasty the United States and
| Canada would have experienced social
| revolution such as has not taken place
| since your civil war, and the members of
| the Legislature could we'll afford to COM
| pliment the Supreme Council on the stand
| it took. A strike Is a calamity. Public
| sympathy and approval are necessary in
an affair of the kind.
! The Rev. DR.. Scudder, in addressing
| the meeting, said, that the Trainmen's
| Association was religious one. 1t was
religion to support the body Just as it was
religion for q man to attend to his spirit
ual wants. The minister of the gospel
appreciated such organizations as the
trainmen's, knowing that such organiza-
| tions were performing good work The
| very best and brightest men belonged to
/ the railroad. The railroads want man
I to see point Immediately and who has q
| clear head. Mr.. Scudder said he mad re-
| Gently made the calculation that If all the
money that was invested in railroads
| were turned into one dollar bills and
stretched out they would cover as long a
| distance as would double track TO the
moon and back. The Importance of rail-
| roads to the community could not be ex-
| aqgerated. Their civilizing influence was
/ we'll known.
/ THE EVENING SESSION.
/ Tn the evening Mr.. r. S Coffin. who is
! a clergyman as well as a CONGRESSMAN,
| addressed the trainmen at a public meet
ing at the Tabernacle. After the singin G
| of two HYMNS and q prayer by the Rev.
/ DR.. Scudder, in which he invoked Divine
| blessing upon all benevolent institutions,
i Mr. Coffin said
II have seldom approached duty
| which presses as heavily upon me as this
| one; want to have plain brotnerly talk
| with the bows. but / don't want to omit
| this opportunity to press upon the outside
| public. whom these men serve so faith
| fully. some of the claims they have upon
| you. / want to show you some
| Of the facts that confront us today. You
can't take up the daily papers without
finding an instance of railroad man
meeting death. Those of the brakemen
are the most common. Do We realize
that In this nation an average of sixty
families of railroad men must daily call
III the surgeon or undertaker? Although
there are some accidents which neither
human skill nor foresight can prevent,
vet nearly half may be aYerted.
THE BRAKEMAN's HARD LOT.
Judge Cooley, whom you all respect,
SAYS in The last interstate Commerce Re-
port that only one brakeman in five has a
chance to die natural death. This ter
rible fact is reported to the Commission
by the railroads themselves. We do not,
| probably, have all reported. The national
law does not reach State roads The rail-
| road report says that o,022 men had to
give up their hands or their lives because
| railroads would not adopt automatic
| couplers and power brakes
"If should ask all the railroad men
1 present who are unscarred to rise nearly
| all would remain seated
| 'sAs you go by the railroad flag stations
| YOU see many men who cannot do any
4
| of young men, who would be the grandest
men in your churches and in civil posi-
ton, can be stopped. One thousand
/ Young men had to give up their lives be-
/ cause railroad companies would not spend
| money to put in improved appliances
| There is now no question as to the practi-
/ cability of automatic couplers. If there
| is any doubt let me relieve your minds.
/ "Did you ever see brakeman on top of
| a passenger car, or man employed on
passenger cars getting hurta The reason
| that passenger cars are so well equipped
| is to draw patronage.
! 1.-TWO. thirds of the railroads in the
United States voted three years ago that
| the automatic freight couples were prac-
| ticable. But only few Of the railroads
! have adopted them. / want every one to
use his influence to make the railroads
adopt these improvements. The Master
Mechanic of the Erie testified before the
Inter State Commission that these
| couplers were eminently practicable.
Many roads will not adopt these coup
lers, and here is the great danger The
roads which have the automatic coupler
must take the cars of the unimproved
road. and any railroad man will tell you
that it is infinitely more dangerous to
couple car with an automatic coupler to
a car with an old coupler than two old
cars.
FouR-FIFTHS OWNED IN EUROPE
"You ask why don't the roads use these
appliances? Let me place u few facts be-
| =. --o,, uto rraparoI v,,anaoar. of tba