Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-17
Chauncey NJ. Depew Delivers IN Address
Before Their Convention.


gret at their inability TO be present Among
them were Governor Campbell of Ohio, Gov
ernor Beaver of Pennsylvania, Geo. ". Childs
of Philadelphia, President Roberts OF the Penn
sylvana Railroad, and other prominent rail-
road officials. After prayer by the Grand Chap
lain of the society, Mayo Gourley welcomed
the delegates TO the city.
Chairman Adams then introduced Hon.
Chauncey NJ Depew, President OF the New YORK
Central Railroad Company. The appearance oi
the distinguished gentleman was a signal ior
the widest applause. When order had been re
stored Mr.. DepeW proceeded to ceiiyer his ad-
dress, which was listened TO with great interest
Several times he was compelled to pause, owing
to the deatening applause o. his hearers.
Mr.. Depew spoke highly of The Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers and said that during
the period OF its existence and properous growth
hundreds OF labor organizations have beer
formed and dissolved. They have been started
to carry out novel theories or put in practice
unusual and untried processes. The success OF
your body is due to its rigid adherence to right
principles, upon which II was founded. NC
labor organization can permanently succeed
whose sole and only object is TO increase wages
and diminish hours. 1t lacks the essential bond
of mutual sympathy and brotherly help in bear
ing or tightening each others burden. The
tendency OF such an organization IS inevitably
and rapidly to collisions aud failure. The fulda
meutaf idea Of the Engineers Brotherhood is
Fnst-Charity in support OF the sick or injured
and contributions 10 the family OF the dead
second, education, which perfects the artisan
N IleOrY anu pTdGIlCe Ol LIS lIdut anu DlOhueus
him for larger usefulness as a citizen; third
protection in securing and maintaining yOul
rights. Your record is unexampled in history oil
contract and employe at home or abroad and
the Intelligence and prosperity OF your mem
bers.
Nj Depew spoke of the all-pervading idea
of the past few years OF trusts, and said this
universal effort to absorb individuals, to divide
people into employing companies and employees
and to destroy competition will inevitably end
in disaster Hostile legislation and laws Of
trade will leave only the legitimate enterprise:
surviving. In the same way and from the
same causes there have been several ambitious
attempts to form gigantic lumber trusts whicn
should combine under one GENITAL and auto.
cratic authority every occupation in which
wage-earners could eDgage.
In all such associations of trades and oceu
pations having nothing in common, certain
qualities of audacity, tuency of speech and
capacity for manipulating caucuses and con-
ventions push to the front many men who
know little of the great interests confided to
their care. Labor must be as intelligent as
capital upon its own grounds. A committee
which calls upon an employer or railroad
officer must know its own business as well as he
knows his. Otherwise, from angry conten-
tions, because of ignorance, comes the exercise
of brute force and violence, and fails TO secure,
in nine cases out OF ten. that which could have
been had by intelligent presentation.
Hundreds of committees of our employees
have been to see me and can safely say after
the full and free discussion which always took
place, lot one of them went out of my office ex-
cept TO carry back a satis. actory message to
their constituents.
The reason for these ready settlements was
that the men understood their own business.
They knew precisely what they wanted, and
how much the company could afford to con-
cede. But in the operations of what l may call
the labor trust have had different experiences
Mr.. Depew cited an instance of where fifteen
men at one point of the line were ordered out
by the Chief of their local Assembly, who was
a shoemaker, and who took that action because
he had had row with passenger conductor.
On another occasion, a high official in the Or
that he knew nQihing of what he was talking
about. The official confessed that he never
had been in the railway service in his life.
Such representatives of organized labor, said
Mr.. Depew, bring it into disrepute, both with
the employers and the public.
A committee called upon me last fall with q
series of complaints all of which were quickly
adjusted. They then made demand in behalf
of the Locomotive Engineers. ! informed them
that that body could speak for itself. They said
their object was 10 break up the organization OF
Locomotive Engineers and gather into one or
ganiZation every department OF the railway
service. If the management of the New York
Central would recognize engineers only through
them, this result would be brought about, and
upon much lower basis than the Brotherhood
could admit OF, and it We did not do so they
W. u strike and tie up the road.
Mr.. Depew informed the committee that they
might do their worst, hut in the matter affect
ing the Brotherhood, he would recognize only
that body The threatened strike never came.
Speaking of the great Central strike, Depew
said years of successful trial of fair, frank and
fruitful discussions with the emplOyes'of the
New York Central had led me to believe that a
strike was impossible on that road. In that
trust he went abroad Oh his annual holiday, to
have his hopes Iudely shattered by cablegram
announcing strike. But he engineers, he
said, we're true to the relation which for many
years had been established, and sustained and
Ieinvigorated my failing faith in the efficiency
of any effort TO maintain satisfactory and per-
manent relations between capital and labor.
The citizens of New York and of the whole
country owe to the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers a debt of gratitude for the fidelity
intelligence with which they stood by their
posts and performed their duties during the
recent troubles on the New York Central.
DeCew touched on the matter of Government
ownership of railroads. Time does not permit,
he said, discussion of the effects upon our in
stitutions of the appointment OF million public
servants being given to an administration and
made the patronage of party Bosses
He referred TO the letter-carriers in England,
who worked loug hours and get on an average
six dollars a week. After a vain effort for
amelioration of their condition they struck.
The Government instantly filled their places,
put police beside each new man, and dispersed
the gatherings of the old ones. In Germany
the Government owns the railroads. loco
motive engineer receives about s45 month,
and if he deserts his engine becomes subject to
severe punishment
Libraries have been written upon labor aud
capital, but they are mostly trash. In the vary.
ing conditions of our complex civilization nc
general rule seems possible which will be sp.
plicable to ali cases. as relief for antagonisnl
between capital and labor. Every difficulty
must he solved upon its own merits. It is just
here that intelligent labor organizations, COM
posed only OF occupations which seek to secure
a right or redress a wrong, can get its employer
upon grounds which will show mutual depend
eney, and promote their common benefit. 1t is
flof sxr-fll he
the one hand, and irritation and resistance on
the other.
The period ought to come when the employers
in any industry shall not be arrayed in hostile
camps over the whole country against their EN-
ployes in the same business-when combina.
tons will not be of workers on the one hand
and officials on the other against each other
but with good sense and with friendly dispose
tions they shall meet upon common ground
for common good, and an overwhelming sense
of common interests.
Grand Chief Engineer Arthur was next intro
duced and enthusiastically received. He con-
graduated the Brotherhood on the healthy con.
dition of its affairs and said in part: Though
there is oneness of purpose, there is diversity
of opinion, ano we hope, during the course OF
our debates, to find an equation by which the
problem of our difficulties and differences may
be solved. II is by honorable action that we
have achieved success as a Is Dor organization
not by might not by loud. boastful assertions oi
what, owing to our number. we might compel
corporations to do. No: that has not been oul
policy. We ask but fair, just dues--nothing
more. II there be those who would array
labor against capital, ! am not one of them ol
with them. If there be those who regard the
interests of labor and capital as naturally OF
properly sntagonistie, do not agree with them
The interests of labor aud capital are identical
or, TO be more accurate, reciprocal. Any argu
ment respecting the labor topic which does moi
distiUctly recognize and coneede the truth o.
this proposition must needs be fallacy, and as q
matter of fact it is recognized and conceded by
all eminent authorities on the subject
The insurance feature OF the Brotherhood
was touched upon By the speaker. During the
past fiscal year the Brotherhood has paid to
widows and orphans and disabled member:
SS22 5000, making grand total of So ,l22,6s9
Addresses were also made by a number o.
delegates. Referring 70 a Chicago telegram
stating that party of Western engineers hac
left for this city to champion the cause of teder
ton, First Grand Assistant Engineer Hayes said
az know nothing about them. We anticipate
no trouble when the time comes for considers
tion of the question of federation. under
stand a majority of the Western delegates favor
such plan, but as to what the quito 5me VIII be
I will not vpnf1lrp OpinIOQ.