St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-04
The Figure He Thinks the
Club Cut Last Fall in State
Politics.
A Vigorous Reply to the Me-
mortal Of the Trade and
Labor Assembly.
The Death Of Diamond 20
Makes Quite a Navigation
Complication.

J. B. Copeland. of Crookston, is in the
city. He is the president of the Rail
way Employees Club of Minnesota.
which was the subject of much political
discussion last fall. and is Just now re-
ceiving considerable attention from the
memorial sent the legislature by the
trades assembly. Mr. Copeland said he
had read the memorial. and though he
did not say so, it is probable that it is
the cause of his coming to St. Paul. 70
4 GLOBE reporter he freely discussed the
club and its objects, beginning by say
ing that it had 10 political bias.
Did not your club" asked the re-
porter, support the Republican nomi-
nee for governor, as did the railway
companies themselves"
"As club we did not; no. sir
Did not your board of trustees food the
state with circulars urging railway employees
to support Merriam:''
Now let me tell You. Our committee
wrote to each of the three Candidates, asking
their views toward railway employees. Mr..
Owen replied, and his answer was not salts
| factory. Mr. Merriam replied also. BY the
advice of one Of our club Mr.. Wilson made
no reply and it was considered he ig-
nored us. OF our committee n majority
were Wilson men. but his silence hurt him.
! believe that had he replied he would now
be governor.
After some further conversation, Mr..
Copeland returned to the trades assem-
bly, memorial, and said he would like to
reply to it. This he did as follows:
In Sundays issue of the GLOBE may be
found an article from the trades assembly,
purpOrting to be an expose of the railway
| employees club, their aim and object This
article is addressed TO the honorable senators
and members of the legislature of the state
| of Minnesota. They say that III view of pres
| ent legislation as regards railways, they deem
| of the legislature as TO the true nat
IRE of the club, and the reasons why the
| employees apparently aid the railroad corpor-
tons. III l understand the trades assembly,
| it is composed of men in all branches of
| labor and very great proportion of that as
sembly are not railway employees. On the
other hand. the railway employees club is
| composed wholly of railway employees We
! believe also, that any organization not
| considered wholly railway men is
| not competent to pass judgment upon
| another organization entirely composed
| of railroad men. The trades assembly. at
meeting held last fall or III the early Fart CT
| the winter, appointed a committee to investi-
gate this Railroad Employees club. Where
did that committee go to investigate? We, at
| our executive meeting. held in November,
| think appointed Il committee to meet the as
sembly committee. Why did not the assem-
! bly, committee make their business known
| ana investigate i'll the light of open debate?
| Further. what need Is there of an investigat-
| ing committee from the trades assembly if
that assembly are railway men? We cordially
! invite the attendance of all railway employees
| to our meetings; we ask them to take no
oath; we place them under no obligations.
| and every empoye below a superintendent
| may attend and take part in the discussions,
| and if he cannot be convinced by good com
| mon sense that it is for his interest TO stand
| with US and for Us, he is at liberty to do
| as he pleases. We aim to lay before all en-
| ployes such reading material as shall enable
| them to understand what the corporations
have contend with inst Suol 81 ic
| used by our legislators TO assist them TO more
| fully understand the true condition of affairs
and be thereby better fitted to enact wise laws
| for the whole people. We, as railway en-
| ployes wish il distinctly understood that
this is no secret order, that its object is
wholly educational. and that we propose to
accomplish our ends through an educational
| process. We touch upon no ground
which will in any way antagon-
| iZe any organization now in existence
| among railway men. Our ground is a com
mon ground upon which all railway organ
| iZations may stand and do battle for justice.
We also wish the honorable the senators and
members of the legislature of the state of
Minnesota and of all other states in this
United States, and all peoples of all states,
to understand that we will work IN harmony
with our employers, and protect their rights
and property so far as we are able to do so
honorably as citizens of this great common
| wealth.
If the trades assembly can find niger
in our fence they possess an optical power
which we do not The trades assembly saws
We are organized and Differed by railway
superintendent and officials. | say, as pres
dent of this club, that there is not
a superintendent or official belonging TO this
club, and that the charge is fabrication :;
+ and say also we are in favor OF safety appll-
ances to be put upon all roads as soon as ii is
practicable to do SO. after they have been
proven to be such. They say that we get
passes from the company. and intimate, or
lead one to believe, that other railway Organi-
ZatlOOS do not This n cTIISlpr This lS
going TO annihlate the Employees club.
Their hooked fancy has sunk deeply into the
pure flesh of this body, poisonous sack has
been pressed, and in a short time we shall he
known no more forever. They forget that
we have an antidOte in the clear. common
sense of the people. We as railway en-
plOyes, do get passes and so does every other
organization that is purely railway. The b.
OF L. E.. the b. of l.. F.. the Broth erhoOd of
Trainmen. the Order of Railway Conductors
ana the SwitchmenS union all get
travelling passes, and | know that the
companies are often put to point where it
IS really embarrassing in order to extend
these cOurteSleS to their employees. Did the
trades assembly think that we were going to
deny this, or that we were going about with
lie i'll our mouths? Am | sufficiently plain
/ to be undeTSt took: There is one other thing
| which wish to notice. The assembly fur
Their says that men are coerced into this club
and II they do not join they are discharged.
There has never been man discharged yet
on account of the employees club. and |
firmly believe there never viii be. The petit
| tons which we have sent out to be signed
| have been thoroughly discussed in all our
local clubs and no man is under any Obliga-
ton to sign them except such obligations as
| he owes himself and his family Further.
the railway empl Dyes club has come to stay
as long as existing circumstances demand it.
Whentthere shall be no need for such a club
then it will pass away: ard that time Will
come when ignorance ceases to exist moDg
! 81 al0 nfp