Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-06-22

of small army of "grand officers" and
the expenses of forty times as many gen
eral conventions as are needed.
The plan of the new organization Is
not yet completed Many of the details
are still to be agreed upon. The main
scheme, as explained to me by Mr.. Debs,
is to bring all the employees of the rail
way system, all branches of train service,
station men, shopmen and traclzmen, into
one organization-"al under one roof"
Each branch of the service is to form a
division or section, and while each divi-
sion will have charge of its own affairs
it will be entitled to and will receive the
support of the whole union when needed.
Red tape is to be abolished and tedious
routine reduced to a minimum. Meet
ings will be held regularly for education
al purposes, instead of for tiresome twad-
die and wrangling, OF course, when i'm
portant business necessitates meeting
ing of the division concerned, one will
be held. Men qualified to discuss eco
nomic and kindred subjects will be kept
in the field constantly employed in filling
appointed engagements as lee
turers and teachers, and o system of in
terchanging will provide variety for both
speakers and listeners.
The country is to be carefully divided
into districts, and u competent man will
be placed in charge of each district.
These district directors will jointly COM
pose the international board of directors,
and regulated by standard of fitness
the aim will be to give proportional rep
resentation to each branch of the service
in the selection of directors. There will
be no princely salaries, but those who
are chosen as directors will be remuner-
ated fairly in accordance with the serv-
ice rendered and in u sum not out OF the
sight of their previous incomes and the
incomes of those who pay the salaries.
The directors will be elected at the quad
rennial international convention. 1t Is
held by the men of the new union that
once in four years is often enough for a
general meeting, and that two days is
enough for an ordinary session. Atten-
ton is called to the great saving in ex-
pense this plan will effect.
AS all educational feature in addition
to the regular economic lectures already
referred to daily paper and a monthly
magazine will be probably
in Chicago. These publications are to
be made as good as money and brains
can produce and are to be sold at cost.
mo more, no less" says Mr.. Debs. The
daily is to be thorough newspaper, and
labor matters will get a fair show-some-
thing very much needed, in fact, "a
long felt want" The new magazine is
to contain articles upon industrial ques-
tions prepared by the ablest thinkers
and writer's upon such questions and eX-
pressed in language which the ordinary
mind can grasp. There is to be no hid
| ing of the truth behind a lot of ''highfa-
lutin lingo" which no one understands
not even the writer himself after it gets
cold. Economic truths may be expressed
in plain, everyday English, and Debs
says The Railway Unions magazine will
prove it.
There will be n meeting of the organ
izers of the union in Chicago on June 20.
AT this meeting n programme for the
summers work will be made, and IL or
more organizers will take the field to re-
main out until the first general conven-
ton, which will probably be held in
October next. Mr.. Debs says the men
who will take the field are all as enthusi-
astic as he is himself over the new or
ganization, and that during this summer
there will be carried ON such a campaign
of agitation, organization and education
among the railway employees as this
country never knew. 1t is claimed that
a majority of the men in the railway
brotherhoods and orders are ready for a
change which will offer them substan-
tial relief, and while it is not desirable
nor is it proposed to interfere with the
existing organizations these men are
ready to meet Mr.. Debs and his associ-
ates half way. All see the necessity of
gathering into the field Of unionism the
G50,000 unorganized railway men.
confess to more than ordinary inter
est in this new movement. With every
other close observer have for more than
two years known that the present rail.
way organizations were inadequate that
they could not, as at present formed and
managed, accomplish anything substan,
tial in behalf of the great army of rail
way men. l believe that the general
plan of the American Railway union is
founded upon correct principles, and
have confidence in the men who are al
the front in the movement and believe
they have the ability, as l know they
have the honesty, to carry out the idea il
its necessary details. Eugene V. Debs
has made record during 10 years al
secretary of the Brotherhood of Firemer
of which any man would be proud, and
he has today more friends among rail
road men than any other man in the
country. have known him for several
years, and trust him implicitly. Lei
these be accepted as my reasons for Civ
ing SO much space to the American Rail
way union. Jos. r. BUCHANAN. S.
A Bad Better on"