Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-11
ENGINEERS BROTHERHOOD
IN ANNUAL SESSION AT ST. PAUL,
MINNESOTA.
By Associated Press.

- Assoclbte1 Press.
ste Paul, Mimi. May 10Th
Metropolitan opera house was hand
somely dressed with flowers when the
brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers,
this afternoo Were In session and every
one OF the seats nlled. The exercises
were very interesting throughout. but
the address OF Archbishop Ireland was
the feature of the meeting, containing
some strong talk on the labor question.
Welcoming addresses were delivered
by Mayor Wright for the city; At
torney-General Chiids for the state OF
Minnesota, Archbishop Ireland and
others. Grand Chief Arthur closed the
session with his biennial address
After some general ramarks OIL the
prosperity Of the brotherhood Mr..
Arthur referred to the depression In
general business and regretted that
many Of the people would fail to learn
the lesson OF Individual economy that
should be taught by their experiences
of the past. With that lesson learned
the people would be left In position
to suffer from the fluctuations of trade
Archbishop Ireland. in the course of
his speech, said; "The interests and
rights of labor often have pleaded
for them and lovingly do 1 plead for
them anew.
II hate thatview OF labor which
makes Of 1t a mechanical force, pur-
chaseable at mere market value. de-
mand for the laborer and his family,
so far as through just and rational
measures we en- reach thereto, the
mems OF care for bodily health and
moral and religious growth, to receive
a due portion OF the Joys OF human ex-
istence. in recompense Of the tolls which
viii not fail to press upon them. Let
me now enter my brief plea for capital.
Property is the very foundation stone
of the social fabric, 1t is the incentive
and reward Of industry and energy. He
who menaces property is an anarchist,
and the anarchist Is the deadly foe OF
order, of right of society.
He is the wild beast, solely bent on
destruction. from which security and
civilization never can drift. Without
capital the millions OF willing work.
| ingmen are idle and factory doors re-
! main closed, fields are untitled, mines
hold their treasures, in concealment. no
ships plough the seas. no railroads span
continents. without capital labor is
latent, unproductive energy. Why,
| Today there are among us legions
OF unemployed, because capital HES
away from us. 1t is an easy matter in
club room and on public square to
discuss capital and Its obligations. AS
matter Of fact, capital is tlmid of its
life. Insecure. II will shun you nd
leave you to beat the air with your
idle arms. The laws of the financial
world are as flexible those of the
four seasons of the year; the state or
the country in which, through mob
riots or oppressive statutes, property is
endangered or made unproductive, VIII
be surely abandoned to their own sterile
resources.
/ am NO afraid 10 mention the word
strike. Nor Will say that they never
| should be conselled. i say this much,
however. of strikes: They are In the
| Industrial world what wars are between
people-to be dreaded for the ruin they
| cause-an1 never to be urged except
| when all other counsels have failed
and where great interests are at stake,
and when strikes do take place they
must be like wars between civilized
nations. conducted under the dictates
| of Justice and humanity. Amid the ut
most fury of strikes property must be
held sacred. and the liberty OF other
men allowed as we demand that our
| liberty b. allowed. Those are the i'm.
perative laws OF social justice and OF
Gods religion.
This is an age of reason. as distln-
guished from previous ages of semi
barbarism and brute force Why .then
cannot nations cease putting theiI
pride in their power to murder men
and arbitrate their differences, and
why cannot employers and employees
equally avoid dlscord by peaceful ar.
hitratiouP