The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-04
a BAD YEAR FOR LABOR
HEAVY LOSSES OF MEMBERSHIP IN
ALL RAILWAY ORGANIZATIONS.
Death of the Garments and Track
Dor in Arrears with Salaries.
st. Louis Globe-Demoerat.

Hdiiy Tor the purpose OF attending the con-
ference of the Peoples party, but in re-.
atty to consult with certain parties, whose
names he refused to give. with regard to a
scheme he has on foot for the organization
Of the most gigantic federation of work.
ingmen ever proposed.
When seen by Globe-Democrat reporter
Mr. Howard admitted that he rendered his
resignation to the directors of the Ameri-
can Railway Union on Dec. Is. at meet
ing held in Chicago. He was not disposed
to discuss the matter, further than to
state that it was brought about through a
disagreement between himself and certain
of the directors as to how the business OF
the order should be transacted. The Vice
President wanted business methods to gov
ern, the same as would be in effect in any
commercial enterprise where as large sums
of money as are handled by the officers of
the American Railway Union are in daily
use. The primary differences between Mr..
Howard and the opposing members of the
directory grew out of the oft-repeated de-
mand of the vice president that Sylvester
Kelleher, secretary of the union, be placed
under bond. Out of this grew widespread
differences, which finally resulted in Mr..
Howard rendering his resignation when he
found that his wishes would not be OBJ
served
Pressed further. he refused to talk, but
there is good grounds for saying that great
laxity has marked the handling of the
finances of the order. At one time it only
required tile signature of President E. "
Debs and Secretary KelIeher to check to
insure its payment. The president lives at
Terre Haute, Ind 1877 miles south of Chi
cago, where the headquarters of the or
ganization are located, and, as he spends
the greater part of his time at home, IL
left Secretary KeIleher in charge. In order
to facilitate matters President Debs signed
a number of blank checks leaving them In
Secretary Kellehers hands to be filled out
in whatever amounts the Secretary saw Mt.
1t is understood that this has been recently.
changed and that the signatures of other
officers are necessary before cneck can
be cashed. 1t is claimed that Vice Presi-
dent Howard was not only prompted Dy
business methods in demanding that the
secretary be placed under bond, but that
the defalcation of w. A. Simsrott, of the
Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association. only
a short time before, served as practical
warning to all labor organizations as to
what might result in case they left their
treasures unprotected.
The year 1894, which has just been brought
to close, was the most disastrous period
in the history of labor organizations. 1t
marked the defeat of the coke workers in
the Connellsville, Pa, district in the blood
lest and most stubborn strike ever inaugu-
rated in that troublous region, the defeat
of the United Mine Workers in their strike
against the operators all over the United
States. and the defeat of the American
Railway Union, the largest, broadcast and
best organization ever effected among the
employees of American railroads. Labor has
to its credit but one signal victory during
the past year-the concessions granted to
the American Railway Union by President
j. M. Hill. of the Great Northern road, the
newest of the transcontsnental systems
The hard times have had more to do with
the signal decline of labor ORGANIZATIONS
than union of capitalists could have. pos
here Strongest orders in the labor
field have drifted close upon total dismem-
e 4he Knr hs Of Of abop which UNDER Mar
tin Irons and r. v. Powderly, fourished
as the strongest labor union on the West
ern hemisphere. So rapid has been its de-
cline and its falling off in membership has
been so great, that its offices claim that 1T
against reductions of wages or the en-
croachments of capital. Grand Master
Workman J. r, Sovereign, by way of evas -
ion of the question as to whether the order
has not abandoned the policy II was organ
lied to carry out, stated the other day to
ward on political lines. He stated that his
plan is to get control of the federal courts
and the various making bodies through
the wrongs of the laboring men.
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
An officer in the knights of Labor, who
attended the New Orleans convention of
the order. stated yesterday that it's affairs
had become so bad that 1t Is now question
of where Mr. Sovereign's salary Is to come
FROM and, in fact, there had already been
times when the Grand Master Workman's
salary had not been paid. The arrearage is
said to be quite large now. The same
thority stated that but for the shutting out
of Patrick Mcbride and all of the delegates
from the United Mine Workers, who were
friends of Powderly, Sovereign would have
been defeated for reelection by PoWderly:
They were shut out on a technicality, but
in reality because they were known to be
anti-Sovereign. The existence of the
knights of Labor is now said to be merely
nominal, and. in fact, to have been so since
Sovereiem's great fiasco in calling out 10000
Its complete disruption is said to be only a
question of short time.
Meanwhile affairs have gone awry with
the several organizations OF railroad men.
The American Railway Union badly
shaken by its defeat In the great Pullman
boycott strike, and the blacklistng of its
members since by the railroads all over the
country has done much toward crushing the
work so auspicuously begun by defeat. AL
ready Ii begins to look as though two short
years of existence would be the fate of the
pet scheme of President Debs, which was
There never can be unification of the sew
eral orders of railroad empolyes, such as the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, Broth
erhood of Railway Trainmen Order of
Railroad Conductors. Order of Railway
photographers and the Switchmens Mutual
Association. The firemen and engineers are
further apart to-day than they We're ten
wears ago. The same is true of the brake
men and conductors The reason of this is
that the lower order restraints the higher.
the firemen's organization embraces both
fremen and engineers, and can afford as
much protection and possibly more than
the engineers brotherhood. The same is
true OF the brakemen's and conductors or
ders Engineers promoted from the
ranks of firemen and conductors are made
of brakemen. Each order has striven to
place it's banner a little higher than the
other, and the continual clash for suprem-
acy personal chickering's and jealousies be-
tween the grand officers has accomplished
an equal amount of trouble.
RAILWAY ORGANIZATIONS
Since January, 1894, just 1871 lodges of the
brotherhood OF Locomotive Firemen have
become defunct. This means a falling off
in membership of over 1900. to say moth
ing of individuals who may have with
drawn in lodges everywhere throughout the
country. The International Trackmen's
Union is dead, and the Switchmen's Mutual
Aid Association is little more than nom
inal organization. The defalcation of w.
A. Simsrott, general secretary, to the tune
of $4,000 was the greatest factor in accom-
plshng this. Grand Master Miles Barrett
has secured lob, and is switching
cars in the yards at Kansas City The
Brotherhood of Railway Carmen has gone
to pieces. and but the semblanca of the
order of which w. @. Misemer was elected
orsd mas ta in ia city fuo ago