The morning call., 1895-02-04
Exclusion of Members Who Refuse to
RenOunce Deb'S Order.
SUCH ACTION TO Be RECOMMENDED.
Railway Men Cannot Serve Two Masters
and Belong to Organizations With
Inimieal interests.


A r. U. and the old railroad brother
hoods, which anteceded the big strike of
last summer and became more bitter at
that time because the old brotherhood
men refused to Join in the strike, has not
been softened by the hand of time. In
stead, the feeling between the rival bodies
has apparently become more intense. To-
day the subject was discussed at length by
200 or more leaders of the Order of Rail-
way Conductors. and an almost unani-
nous expression was found in the adop-
ton of resolution recommending to the
coming biennial convention of the grand
division that the line be drawn in the
order to exclude all members who refuse
to renounce allegiance to the American
Railway Union.
There are many members of the order of
Conductors who are also members of the
American Railway Union. The leaders in
to-day's meeting insisted that no man
could serve two masters; that no conduc-
tor could hold membership in two organ
izations whose interests were inimical and
between which there was constant war
fare. They said the avowed object of the
American Railway Union was to absorb all
the railway employees of the country and
the districts and that of the older organ
izations
The meeting to-day was called by the
three Chicago divisions l, Al and 293. It
was union meeting, and circulars had
been sent to every division in the country
and they were urged to send their dele
gates to the Grand Division. The response
was larger than expected. Members were
present from nearly every division north of
the Ohio River and between Kansas City
on the west and Pittsburg on the east, with
few scattered members from New York,
Pennsylvania and Omaha and San Fran
cisco. The purpose of the meeting, or
rather caucus, for such it was, was an
nounced in the circular to discuss matters
of Importance which would come up be-
fore the next BIENNIAL convention of the
order in Atlanta in May next.
Grand Chief R. E. Clark, Grand Vice
Chief Wilkins and Grand Secretary W. P.
Daniels were present and addressed the
meeting. For some time charges of mis-
management have been talked of in the
order against the officials of the Home for
Disabled Railway Men, located in Chicago,
and committee from outside divisions
spent all of last week in investigating the
home. 1t reported to the meeting to-day
that the charges were without foundation,
and the home could not be better con-
Quoted.
Kaw Valley Division has issued circu-
lar to the members of the order asking CO.
operation at the coming convention of the
Grand Division to strike out the perma-
Of bn of
the Grand Division. Under the law all
members of the order who have served four
consecutive terms as delegates to the grand
body become life members, and the circu-
lar alleges that the number of such perma-
nent members had grown to be a menace
to the order, and that the men represent
ing no local division were practically con-
trolling the Grand Division.
The caucus was evenly divided on the
question, and no agreement was reached.
Another circular discussed was one from
the Lackawanna Division insisting upon
the extension of the life insurance benefits
to such members in whose family certain
diseases, such as paralysis and apoplexy,
were hereditary. The meeting was prac-
tically unanimous in condemning the
doOpllOH VI SuCll oil dlucHuuueubs Lie
friends of E. A. Soper of Wasatch Division
sought to obtain the recommendation OF
the caucus for the setting aside of the de-
cision of the insurance committee and the
board of directors in refusing him total
disability benefits. The laws of the order
requires the loss of hand at the wrist to
be eligible for total disability benefits. Mr..
Sopher lost all of the fingers on one hand
and four on the other. He is said to be as
totally disabled as if he had lost his hands
at the wrists. The caucus was disposed to
take up Mr.. Soper's claim, and at the
Grand Division meeting an effort will be
made to amend the laws SO as to include
such cases as his.
Other questions of laws of minor i'm
portance were taken up and discussed, and
then the action on the dual membership in
the order and the American Railway Union
was had.