The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-13
ARTHUR FOR TEMPERANCE.
Address Before the Brotherhood Of
Engineers.
IS DOWN on THE. DRUNKARDS
No Man Has Right to Step on Loco.
motive With Human Lives In His
Keeping When Intoxieated-Good
of Labor Orgaaizations.

thousand engineers from the several
divisions of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers on the Erie, Jersey
Central, West Shore, Delaware. Lacka-
wanna and Western, Erie and Wyom-
ing Valley and Fall Brook railroads and
all the elevated railroads of New York
city, held a grand union meeting In
the opera house here this afternoon.
Three special trains. one from Scranton.
one from Hornellsville and one from
Jersey City, supplied by the Erie COM
pany. carried the delegates to and from
this place.
Among the prominent railroad Off
cials present were Superintendent of
Motive Power Mitchell. of the Erie;
George West, superintendent of motive
power of the Ontario and Western;
superintendent Mcguire, of the East
ern division of the Erie. and Frank S.
Cannon, superintendent Of the Staten
Island railroad. Others present were
Shandy Mcguire. poet engineer of Os-
wego. N. Y, and Uncle Ben" Hafner,
OF Port Jervis. the Oldest locomotive
engineer in the United States; also the
clergy of the village, Mayor Carly and
the board Of village trustees. Clark
Caskey, chief engineer Of division 54. of
Port Jervis, presided and the speakers
We're Judge N. B. Fullerton, of Port
Jervis; Grand Chief Engineer P. NJ.
Arthur, OF Cleveland; Rev NJ. Salley,
rector of st. Mary's Roman Catholic
church, of Port Jervis.
ARTHURs SPEECH.
Chief Arthur was greeted with
storm of cheers when he rose to speak.
He said in part:
What the country needs Is closer
touch between the employer and employees;
there Is too wide a gulf between them.
One of the aims OF our order is to bring
an end to the antagonism between capt.
tai and labor and We shall do that when
the employer and employe alike live up to
the spirit Of the golden rule. DO unto
you" When We educate men to that
standard. where they recognize that 9th,
ers have rights which we are bound to re-
spect, the problem Is solved. Let me tell
YOU OF some Of the things accomplished by
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
We have given railroad companies more
reliable and trustworthy class of engineers
xhan they had before. We have code rules
as to !sobrety. etc. which, our men are
compelled to live up to or be discharged.
In all its history OF thirty-three years our
order never countenanced a dishonorable
OF unlawful act by its members. Last
year 372 men We're discharged from the
order for intoxicatiOn. / hold that no
man has the right to step on a locomotive
with human lives in keeping while under
the influence Of LIQUOR, and no punish
ment Is too sever for one who does so
We are trying to rid the railroad service
ployed as an engineer Oh a neighboring
railroad at $50 a month, flremen got
$50 and conductors $40. We drew up Pc
tition to the managers. couched in re-
spectacle language for more pay. What
do you think they did. They tore 1t up
and ordered us all discharged. Ten
years later the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers forwarded another petl-
tition which was drawn up by the same
men and was addressed to the same man
ayers. The petition was granted and the
engineers pay was raised to $3.50 "a day
and the firemen's in proportion. Here let
me say that In all its transactions with
the railroad corporations We have never
forgotten the tiremen. We looked upon
them as a part Of ourselves and in advO-
eating our claims advocated theirs until
they effected an organization of their own
and transacted their own business In their
own way. The Brotherhood of LocomO-
tive Engineers has protected its members
from unfair and arbitrary dismissals, has
saved many man from Grunkards $
fate to be a comfort to his family and
an honor to the community. 1t has paid
IS, 100000 in death benefits and over half
Il million dollars to needy members.
MISTAKEN PREJUDICE.
There is much mistaken prejudice
against labor organizations. If the COM
mercial. moneyed and professional classes
organize to promote and conserve their
interests, why should not workingmen. I
know that unprncipled and bad men
sometimes get at the head of labor or
ganizations. but an organization based
on good principles, conducted by honest
men for good ends. Is the hope Of the
toiling masses throughout the world. But
you say our order has had strikes. / adj
init 1t, and under the same circumstances
we would strike again. / say, without
fear of contradiction. that had the rail-
road managers met us in the same spirit
of fairness that we met them there would
have been no strikes. When corporations
are arbitrary, selfwilled and stubborn.
instead of being fair. then the only hope
, of labor is in coercion within the bounds
of the law, and If they can supply our
places We must retire. Today our or
ganization Is on the best terms with the
railroads. as evinced by the presence here
| Of so many railroad officials. and the
| favors and the courtesies extended in con-
necton with this meeting. We want
| every engineer to do his full duty to his
| employer, then to stand erect in his man.
| hood with the full consciousness Of his
! equality with every other man.
Chief Arthur also addressed a large
union meeting at the Methodist church
tonight.