The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-08-21

- your salaries are as s'ou -
,hoso ~ any railroad hands III III .,. ,hat
those Oh any - better than some mat
o'~SS' know about. The rai'o'"
you anu anI are employed upon
no - ~ any in the land. on,
-, onerated upon so'v ad ,bot
basis, II. IL is made payable III
ia Why2 Because IL y ~. ard
"a. currency OF the uniteu =. ,-'oso,,t
-, ,he civilized nations OF the ple 49,
r.. ord time. What erect WIZ I,
ont unlimited coinage OF SILVER -,
,hoea gold interest-bearinS pono9 ~
W, u,tbdrawn from circulation OUT
co,,ranv will not be able 10 -.
sound money 10 meet sheir oo''S"1'Y,
hoc,rse there has been de'i
,,orev nut into circulation WoI"
0ftv cents on the dollar ana VIM"
ma bocking I'm other WORDS -
deemer lIveth not. dollar 1" 'e
n dollar must Of necessity cou'"'"
amount In intrinsic value, or us
-, do,osited i'm the Treasury for me
discrepancy. Simply because II Do 10
stoun of the Government does not s'7
20, apvtbing unless the worth Is there
s,,,rose I would purchase one OF MT
y Tewis' mules for S25. take u 10
washington. and have tho Government
Mace its stamp upon II, return Win II
IA ybe racc-tracks Of Kentucky ana
CIV. "Gentlemen. here is fine race
house. II has a pedigree; II has been
slammed with the free and unlimited
coinare stamp At a ratio Of l5 TO J.
How many people o. YOU suppose wonin
mt no their money on that muleF me
answer Il apparent TO all and why
r. is the same old mule. The stamp mas
not changed iis value. and nothing can
change IT, The same will apply 20 your
Scent dollars. You have the Govern
mont stamp on them. but they are the
self same 50-cent dollars, with nothing
10 back them You say. why does the
Government use this stamp so indis-
criminately2 They DO not. and God for
bid that they ever viii. But II the
free-sllvcr craze captures this country
and lunacy is enacted as a law the
Government will be compelled 10 do II.
Coin all the silver bullion free. turn the
5g-oont dollars over TO the mine-owners,
and they I'm turn will pay them 10 orr
railroads for freight and transportation.
This IS the way our railroads will earn
tho money TO pay the interest on their
gold-bearlng bonds. This is the way our
railroads will earn the mpney with
which to pay our salaries. We hear
great talk about hard times. about men
being thrown out OF employment. Why
does this deplorable state OF affairs
exist? Ny friends, II originates from
the unsettled state OF affairs brought
into existence from time 10 time by
questions such as the one now before
the people. Capitalists are afraid 20 in
vest their money and the consumption
IS not equal 10 the production. which
results finally in an over-production.
Referring further to railroad men and
their salaries. I find thar IN 1873 engineers
handled freight engines from Huntington
10 Hinton for $3.50. Five years later he
received $50 and now at this time Of
depression the silver-tOngued orators are
rehearsing for our benefit for the sole
purpose Of leading us astray from the
eXac1 point freight engineers are being
paid from Huntington to Hinton $50.
which Is sixty cents more than double
the amount you received under free
silver.
Passenger conductors Of the same day
and time were paid so and that meant as
many days as YOU were called out and no
extra pay. Now they get SIP per month
and extra pay for extra time. Brakemen
from Richmond 10 Stanton on freights
were paid sl35. and to-day they receive
Y.B from Richmond 10 Charlottesville,
an Increase or go cents and the division
IS 81 miles shorter I presume that no
man under tie sound OF my voice can
neip admitting the fact that your sal
aries are nrst-class and that in a Ques-
non such as IS now being so generally
discussed every man thinks Of his own
interest first Some broad minded railroad
man has said in the face OF the figures I
have produced. Eyes. that Is all true. but
We wish 10 help out the masses OF the
people" Your past record. my brother
| Will not bear YOU ont I'm the position For
as soon as freight business drops and you
! are nor making what YOU consider good
! salary. you go 10 your trainmaster or
your road foreman and ask that he cut
or some Of The crews. that there are 50
many that You are not making the SAL
airy you should. Every railroad man in
| this audience knows that this IS true.
You DO not want 10 divide mp your salary
| with your co-workmen how about divid-
| Ing mp with the masses? I think this
| oDliterates that idea. but remember. my
| friends, that 7 do not for a moment
think or see how our masses are 70 pro-
| 1T by these 5o-cent dollars any more than
/ orr railroad boys or you, or any one
else.
Some OF our t0ilers Of the present wher
any question OF a political nature comes
up. take great pleasure I'm voting against
the corporations which employ them.
rms is wrong. sadly wrong. and we. rs
railroad men. do not 90 business on that
basis. but exactly on the contrary. We
known ana ought 10 feel that our in
terests are Identical with that Of our
employers. We know that when we work
20 their interests IL reflects honor and
credit upon Us. and through their sue
J cess we expect 10 obtain our success
/ IN 1874 | was 4 brakeman. the same
as some who are in the audience. I
was one OF the foremost In asking for
an increase OF pay. Every brakeman
then said I was right. Every brakeman
on that system followed me and we sue
ceeded Now. my friends. 7 again raise
/ tho flag. though twelve years have expired
since ! met you on this line. Our rail-
roads have been marked with many lines
! or progress. We see a railroad that ten
years ago was I'm chaos now n magnificent
| trunk line. n great many miles OF which is
| double tracked We see Christianity IN
| our midst and at every terminal OF any
| note we have the magnificent Y. NJ G. a.
! buildings which have been erected solely
! for our benefit We see our freight cars
/ equipped with air, and the horny handed
| brakeman is a thing Of the past. all Of
which are living monuments 10 the credit
4 a.. 4. H.N. I'll.