The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-17

manner ana the art of expression by Wnicn
iUfntors charm their hearers and Win APP
lproyal OF their cause. He could but speak
IN the crude. blunt language OF the man
who tolls Then Mr.. Grimes explained That
he was not conversant with all the details
| to the controversy between the railroad
company and the employees but he had
i never found that iaborinR men we're unjust
and he felt safe in assuming that his
i brother toilcra had a righteous cause. he
! had gone 10 Turner hall without waiting
for The first car and he wished TO say that
Iif the time comes when the street car
system OF this city is operated by men
brought from various towns OF various
Suites to take the place NJ the strikers.
this would not be the last time he wouln
not wait He believed all members OF
Iurgantzcd labor would act az nc would
and boycott the car line unless the men
returned 10 work with credit to themselves
and with credit to the community
| In an emergency like tile present one, he
said there was no middle ground Either
n man must be for or dIlitst the strikers.
IIc declared that no honest American ciu-
zen could believe the men were wrong in
| undeavofing TO better their conditions
Surely mana man who wished 10 be
good citizcn-~who was honest and faithful
and conscientious, was eutitled to a fair
lays wages He asked If Sl.Sp day Tor
4 nine hours work was an eNorbitant wage
| To his mind 1t was not. lie believed falr
/ NuEFH n1gNp potter employees hilu UtllHi
citizens The previous difficulty between
| tho company and the men was due not to
! n question Of hours or OF pay. but OF the
right OF the men tn organize, He thotght
| the railroad officials wcre unjust In aot
meeting the demands or requests OF the
mon In spirit Of compromise. II the
mon asked too muth tl.e company might
offer what II thought was proper and there
would have been no cause for extreme
action. Labor organizations ought TO inn
| prove the conditions OF labor. In improv-
| ing labor they improved all classes. for
| labor is the basis of all commercial life.
| a lahnrcr should receive enough to sus-
tain his family and not make IT necessary
| for the tender child ~ 10 or II years, boy
or, oirl 10 enter factory,
| While Mir Grimes was speaking a urge
| delegation Of brewery employees, carving
| the banner Of their union, entered the hall
There was Wild applause rs they marched
W the aisle.
Major w. H Crank was next introduced
He said he was old and gray and disin-
clined at his time Of ife for mass meeting
| His presence at the hall was largely ac-
| cidonial. There was atlll In his old frame
- little bit OF the war spirit that was ram
| pant come thirtv-fve vcars ago AMI whom
he had heard The hcot OF the drum and
had seen the marching men he follow
without exactly knowing why. HI hal
been in the hght of long agnhad four
years of it-and had heon thoroughly
whipped and most emphatcally dubbed BY
those pe5tiferous Yankees. SO that now
he was unfit for service II any troubl.
arose except rs commander of the Skillet
wagon brigade, but stun ne w0uldn', hello
feeling little OF that lighting blood in
| his old veins, He was born TO llh7r, he
said. and until he was q years Old he
worked harder than any 'ngger'' south Of
| Mason's and niXons line He had handled
! fpJ 81 IN W Ia
| nntil his bones ached He knew the sor-
| rows and the joys o. labor He knew its
| wrongs. Labor is capital II builds the
towns, the cities. tho nations II Is the
| foundation OF all that Is good and enduring
| In our institutions The laboring man l.
MS good as any other man II he makes
| himself a worthy citizen. The sweat aud
the muscle and the toll Of labor should
| not be despised as some seem to desgisa
| II. FOR without II our institutions VOL
| fail The conflicts between labor and cap
| tai should be avoided Labor and capital
| should 30 hand IN hand. One can not exist
| without the other. He was most emphati-
onlly in sympathy with the laborer in all
ma struggles. He had often wondered how
the street car men could stand the long
hours OF work they had to perform Tho
iirst thing he heard in the morning was the
clans Of tho street car, the last thing he
heard at night was its rumble as 1t passed
what electricity does now he noticed how
much care was bestowed upon the animals
lne mules got their rest at regular in
tervals and We're never overworkod. but. |
nlas' for man. How we'll the poet Burns |
Knew his kind when he lamented about
mans lnhumanity to man
The street car laborer of today simpJy
slept ate and worked He had no time
for sooiability for rest, for recreation n,
had few or none of the pleasures Of life.
man who had not the time to enjoy the
company of his wife. children and his
Fellows could not improve, Justice should
he recognized and be enforced I.ahorars
MS a rule were the most uneomplaIninr of
on the human race. The public would b,
Wlth them in every Just claim they made
W. D. Mahon. president Of the Amalga-
mated Association of Street Railway En-
nloyes OF America followed Major Crank
Mr Mahon. though lacking in that polish
nl speech which men who do much cam
lalsning soon acquire, is foreeful and
ierV'd IN style even If he has the nasal
wang that usually Is attributed to tn
Hoosier. He knows how to draw n strong
situation. he approaches his climaxes with
SKIN and intensity and at times he can
enthusiasm.
He began by explaining the negotiations
between the Emmett and Hihernians ON
one side and the strikers on the hcr for
enc runnins of cars today for the 81. Pat
! leNs celebration, and told Of the an
sWer oil the men that they would operate
me cars for the benefit OF the Irish socI.
eues without question OF nav. Tben ho |
said the company had announced that the
men must first promise 10 do no injury 10
the property OF the railway.
Ihai. said MIR. Mahon. was an insult.
I was a thrust at our honesty aud our
hohof we operated the property of the
contemptnous, disgraceful acts the otfI
GERS OF he company suggest we would
employ repeat II was an insult 10 us."
Then he said the whole matter had been
referred to the Trades council and the
men would be judged by the wishes OF
'hat body as to their action today.
want TO speak little about that
asreemen,- that agreement Mr.. Mac.
arssor has had so much TO say about The
'ast Few days, Mr.. Mahon continued.