The record-union., 1898-08-24

| Inc Associated railway employees or
! California, composed of citizens in the
employ of various railroad companies.
last evening submitted the following
memorial to the Committee on Plat
/ form:
To the Committe ON Platform and Reso-
iutlonS OF the Republican State Conven-
uCn-Gentlemen: The Associated Railway
employees of California desire to call your
| attention to the following. viz:
| That 1t is an organization repre-
sentlng the railway employees of Calf
fornia to the number exceeding 10000.
Z 1t is not a partisan organization, for
IT numbers among its members men OF
/ every political faith.
| 5. 1T is a voluntary association. In no
manner connected with or under the con-
/ trol of any railroad company or its owns
/ erS or managers.
| 4. 1t has been formed to protect its
members from unfair assaults by political
demagogueS who seek office and prefer
ment by attacks upon railroads and trans
poftatlon interests generally. These at
tacks, while ostensiby directed against
the corporations, hurt us, the employees.
much more than they do the companies
ciaimed 70 be the objects of the attack.
o. We believe the time has come when
man should be allowed to work for any
man or corporation, whether engaged in
manufacturing or mercantile or transport
tatlon business, without being stigmatlzed
as a. railroad hireling" or a Corporation
IN politics and ostracized from the list Of
those who may properly seek office at
the hands of their fellow-citizens.
D.. We further believe that the day has
arrived in our State when conventions
or the great political parties should recog-
n1ze the fact that there is no longer any
railroad issue before the people, except
that made by interested aspirants for Of
nee. and should for one year at least omit
rom rom 'neir PLATFORM all reference TO the
great transportation and railroad inter-
ests. We are certain that the so-called
railroad question" will quietly settle
itself according to the laws of trade and
the economical conditions of the country
II politicians and political parties will let
1t alone.
:. We therefore request of YOU that in
the platform by you adopted you make
no attack upon the railroad interests of
California, for that will be an attack upon
US and our means of livelihood. and will
inevitably do injury to all concerned and
create unnecessary antagonism.
3. We do not seek the advancement po-
| litIcally of any man, whether connected
| With our organization or not, nor the
triumph OF any one political party. but
we do ask that our business be left unas-
sailed and the companies for whom we
/ labor be permitted to carry on their legit-
innate business without any fight being
made by you against them, to the end
that we may feel secure I'm our employ
ment and the receipt of the wages that
support ourselves and families Respect
| fully submitted
". V. Stafford. James /. Felter
IL. a: L. Sanborn. p l. Fitzgerald.
NJ. IL. Smith, Geo. H. Clough,
Gus S. Turner. James Garlick. +"
G. w. Hilbert c. s. Gilmore
II. E. Leonard, w c. Renfro
H A. Priest, T. n. Heffron.
Committee appointed by the Railway
Employees Association of California.
Representatives of the clubs address,
ed the committee and set forth the OBJ
ject of their presenting themselves as
being for the purpose of bringing to it's
attention their views in regard to trans
portation. 1t was felt that any fur
a nf ha ioht 60
question would injure them as the en-
ployes of the various railroads of the
State. They expressed the hope that
it, would not be necessary for them TO
cast their votes as unit for or against
any party, but that they would be COM
PEELED to do so in the event of attack
upon their interests. They asserted
that the railroad employees were lining
up steadily and that the clubs were
growing very rapidly, and that before
election day all of the great mass of
railroad men in the State of California
will be in the clubs, and would cast
their votes according to their ideas of
where their friends are, regardless OF
party.
1t was asserted that there was
strong interest taken in the matter
among the men in the shops in Sacra-
mento and throughout the whole service
here, and without doubt within a COM
paratively short time, practically all the
railway employees in Sacramento would
be in the local club. 1t was also stated
that the representatives of all the clubs
under instructions from the clubs at
different points in the State, had per-
fected central organization to handle
their interests throughout the campaign
to be known as the Railway Employees
Political Club. 1t will not meddle with
party politics, but keep its eyes upon
all the men who are known as the vi
cious enemies of their interests. They
were conscious of the fact that the
combined vote of the organization
would be a very formidable one They
trusted that candidates would take such
course as would allow them to vote
according to their party affiliations.