Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-01
FACTS FOR RAILROAD EMPLOYEES.

I.
What Organized Labo" Siys-A Short
Reply 30 the Anonymous Circular Adj
dressed to Members OF hallway Labor
Organizations, Dated October LIST.
Printed by request.
The members of the various railway
labor organizations have received a
circular dated at Chicago, October 1st,
1900, urging upon them the desra-
bility Of voting the Republican
National Ticket because of great adj
vantages which some anonymous com
mittee signing itself Fraternally
yours" claims that railway labor
organizations have received from Presi-
dent Mckinley and the Republican
party. The greatest claim to CON
sideration which il raised In President
Mokinley's favor is that he failed to
appoint Paxson, the former Chief
Justice OF the State of Pennsylvania a
receiver OF the notorious Philadelphia
e Reading Railroad Co., chairman of
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
II the memhers OF the various bro her
hoods Of railway men are to how down
and worship the President because he
simply fails to injure railway labor
organizations by appointing open and
avowed enemies TO places of high i'm
portanee, then indeed the citizens of
the United States have fallen low in
the scale OF frfemen. 1t is the first
time that exemption from active hos.
Utility to labor organizations has been
urged as a reason for the support OF
these organizations and the true po-
sition OF tie President was shown by
himself when he declined to apDoint
brother Frank p. Sergeant grand
master Of the brotherhood of loco
motive firemen, to a position on the
Interstate Commerce Commission for
which he was urged by organized
labor. When visited by supporters of
Frank p. Sergeant to urge this APP.
pointment, which was the next ap-
pointment after the Paxson episode,
President Mckinley said to the
Sergeant supporters, that he liked
Frank z. Sergeant, that he was good
man, but they must not be dis.
appointed, that bis hands were tied,
ard that he could NOT appoint whom
he pleased. The dates and names can
be furnished il necessary to support
this charge. If the hands of Presi-
dent of the United States are tied and
he is unable TO appoint u good man
who is presented to him, backed by
the support of organized labor, the
people of the country ought to know
who has been strong enough, or what
railway corporations have been strong
enough to tie his hands and prevent
him from being free agent.
Brother Frank p. Sergeant seems to
have been good enough to name for a
subordinate and unimp ortant place hut
when backed by the reeommenG
of organized labor, responsible public
position could not be obtained for him.
A list of railway men holding po.
sitions under the present Republican
administration is given in the cir
cular, with the apparent intention Of
causing our organization to believe
they have been recognized. As a
matter Of fact it is we'll known by all
who are concerned in furthering the
interests of organized labor that 4. v.
Powderly was not appointed with the
support OF, but in opposition to the
wishes of organized labor, and the idea
of naming s. e, Wilkinson, former
grand master of the brotherhood of
railroad trainmep, as an appointment
to be credited to organized labor is so
grotssque and absurd as to make rail
way men believe the writer of the
circular cannot be one of their mem
bers. Only IA other individuals are
named who are said to be connected
with railway labor organizations and
to have received appointments in the
public service or recognition in any
way by the Republican administration.
Some of these are absolutely unknown
to persons well acquainted with
organized labor matters and the very
low and subordinate positions to
which some of them are credited makes
the idea of such recognition of organized
labor ridiculous.
From the best information obtain
able there are between $780, and
1000, 600 persons engaged in railway
transportation, directly and indirectly,
and out Of this million of individuals
l6 persons are named who, from the
highest to the most trivial and sub
ordinate positions. have been iecog-
nized by Mckinley's administration.
There are 1900, 600 of voters in the
United States The railway employees,
on fair percentage, should receive
about one appointment in Is of the
offices given out by the national
government, and yet of the thousands
and thousands of public officials, ap-
pointed by the showing OF the circular
referred to-, they have received but 16
and some of those appointed against
the protests and wishes Of organized
labor.
The reference in this circular to the
Safety Appliance Act'' is most un-
fortunate. William Jennings Bryan
was a member of the House of Repre-
sentatives from Nebraska when this
act was passed, and is on record as
speaking, voting and working for that
bill. The Brotherhood OF Trainmen's
journal, in May of 1893, recorded this
fact under the head Of an article en-
E;tl,1 GsUla n,,te Ilz.a.s