The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-12
A CONSERVATIVE VIEW
GRAND CHIEF ARTHUR GIVES GOOD
ADVICE TO THE BROTHERHOOD.
Eastern Lines Take Strong Grounds
Personal and General Notes.

Mayor Rose. of Milwaukee, in concluding
his address of welcome to the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers, now holding their
annual convention, said: There is leg
end that there is key TO this city, but
the key to Milwaukee was lost at time
beyond which point the. memory of man
runneth not beyond We don't need 1t. We
know your organization. We know 1t
through the grand old man at the head or
it-Chief Arthur" The chiefs response
was. in part, as follows: 81 must acknowl-
edge my inability to do justice to this oc-
casion. After thirty-six years of struggle
the brotherhood has come to this city and
T. as its representative. have been rendered
by the mayor of the city his Office Had he
been better acquainted with me and with
this organization he might not have been
so generous as to tender me the keys. much
less his office I believe that labor organi-
cations are a necessity. The only question
Is how they should be conducted. We read
i'm the Good Book that the tree shall be
known by its fruits. When we compare the
conditions of railroad men to-day with their
condition thirty-seven years ago we are
proud to be known by our fruits We have
reason to thank the God who rules over all
for the change that has been wrought. The
question is answered that the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers has been a benefit
TO it's members, their families and to the
railway companies. We have been the
means of furnishing a better class of en-
gineers than could have been hoped for
under the old conditions. / remember when
we were looked upon with suspicion; but
our main object has been to furnish a bet
ter class of men. What have we done for
the benefit of the railway engineer? We
have paid sS.000,000 to- the widows and or
phans of the deceased members. When i
was on the New York Central thirty-seven
years ago it was no uncommon thing for a
man to step upon the deck of locomotive
under the influence of liquor. Do IL now
and what would be the result? The man
would lose his position 1t is a serious
thing TO intrust the lives of hundreds of
people and thousands of dollars worth of
property In the keeping of single man,
and 1T is requirement of our organization
that he be a sober man. We do not believe
i'm closing the door, however. and il a man
has a disposition to do better we will do
all we can to save him. We were the pio-
neers in this work There are now the
Brotherhood of Fireman and the Brother
hood OF Conductors, and the woman aux
Hilary. I ask you what better work can we
engage in than in trying TO raise the fallen
and induce them to travel aright?'
The address throughout teens with sage
advice. conservative counsel and covers a
wide range of activity. Chief Arthur's adj
vanced age and his twenty-six years OF
service at the head OF the order. filled with
faithful endeavor in behalf of engineers
and their families, have won for him an
enviable place among the men of the broth
CT hood There is a noticeable conserva-
| tive reference to strikes, a forcible recon-
mendation of the employment of arbitra-
| ton wherever possible. and harmonious
I relations between capital and labor are
urged.