Sunday morning globe., 1901-09-01

gars." In the closing hours Of the
/ Philadelphia convention the resolution,
abortive because IL contlicted with the
constitution, was adopted, our John'
/ had pleased his delegation and hypno-
/ tized some other delegates into the be-
/ lief that any old increase of salary Dill
would surely become law Immediately
on the opening of the next session OF
| Congress.
In December, 1895, Postmaster-Gen-
eral Wilson issued an order torbldding
postal employees coming to Washington
/ to influence legislation. The reports Of
| president Quinn and Chairman Cutler
to the Grand Rapids convention, of '96,
prove that in no preceding year was
better legislative work done than in
the first session of the Fifty-tourth
Congress. That work was somewhat
marred by decoitful, tricky move
aimed TO placate the letter carriers in
cities of less than $4,000 population,
/ known as second-class cities, where the
salaries paid a carrier are 5000 the first
year and $3.50 thereafter In the larger
first class) cities the salaries are $500
first year, $500 second year, and $1,000
.
fought for an equalization of salaries
throughout the service and at very con
vention for years bill on that line has
been the bone of contention. The bill
pending i'm Congress in the winter Of
J5!9G aimed to add 5000 to the large
city carrier and $3.50 to the others
/ The latter called IL the Discrimination
Bill" Early in '96 Parsons conceived
/ the idea of forcing the bill in the Sen
ate in the hope that If it passed that
| body the Grand Rapids convention
would not waste time on the old bone
/ but would heed the cry Of the first class
men: "Seel our bill has passed one
/ house; only got to pass one more to be
o. law Don't change it for another.
/ IF we don't succeed next session Wen
get out of your way and get behind
am equalization BILL Very clever ruse
of Candidate Parsons. The bill did
pass the Senate. The scheme worked
like a charm at the Grand Rapids con-
yention. and the man who had labored
for years to ruin the association got
himself elected, by virtue of his slate.
making ability to rule the organiza'
ton. There is no denying the fact
that he is a clever. brainy man, who,
without his cunning and trickery
would have made a name and fame
greater than any of his predecessors
would have been of incalculable serv
ice to the cause Of organized labor gen
orally.
81 enjoy the most absolute disregard
for what may be the outcome of the
political contest that is being waged in
this country. Speech Of John N. Par
sons, Sept. 10, 1S96.-Successor to Con
gresham Quiggl On what ticket
would he run? From the platitudinous
demagoguery in his speech Of accept
, ance, the following is taken: Il stand
. ready to pledge you my honor as a
man, when l return to you this posi-
ton l will return it to you In the same
capacity in the postal service which
held when l accepted it." He resigned
from the service more than three years
ago, and is president in violation OF
, plain clause in the constitution which
forbids ex-carriers holding office in the
association, save by express provision
the secretary.
To the Philadelphia and Grand Rap
ids conventions free transportation
was secured by the P. o. Department
To insure this annual boon the ther
secretary discouraged the selection OF
San Francisco as the next convention
city and encouraged a change in the
basis Of representation that would
make the conventions less unwieldJ
and more like the other associations
of postal employees in that respect
h. Parsons favored big conventions, anC
New York City cast its 70 votes FOL
Frisco for the 81 convention, and tha
city won by a majority Of p. The De
Z partment has refused to secure tran
sportation ever since for the delegates
. to any carriers convention.
' One Of the first acts Of Parsons al
president was the calling Of an expen
sive meeting Of the executive board IL
!, Washington, Feb 10, 1897. Twelve of
, ficers attended, including the sergeant
; alarms. No good came from the meet
r ing. The chief action authorized tn
4 publication of convention souvenir
, from which Parsons said money enougl
would be realized to pay the San Fran
/, cisco convention expenses. The who'll
1 thing was handled by Parsons and
/ New York carrier, who forged the sec
, retary's name TO checks and other pa
? pers. after being refused the use Of hi
q name in what he then believed was
. fraud on the N. A. L. c., and it 81
n proved to be. The National Associa
? tion never received one cent from tina
p promised gold mine" The Fifty
a fourth Congress died with that Senat
!. bill on Speaker Reeds table Som
). people had professed to believe tina
4 the new president-"Our John
V would "hx the Speaker all right"
!. In the issue Of the organ Of the as
q sociation, The Postal Record, for Ser
tember, 1897, just preceding the Sal
A Francisco convention he had not
/, word in his lengthy letter about any
a thing important, not a word as to tn
muddle he made In his maiden attemp
n to secure convention transportation
/. not a word about the convention sot
a venir which was going % to yiel
q about $4,000, not a word about hi
. checkmated attempt to have the cor
! vention held in Chicago instead OF Sa
:. Francisco, which city, at large el
"a pense was ready for the meeting. B
= the way. there came near being tw
, conventions that year. Parsons dre'
"a $4,000 from the association funds
D, "ix the transportation business" an
" so far as the association knows an!
a thing about that $4,000, the fixing
still in progress.
4, After proscrastination positively II
n excusable, on a threat from the seer
ID tary, he came to Washington just o
e. the eve OF the convention, admitte
i transportation failure, and issued
call for a convention in Chicago II
n stead Of San Francisco. The executi1
.e board and the secretary couldn't 81