The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-22


Meeting Were Rea affirmed, but Not
Without Vigorous Opposition.
The board of trade, at a largely at
tended meeting. held yesterday at the
noon hour. decided to attempt what
the select council tried to do and failed.
namely endeavor TO settle the street
car strike by appointing special
committee to confer with both the
strikers and the officials of the SCran-
ton Railway company.
In addition to this, the board an
swered the select council resolution,
passed last Thursday night by le-
adopting in open session the resolu-
tions condemning lawlessness which
We're passed by last Monday night $
private meeting, several of the MEM
bers explaining that the resolutions
do not favor either side in the present
struggle. and We're drawn UP with
this idea in mind.
The discussion was first started by
the introduction of the following res
outions on boycottirg by W. II. Peck:
Whereas, Boycottng or threatening 10 boy.
colt il illegal and m..tmcriuan. and persons en-
gagged in such neJrois conduct are amcnabc TO
the law; and
Whcle as. 1t is reported that certain members
OF this board have been threatened with boycott;
therefore be il
Resolved. That ii members OF the Scranton
board Of trade. who are engaged in any mcrcln.
tile pursuit. and who, by exercising their right 5
as American citizens. are boycottcd. the Scran-
ton hoard Of trade pledges itself to protect such
members hy due process of law; and he it tur.
tlcr
Resolved. That counsel be retained at the cX-
pcn-c OF the Scranton board of trade. 10 prose-
cute all such brought TO thc attention Of
the board: and be Il further
Resolved. That the secretary furnish each
member OF the board with copy Il these rc,o.
lutions.
WOULD MERELY ADD FUEL.
Cornelius Comegys was the first OBJ
jector to the passage of these reSolu-
tons. He declared that no good could
come from their adoption and that they
would merely place fuel on the fire
already burning.
Il maintain" said he, "that it is lack
ing in good policy on the part OF this
board to court the untavorablc crit
icism Of four-iifths of the people in this
community. The idea embodied in
those resolutions is impracticable and
can never be carried out. The board
of trade should attend strictly To its
own business in Il case like this.
Mr.. Peck said that Mr.. comegys
would feel different if he was Il busi-
ness man and saw himself threatened
with Il loss of business if he should
feel inclined to exercise his rights as
an American citizen by riding on the
street cars. \. w. Dickson spoke
against the adoption Of the resolutions.
II agree with Nh. ComeGys.' said
he in his straight from the shoulder,
vigorous way. Il abhor a. boycott just
as much as any other member of this
board. but | do not think it wise to
pass these resolutions. Perhaps I'm not
IA fair witness against the Scranton
Railway company. | confess to a great
and eVersroWing dislike for this cor
poration and / have little sympathy
With it in It's present fight with its en-
ployes.
Il tell YOU. gentlemen. il doesn't do
for this board of trade to set itself
up as a particular class by itself. We
are confronted with Il condition, not Il
theory. We must remember that the
majority OF the people of this valley are
law-abiding citizens. If they We're not
Scranton, With its absurdly inadequate
police force. would he uninhabitable.
Look at labor unions as we may we
must always bear in mind that they
have firm hold in the ma aiority of our
citizens and that this is II union valley.
The labor unions are standing together
in this fight and that's why the COM
pany's cars are not patroniZed. There
may be some Green Ridge Suburban
ears carrying Gfly passengers, but you
and | ana every one knows that FOR
every such ear there arc many without
a passenger.
NOT AFRAID TO RIDE.
I'm not afraid to ride. 1t isn't that.
No man can say that I'm afraid OF any
thing. | never have been. I've been
a Democrat in this community for
thirty-iivc years and I'm still Il DEM
ocrat ana l want YOU to know that it
hasn't been always very pleasant for
me for this reason, but I'm not afraid
to say that l am il Democrat. | wont
ride on the street ears during this
strike. but it's not because I'm afraid
to ride. surely there must be others
like ne. Surely ii isn't the fear of IL
boycott that's keeping people from
riding.
In the face of a sentiment like this
say that it is unwise to pass this res
olution. OF course We're against Il boy
cott. but what's the use of telling peo-
pie about ii and creating sentiment
against us? | move to lay the reso-
luton on the table"
MIR. Dicksons little speech was
cheered and his motion to lay on the
table was carried by an overwhelming
vote.
II. w. Taylor then called the atten-
ton of the board to the resolution
adopted by select council on Thursday
night last crtlclZing the boards adop-
ton of a resolution on Monday night
condemning lawlessness and disorder
He moved that this resolution be re-
adopted by the board In open and regu-
lar session for the purpose of showing
councils that ii was the sentiment of
the entire board and not of the twenty
eight members who We're hurredly
called together for the special meet
ing.
President Lansing remarked that it
might be good thing to adopt the
resolutions again because ii is AN es-
tablished rule that when councils are
opposed TO anything the board does,
that thing is certain to be the right
thing.
WILLIAMS REMARKS.
T.. S. Williams arose to remark that
he favored the adoption of the resolu-
ton "A second time, He declared that
labor unions are getting altogether too