Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-08
PRESIDENT A FIREMAN
Elected an Honorary Member
of B. of L. F.
A PLEASING FUNCTION
HE THANKED THE MEMBERS FOR
THE HONOR.
After This He Delivered an Address
to the General Public in
Hall.
a PLEASING FUNCTION

CHATTANOOGA Tenn. September s.
President Roosevelt today was elected an
honorary member of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen. He attended the eX-
ecutive session of the order in the morning
walking from the hotel to the Auditorium
distance of few blocks. escorted by Grand
Master Sargent. committee of the brother
hood and a detachment Of Troop B, State
Guard.
The brotherhood first held It's executive
session. which the President attended. Act
ing Grand Master Hannahan welcomed the
President. stating that his attendance at
the convention would do great good to or
ganized labor. not only In this country, but
in Canada and other countries as well.
The President returned his thanks for the
welcome and said he was glad TO be with
the brotherhood. He said the firemens
brotherhood was the result which nat
urally comes from the application of the
principle of common sense to their work.
He said that organized labor never had
made an unreasonable request of him and
that if it had he would have denied it. In
speaking of the appointment of Grand Mas
ter Sargent of the Brotherhood to be com
missioner general of immigration, the Pres
ident said it was of the most satisfac-
tory appointments to him and to the public
he had ever made; that Mr.. Sargent has a
hard body and not a soft head
Honorary Membership Conferred.
John F. NcNamee of Columbus, Ohio.
one of the grand officers and a democratic
member of the legislature moved that the
degree of grand honorary membership be
conferred upon President Roosevelt The
motion was referred to the committee on
constitution and bylaws, whose recon-
mendation was unanimous that the motion
be accepted. The report of the committee
was adopted unanimously by rising vote
amid cheers.
The President thanked the convention for
the compliment paid him. and Grand Mas
ter Sargent then gave his a pass which ad-
nits him to all meetings of the brother
hood
At this point the brotherhood adjourned
until o'clock tomorrow morning and the
public was admitted to the auditorium to
hear the Presidents address While the
audience was being seated the band rem
dered America the President and the
others in the hall rising.
Mayor Chambliss delivered a short ad-
dress of greeting. in which he welcomed to
Chattanooga all the firemen whether they
came from Canada. Mexico OF Oyster Ray"
After an address of welcome in behalf of
the state by Governor McMillin and an ad-
dress by Grand Master Sargent inter-
spersed with music. President Roosevelt
was introduced by Acting Grand Master
lnusIaStlc, the audience rising TO it's feet
and cheering. When the President addressed
the convention as MY brCt hers" he was
cheered again. He said ne was glad to be
here, and Joined with the others in extend
Ing a cordial welcome to the visitors from
Canada and Mexico. He needed no press
ing. he said to come TO this meeting.
Admiration for Railroad Men.
Il always have. gentlemen. admired
greatly the railroad men OF the country
and I do not see now any one who believes
II the fundamental principles of citizenship
can fail TO do So He compared the rail-
road men TO soldiers. who are accustomed
10 taking risks. acting on their own initia-
tive and obeying orders. In raising his own
regiment. ne said. he got a number of rail-
road men. OF course, the first requisite
was that a man should know how to ride
and how to shoot. Giving them these two
qualifications he found there was no be ar
group from which soldiers could be drawn
than railroad men.
The President said ne hoped and believed
that the danger Of war would be less In the
future than II has in the past. At the open
ing Of the twentieth century we face con-
ditiOns vastly changed from century ago.
We. a; a people, find awaiting us prob
lens which need our best thoughts to solve
them. The President referred to the good
work accomplished by the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Fremen.
Believes in Organized Labor.
Il believe emphatically.' he said, in or
gaEized labor The worth OF an organiza-
ton depends upon its being handled with the
courage, the skill, the wisdom, the spirit of
fair dealing as between man and man. and
the wise self-restraint which l am glad to
be able to say your brotherhood has
shown"
The President spoke of the necessity of
work Il pity the creature who does not
work, he said. at whichever end of the
social scale ne may regard himself as be
ing. lie said the law of work well done
secures the successful American life
Discussing the benefits which have grown
out or the organization of the Brotherhood
or Locomotive Firemen. the President said
the brotherhood does much for all firemen
put he hrmiy believed that the individual
fireman. since the growth of the brother
hOod mad been more. not less. efficient than
ne was twenty years ago.
"A great deal can be accomplshcd he
sald, by working each for all and all for
eacn: pnt We must not FORGET that the first
requisite IN accomplishing that is that each
man SnCCId go on and work for others bv
working for himself
feel that organizations like yours have
tome effect upon the whole body politic
IL Is a good thing that there should he a
large body of our fellow citizens who eyer
else the old qualities of courage daring
and resoiute. unfiinching willingness to meet
canSer at need, and that there should be a
PROFESSION whose members must year in
ana year out. display these Qualities 7
nope 70 s5e all our people develop the fter
sehtIef virtues to an ever increasing de-
gree, out hope never to see them lose the
sterner virtues that make men
Problem of Good Citizenship.
THE problem of good citizenship fs
problem Of producing good men and women
All the organizations in the world went
MAKE coward and a shirk good engineer
or good fireman. and the best constitution
VIII work but i'll If We have not in the
average citizen something that stands as
1ar above Intellect as intellect does above
mere brute strength-character that Is COM
posed or honesty, Of courage and of hard
common sense"
The President told of his trip over the
ratteheld OF Chickamauga yesterday and
Grew lesson of the heroism shown by the
armies Of the north and south The men
VINO composed these armies he said pes
sessed the requirements of which good citi-
xens are made. He referred TO the inscrip-