The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-09-13

social scale he may regard himself as
being. The law of worthy work well
done is the law of successful Ameri.
can life. belive in play too; play
and play hard while you play, but do
not make the mistake of thinking
that that is the main thing The
work is what counts. and If a man
does his work well, and 1t is worth
doing, then It matters but little in
which line that work is done-the
man is a good American citizen. II
he does his work in slipshod fashion,
then, no matter what kind of work II
Is, he is a poor American citizen.
(Applause.) speak to the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen, but what
| say applies to all railroad men, not
only to engineers. who have served
an apprenticeship as firemen. to the
conductors, who, as rule, have
served an apprenticeship as brake
men, but all the men of ALL the or.
ganizations connected with railroad
work. know you do not grudge my
saying that through you | am talking
to all the railroad men of the coun-
try.
You in your organization as rail.
road men have taught two lessons
the lesson of how much can be ac-
complished by organization, by mu
tual self.help of the type that helps
another in the only way by which, in
the long run, a man who is full
grown man really can be helped, that
is, by teaching him to help himself.
You teach the benefits of organiza-
tion, and you also teach the indis-
pensible need of keeping absolutely
unimpaired the faculty of individual
initiative; the faculty by which each
man brings himself to the highest
point of perfection by exercising the
special qualities by which he is him
self endowed The Brotherhood has
developed to this enormous extent
since the days. now many years ago
when the first little band came to-
gether and It has developed not by
crushing out individual initiative.
The Man Who Counts.
THE Brotherhood of Firemen does
much for all fremen, but | firmly be-
lieve that the individual 1remen, since
the growth of the Brotherhood, has
been more, not less, efficient than he
was twenty years ago. Membership
in the Broth arhood comes, as ! under.
stand Il, after n nine months proba-
tionary period; after a man has shown
his worth, he Is then admitted and
stands on his footing as n brother.
Now any man who enters with the
purpose of letting the Brotherhood
carry him is not worth much The
man who counts in the Brotherhood
is the man that pulls his own weight
and little more. Much can be done
by the Brotherhood.
IL have just hinted at how much has
been done but It still remains true In
the Brotherhood and everywhere else
throughout American life that moth
ing, in the last resort, can supply the
place Of the mans own individual
qualities We need those, no matter
how perfect the organization is out.
side There Is just as much nce'
now of nerve, hardihood, power to|
face risks, and accept responsibilities
in the engineer and fireman, whether
on flyer or a freight train, as there
ever was. Much can be done by the
association A great deal can be ac
complished by working each for ALL
and all for each. but we must not for
get that the first requisites in accom-
plishing this is that each man should
work for others by working for him
self by developing his own capacity.
Isn't this common sense? | think so,
The steady way in which a man can
rise Is illustrated by little thing that
happened when ! came down here
and the general manager who handled
my train and handled yours was Mr
Mcguire, | used to know him in the
old days when he was on his way up
and he began right at the bottom,
He was a fireman at one time. lie
worked his way straight up, and now
he is general manager, and he put
this convention here, and he put mo
here. (Applause.)
II believe so emphatically in your
organization because while II teaches |
the need OF working in union. of work
ing in association, of working with
deep purpose In our hearts not mere
ly on our llps-the sense of brother
hoOd-yet Of necessity Il still keeps. |
as your organization must always
keep, 20 the forefront the worth OF the
individual qualities OF a man. Can
plause)
An objeet-Lesson in Citizenship.
Nov, | said TO you that ! came
here in a sense not 10 speak TO you.
but 10 use your experience as an oh
ject.lessOn for all OF us-an object
lesson in good American citizenship.
All professions. of course, do not call
for the exercise OF the same degree OF
quality Of which | have spoken. Your
profession is one OF these | am in
clined 10 believe plays in modern life
q nrnatnr nari frnnn Ihn lfannnnlnI