The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-09
AMID A SALVO OF CHEERS
The President Pays Tribute to Or
ganized Labor.
n HAS ASKED NOTHING UNREASONABLE
This the President Says of Its Demands on
Himself. Acting GrandoMaster Han.
rahan Wires Roosevelt That He
Helps Labor's Cause.
Helps Labor's S Cause.
(By the Associated Press.)


Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept. S.-Presiden'
Roosevelt today was elected an honorary
member of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Firemen. He attended the executive
walking from the hotel to the auditorium,
a distance of a few blocks, escorted ty
Grand Master Sargent, committee of
the Brotherhood and a detachment of
Troop X. State Guard.
The Brotherhood first held it's execu-
tive session. which the President attend
ed. Acting Grand Master Hannahan
wired the President, stating that his at
tendance at the convention will do great
good to organized labor, not only in this
country, but in Canada and other coun-
tries as we'll
The President returned his thanks for
the welcome and said he was glad to be
with the Brotherhood. He said the
Firemen's Brotherhood was the result
which naturally comes from the applica-
tion of the principle of common sense 20
their work. He said that organized la
Dor never had made an unreasonable re-
quest of him, and that if it had he wouId
have denied it. In speaking of the ap
pointment of Grand Master Sargent of
the Brotherhood to be Commissioner
General of immigration, the President
said it was one of the most satisfactory
appointments to him and to the public
he ever made; that Mr.. Sargent has
hard body and not soft head
John F. McNamee. of Columbus Ohio,
one of the Grand officers and a Demo-
cratic member of the Legislature, moved
that the degree of grand honorary mem
bership be conferred upon President
Roosevelt. This motion was referred to
the Committee on Constitution and By
Laws, whose recommendation was unani-
nous 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
Master Sargent then gave him a pass,
which admits him to all meetings of the
Brotherhood.
At this point the Brotherhood ad-
journed until o'clock tomorrow morning
and the public was admitted to the audi
torium TO hear the Presidents address.
While the audience was being seated, the
band rendered America" the President
and 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 or oyster
Bay" After an address of welcome in
behalf of the State by Governor McMil-
Ian and an address by Grand Master Sar-
gent. interspersed with music, President
Roosevelt was introduced by Acting
Grand Master Hannahan. His reception
was most enthusiastic, the audience ris-
ing to its feet and cheering. When the
President addressed the convention as
My Brothers." he was cheered again.
He said he was glad to be here and
Joined with the others in extending
cordial welcome to the visitors from
Canada and Mexico. He needed no
pressing, he said. to come to this meet
ing.
I always have, gentlemen, admired
greatly the railroad men of the country
and do not see how anyone who be-
lieVe in the fundamental principles of
citizenship can fail to do so'' He com
pared the railroad men to soldiers who
are accustomed to take risks, acting on
their own initiative and obeying orders.
In raising his own regiment, he said. he
got a number of railroad men OF
course. the first requisite was that a man
should know no VITO ride and how to
shoot. Giving them these two qualities.
he found that there was no better group
from which soldiers could be drawn than
railroad men.
The President said he hoped and be-
Iieved that the danger of war would be
less i'm the future than it has in the
past At the opening of the twentieth
century we face conditions vastly
changed from a century ago. We as
people. find awaiting us problems which
need our best thoughts to solve them
The President referred to the good work
accomplished by the Brotherhood of Lo-
oomotlve Firemen.
4 believe emphatically." he said, .in
organized labor. The worth of an organ
ization 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 / am glad to be able to say your
brotherhood has shown"
The President spoke of the necessity
of working. | pity the creature who
does not work. he said, "at whichever
end of the social scale he may regard
himself as being" He said the law of