The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-09

how to shoot and how toTfide. c were raising the regiment in a hurry and we did not have time to teach him either. He had to know how to handle horse and how to handle a rifle, to start with; but given the possession of these two qualities I found that there was no group of our citizens from whom better men could be drawn to do soldiers s work in a tight place and at all times than the railroad man. (Applause)
 'But, gentlemen, the period of war is but a fractional part of the life of our republic. and I earnestly hope and be- lieve that 1t will be an even smaller part in the future than it has been in the past. It was the work that you have done in time of peace that especially att tracted me to you; <hat made me anxious to come down here and see you. and that made me glad to speak to you; not for what can tell you, but for the lesson it seems to me can be gained by all of our people from what you have done (ap- plause). At the opening of the twentieth century we face conditions vastly changed from what they were in this country and throughout the world cen tury ago. Our complex individual citizen ship, under which progress has been so rapid and in which the changes for good have been so great, has also inevitably seen the growth of certain tendencies that are for good, or at least are not wholly for bad, and we in consequence, as a people, like the rest of civilized man kind find set before us for solution dur ing the coming century problems which need the best thought of all of us and the most earnest desire of all to solve them well if we expect to work out a so- lution satisfactory to our people; a solu- tion for the advantage of the nation. In facing these problems it must be a com fort to every well-wisher of the nation to see what has been done by your or ganization.
 Favors Organizations.
 T believe emphatically in organized la Dor. Cheers and applause). I believe in organizations of wage workers Or ganization is one of the laws of our social and economic development at this time. But I feel that we must always keep before our minds the fact that there is nothing sacred in the name itself To call an organization and organization does not make it good one The worth of an organization depends upon it's be- ing handled with the courage, the skill the wisdom, the spirit of fair dealing as between man and man, and the wise self restraint which-I am glad to be able to say your brotherhood has shown. (Ap- plause). You number close to 44,000 mem bers. During the two years ending June 30 last you paid into the general and benificiary funds close upon a million and a half dollars. More than six and one half millions have been paid in since the starting of the insurance clause in the constitution-have been paid to disabled members and their beneficiaries. Over fifty per cent of the amount paid was paid on account of accidents.
 "Gentlemen, that Is a sufficient com mentary upon the kind of profession which Is yours. You face death and danger in time of peace, as in time of war the men wearing uniforms must face them. Your work is hard. Do you suppose I mention that because l pity you? No. not bit. I don't pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I ad- mire him. Great Applause.) l pity the creature who does not work no matter at which end of the social scale he may re- gard himself as being. The law of worthy work well done is the law of suc- cessful American life. I believe in play too-play and play hard while you play, but don't make the mistake of thinking that that is the main thing. The work is what counts and if man does his work well and it is worth doing. then it matters but little in which line that work is done. The man is a good American citizen. If he does his work in slipshod fashion, no matter what kind of work it is. he is poor American citizen. (Ap- plause.)
 Applies to All.
 T speak to the Brotherhood of Locomo> tive Bremen but what I say applies to all railroad men, not only to the engin-