The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-09
TALKED To FIREMEN
PRESIDENT RoOsEYELT's DAY AT
CHATTANOOGA.
ORGANIZED LABOR.
SAYS RAILROAD MEN MAKE GOOD
SOLDIERS.


motive Tiremen and the Citizens.
Former Elected Hin, an Honorary
Member-The Problem of Good Cit
i1enship Discussed aud Fraternity
of the People of the Two Sections
Urged.
Chattanooga, Tenn. Sept. s.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt was to-day elected an
honorary member of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen. He attend
ed the executive session of the order
in the morning. walking from the ho-
tel to the auditorium, a distance of
a few blocks, escorted by Grand Mas
ter Sargent, a committee of the Broth
erhood and a detachment of Troop B,
State Guard.
The Brotherhood first held it's exec
utive session, which the President at
tended. Acting Grand Master Hanra-
han welcomed the President. stating
that his attendance at the convention
would do great good to organized Ia
Tor, not only in this country, but in
Canada and other countries as well.
The President returned his thanks
for the welcome, and said he ~as glad
to be with the Brotherhood. He said
the firemen's brotherhood was the re-
suit which naturally comes
from the application of the
the principle of common sense to their
work. He said that organized labor
had never made an unreasonable re-
quest of him and that if it had he
would have denied it. In speaking of
the appointment of Grand Master Sar-
gent of the Brotherhood to be Com
missioner General of immigration, the
President said it was one of the most
satisfactory appointments to him and
to the public he had ever made; that
Mr.. Sargent has a sound heart and not
a soft head.
John F. McNamee of Columbus. o.,
one of the grand officers and Dem
ocratic member of the Legislature,
moved that the degree of grand hon.
orary membership be conferred upon
President Roosevelt. The motion was
referred to the Committee on Consti-
tuition and Bylaws, whose recon-
mendation was unanimous that the
motion be accepted. The report of
we committee was adopted unani-
ously by rising vote, amid cheers.
The President thanked the conven-
ton for the compliment paid him, and
Grand Master Sargent then gave him
a pass which admits him to all meet
ings of the brotherhood.
At this point the, brotherhood adj
journed until o'clock tomorrow
morning, and the public was admit
ted to the auditorium to hear the
Presidents address While the audi
ence was being seated the band rem
dered America" all in the house ris-
ing.
Mayor Chambliss delivered a short
address of greeting, in which he well
coined to Chattanooga all the f1remen,
whether they came from Canada,
Mexico or Oyster Bay"
President to Ffremen.
After an address of welcome, in be-
half of the state by Gov. Mcmillan and
an address by Grand Master Sargent,
interspersed with music, President
Roosevelt was introduced by Acting
Grand Master Hanrahan. His recep-
ton was most enthusiastic, the audi
ence rising to it's feet and cheering
When the President addressed the con-
vention as my Brothers" he was
cheered again. He said he was glad
to be here. and Joined with the others
in extending a cordial welcome to the
visitors from Canada and Mexico. He
needed no pressing, he said, to come to
this meeting.
Il have always, gentlemen, admired
greatly the railroad men of the coun-
try, and l do not see how anyone who
believes in the fundamental principles
of citizenship can fail to do So" He
compared the railroad men to soldiers
who are accustomed to taking 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 how to ride and
how TO shoot. Giving them these two
qualities he found there was no better
group from which soldiers could be
drawn than railroad men.
The President said he hoped and be-
lieved that the danger of war would be
less in the future than 1t has in the
past. At the opening of the twentieth
century we face conditions vastly
changed from century ago. We as
a people find awaiting us problems
which need our best thought to solve
them. He referred to the good work
accomplished by the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen.
Believes In Organized Labor.
81 believe emphatically," he said, 'in
organized labor. The worth of an or
ganiZation depends upon its being han
died with the courage, the skill, the
wisdom, the spirit of fair dealing as
between man and man and the wise
self-restraint. which am gald to be
able to say your Brotherhood has
shown"
He spoke of the necessity of work.
II pity the creature who does not
work." he said, Eat whichever end of
the social scale he may regard him
self as being" He said the law of
work well done secures the success
full American life.
Discussing the benefits which have
grown out of the organization of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen,
the President said the Brotherhood
does much for all firemen, but he firm
ly believed that the individual fireman,
since the growth of the Brotherhood,
had been more, not less, efficient than
he was twenty years ago.
"A great deal can be accomplished"
he said, by working each for all and
all for each. but we must not forget
that the first requisite in accomplish
ing that Is that each man should go on
and work for others by working for
himself
Il feel that organizations like yours
have a tonic effect upon the whole body
polite. II is a good thing that there
should be a large body " our fellow
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