Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-03

uOOu.
 To-day the twenty fourth of our
 strike, finds our men standing firmly
 in the ranks, as hopeful for victory as the day is beautiful. Their enthusiasm
 and determination to remain a solid
 phaIanx seems to increase as the days
 rol on rather than diminish. No over
 lures have yet been made to us by Col
 onel Burpee, who, we understand, now
 has the management of the present
 difficulties and with whom settlement
 will have to be made on the part of
 the company if both sides can get to-
 gether.
 sSWe regret last nights incident in
 the board of aldermen. While we
 thank sincerely those who showed in
 tereSt in making an effort to have our
 difficulties arbftrated we are sorry
 that the vote on the matter should have
 displayed political division on strict
 party lines. We have avoided bring
 ing politics into our strike and don't
 want politics brought therein or have
 ourselves drawn into politics. Had the
 vote to appoint an arbitration commit tee passed. however, we feel sure the
 committee would have met with the
 same reception that was rendered by
 the company to the business mems
 committee composed of our three
 worthy clergymen. The copyrighted statement of Manager SSewell's that there is nothing to arbitrate' would be the stone wall placed in the path of the committee We won't arbitrate only when the men have the best of it, : expresses the company's position now.
 Despite the presence of soldiery in the streets, and gatling guns nearby, the crowds that were on the streets last night were in good natured moods. As an instance of the general good ma ture,> tarnished only trifie by petty. incidents on the outskirts, a 'bus load of about twenty girls came into the center early in the evening singing a new version of the Good Old Summer Time. the last two lines of which ran something like this:
 We II get our two and a quarter day In the good old summer time.' Men of all species and classes smiled upon and applauded the girls, and mighty cheer from q passing car
 load of mihtia1nen invigorated the gen eral good nature. This incident dis played the sort of feeling that we want to see continue as long as the strike
 does and which we have advocated l4
 We are pleased to learn that four of the strike breakers deserted their cars last evening The company was obliged to send out extra men to bring in the foEsaken cars.
 We have refrained from expressing ourselves upon some points which we have felt to be doing us great injustice. but as some of the clever young news paper men who are here for the metro 1 politan papers have been bright enough | to discover and publish these points, we feel no hesitancy in now referring 1 to them. We have in mind the power l of one local man in the present strug- l gle. That is Colonel Bmpee. As a New York paper expressed it, he is general counsel for the street railway company; manager and director of the cOmpany's fight against organized labor; judge of the city's police court; l retired colonel of the militia and now l detailed to active duty with the Sec l ond regiment; important factor in polit- l icaa affairs and close friend of Gov ernor Chamberlain We will not com
 ment on this situation, believing that l the public will have no trouble in dis corning the true inwardness of this sit uation."
 The military boys are enjoying l themselves immensely. The provost guard made trip around the center I this afternoon and returned with
 about half dozen stragglers. l Colonel Burpee, attorney for. the 1 trolley company, who has been on the
 retired list of officers for some time, l and was appointed to active duty here l by Governor Chamberlain Sunday. re-
 ported to General Frost Sunday even
 ing.
 l man named John Phelan was ar-
 rested this forenoon by Officer Cav
 anaugh for insulting a woman who
 rode on the cars. He followed the car some distance making grimaces at the
 woman and when she alighted he called l her names.
 It was reported that the car carry l ing the foremen of Benedict S Burn hams this noon was assaulted at Lib erty street. At the Auditorium the
 officer in charge during the temporary
 absence of Colonel Schulze stated he
 had heard nothing of it.
 l The soldiers on duty in the Brooklyn districts will have an awful attack of l the tw1StS-or rubberneck-by the time l they leave here. The Highland divis- ion railroad bridge on Bank street is
 the cause of it all. By the way the l boys watch the spot they must have
 received special orders.
 Whats doing?" Democrat report CT asked Sheriff Dunham this after 1 noon after the conference with Gen. eral Frost. T don't know of thing, only this photographer wants to take our pictures Just then General
 Frost and Mayor Kilduff appeared and, posing at the entrance to the armory,
 they were "shot'' in a moment. One of the visiting soldiers is not. very fond of non-union men. Yester- day afternoon the soldier in question
 was riding down North Main street. He was feeling very happy A short distance above Cooke street hecallcd the conductor al name which would not aps