Milford chronicle., 1904-09-23
SHOUT FOR ROOSEVELT
Public Meeting of Locomotive
Firemen Goes Wild With En-.
thusiasm For the President.
brotherhood Resents the Cauard That
the Executive Is Not a
True Friend.
LFr0m the Ruralo E1pr.ss. sapt. 1a1

trrom the Buffalo Express. Sept. 1S1
The big public meeting held last
night in Convention hall by the Broth.
erhood of Locomotive Firemen OF
America, now In convention In this
city, wound up in a most remarkable
demonstration for President Roose-
welt. 1t was the big feature of the
monster meeting not on the pro,
gramme, and by reason of the acci.
dent Of 1t and it's consequent sponta-
neity 1t proved beyond the faintest
shadow Of doubt that at least one
! powerful organization that has been
; an honor and credit to American labor
for more than a quarter Of a century
Is heart and soul for Roosevelt.
The Roosevelt demonstration was
most sensational. Convention hall was
packed from the stage to the entrance.
Fully 5000 men and women were
there, the attendance taxing the seat
ing capacity to such an extent that
many extra benches had to be placed
close up to the stage.
Edward A. Manly, secretary Of the
interstate commerce commission, i'm
the course Of his speech had called at
tentiOn to the fact that New York
newspaper had criticised the president |
because he had accepted an honorary |
membership in the Brotherhood of LO-
cOmotive Firemen.
Let me say" said Grand Master
Hannahan, that If the president Of the
United States or any other of its citl-
zens does nothing worse than accept
membership in this organization he
will neither merit the I'll will nor de-
serve the censure of any Of his fellow
men. [Cheers.l
If the rest Of the public, and partic-
ularly those who are intrusted with
the direction Of our government and
the management of the nations great
est enterprises, would do as the presl-
dent and meet US upon a common level,
there would be fewer strikes and less
strife and more Of peace and good will
in the Industrial world"
what has the president done for
your shouted an intoxicated man who
stood near the stage door on the right
"What has the president done?" re-
peated Grand Master Hannahan. "The
president has proved to the organized
Of this country that he
has an interest in their welfare by ae-
cepting an honorary membership in an
Of men whose faces are
Degrimed by smoke and dust and who
laily and hourly face the gravest dan
gers"
The monster audience burst into
cheers. The tumult rolled
rom wall to wall and back again.
Men stood up on the benches, wildly
waving their hats and cheering for the
PRESIDENT. The demonstration was ,
pOntaneous and was general all over
he hall. Finally it died down and
Ome one in the audience shouted:
"Hurrah for Theodore Roosevelt! ,
And again the crowd burst into !
heers. and when the second demon
tratiOn died out the intoxicated man :
ras nowhere to be seen.
During the demonstration the men
n the stage sat silent and made no eff :
ort either to check or urge ON the re- :
ovation which the president !
ad received. and when it was over )
rand Master Hannahan went on with .
is speech without reference TO the .
lbject. n
The Brotherhood Of Locomotive Fire n
len has a membership of $1,000 men, "
early all OF whom live in the United y
tates. 1t has been said before that .
le railroad men of the country thor
lghly believed in and supported
oosevelt, and If any proof Of that as
,rtion was needed it was amply fur
shed last night.