Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-06-01


N&aiu>f ;-..ch uthcr.
Tho fnllpa ~ s."aaHUuiealion was
rccoalIy seEt - tho officials al tI@
Eruacrlo,. If I;alNtty Employees:
luu are ls,l:s4 ans. Nj}l contiau" 10
nuye for So1so tiuc an uphill work.
tut tH.~ i Ibe Mad strong men under
take and thr kfnd that develops thrir
best qualities and gives their names
to history. The opposition you have
viii serve n henetcent purpose if Your
members meet it With IN unconqu"ra
blr determination 10 overcome il and
reach their goal.
The railway corporations are All
against YOU tur the same reason that
they we're opposed t0 the American
Railway union and they are not 10 h"
blamed for looking out for their own
interests They are against any or
aAnization thHt attempts to unite their
gauization that divides tllent- 'Iin
grand officers of the several special
class "hrothrlboodS' travet on annual
passes Tie officers Of your oreanza
ton pay thor far" 1t is such an ad
vantage to belong to the former IN the
way of securing corporation faVors
keep up tier membership in thola,
though they have not for years been
employed in the railway service. Wh!lc
they declare their hostility toward
vonr brotherhood because of what
they call its mixed membership. ev
cry one of them has every branch OF
the service represented III It's oWH
membership, from conductor to .
wiper. and beyond that. from preach
or to a policeman.
For many years | have seen and fclt
the necessity of Il united organization
of railway employees. The reason for
this in this day of capitalist concentra
ton is so obvious as to be self evident.
The railroad corporations are of course
against it. \ large number of salalied
labor leaders are also against 1t, not
withstanding their organizations tAli
every time they are subjected TO the
supreme test They failed in 1873,
they failed In 1877, in 1883 and in 1891.
They will fail again when the crucial
test comes in the next tWelvetnonth,
more or less
During the "boom times of the ltsl
three or four wears the railroads have
been "making' an army Of new rail
road men The ignS Of depression are
already beginn 1g to appear. The let
down is inevitable. and among the first
things that will happen will be sweep
ing reductions of wages. The army Of
surplus men viii be available in ease
of a strike. and the leaders will donbt=
less advise their followers. as they
have in the past. that half loaf is
better than no bread" If under such
conditions they strike, they will be
beaten, and if they don't strike their
wages viii go down, and the fruit of
their boasted victories will turn to
ashes This has happened over and
for another century before the eyes Of
the working. victims are opened to the
fact that they must unite from end to
end of the service and present solid
front to protect their interests?
In their present form the railroads
can and do use the "hrotherhoodS'
against each other and as for any ac-
tual federation, it will never be accom-
plished. for at that point the railroads
will fight them. and that is not in har-
mony with their policy of "identical in
tcrcsts'
The simple effective way. ana only
way, to unite railway employees is
within single or@ani2a'ion Each
class is within its own suhiuriSdiet"N
and in control of its OWL affairs. SUB
.iect only To the supervision Of tie cen
eral organization. The United Bro.l
erhood recognizes and acts upon tn,
fundamental principle. Sooner or lat
or the railway employees viii have 10
come to it, i. is simply Il question ~
to how loU@ they prefer division to
unity, defeat to victory. Your or&2n
iZa,ion is. in the critical period OF its
development. and it remains 10 be seen
if Your leaders and rank and file are
of the fiber that dnfies failure and
which the coming organization nuSt
have to fulfll lis mission. Judging
from those | have net and know, Your
membership VIII :. "a Hhfm, however
severe tie tempest may rage, untl
victory is assured The next few
months viii bring you your great OPP
portunity, and | shall hope that, bein%
familiar With the lessons Of Tie ltaHt,
YOU will profit by them. Wien the
panic comes and Thousands "rc
thrown out Of work and wages be:sin
to sink, the need OF unity viii he felt
far more thatl YOU ean leach it and