The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-28
Striking Machinists Hold Pub
lie Meeting at Newton.
Ireland and BuckaIew Make
Speeches at Opera House.
BRAINS, NOT DYNAMITE
Claim Strike Will Cost Santa
Fe Many Millions.
BuckaIew Says LOveIl's Letter
Caused the Strike.

In speaking of the big strike meet
ing held at Newton, the Newton
Kansan says:
The keynote of both speeches de-
livered in the opera house last even
ing to a large labor meeting was
firm determination to win the strike
now existing among the Santa Fe ma
chinists. 1t did not seem to be a grim.
despairing sort of determination, but
a cheerful hopeful purpose to force
acceptance on the part of the com
pany to the agreement proposed by
the strikers. Both speakers talked
| this vigorously, and it seemed to be
in the very air.
The opera house was nearly filed
when the meeting was called to order
at o'clock. Both the parquet and
/ the balcony were filled to OVernOWlng-
] The stage was decorated with bunting
and flags and at the rear there was
| a large fac-simile of the mach1n1sts
/ machinists' union occupied the stage
/ Col P. NJ. HoisingtOn acted as chair
man, first introducing A. E. Ireland,
who is vice president of the American
| Federation of Labor. Mr.. Ireland is
a nice looking gentleman. His speech
/ indicated a man of education and re-
| hnement. There was nothing wild or
visionary about his talk. and If any
]
/ sentative.
He made a favorable impression on
| the audience. He explained that, con-
| trary to a very common opinion,
union men are not anarchists or any
/ thing like it. They seek to attain
their ends not by violence or intimi-
| dalton, but by lawful methods. Those
composing the machlnlStS' union, as
well as others, are everywhere, as in
! Newton, bright clean, ambitious
young fellows, who have the respect
OF the community in which they live.
/ In this strike they are cOntending for
a principle. The defeat of the ma
chlnists in their present strike would
mean in the end, he commended, the
other railroad orders. Mr.. Ireland
said he deplored a strike as much
as anybody, but that they were oft
times necessary. He roasted the
/ they are the scum of the cities.
Among them are many booze fight
/ ers and worthless characters Many
| OF them have been brought to west
| ern points by the company not know
/ ing under what circumstances they
| are going to work. Mr. Ireland said
that the American Federation of La
/ Dor, with its 100000 menb erS, is
! backing the fight. and that its funds
are at the disposal of the striking
machlnists He quoted the statement
| of Santa Fe official who claimed
the road would lose $8,OOO.GOO before
1t would make concessions to the
strikers, and remarked that President
Hartman of the Union Pacific had
i told him that the recent machinists
strike on that road had cost alto
! gether in the neigbborhood of s1O4-
! 100000 in freight losses, damage to
I equipment, and MANY other WAYS
/ Mr.. Ireland predicted that the Santa
4 Fe's loss will be much larger than the
i estimate they make. Mr.. ireland de-
voted large part of his talk to an
4 eulogy of trade unions, claiming that
among other things, they are great
civilizing agencies.
MI Buckalew was the next speaker
ne IS the foremost figure in the fight
since he was sent to Topeka from the
national headquarters of the union TO
uIrect the fight, he has been the cen
traI figure and much has been said
anu %IlIteh ABOUT him. Though believ-
ing thoroughly in the justice of the
strikers position, he says he was not
instrumental in having the strike call
ca: he was simply sent out here to
take charge. In the last ten months he
has directed five machinists' strikes
ana everyone has been settled in a
manner satisfactory to both parties to
the olncuIties- He fully expects this
one to turn out the same way He
requested the people to give the strik-
ers their moral support and help bring
about a speedy settlement of the trou-
Die In assigning the cause of the
strike, Mr.. BuckaleW gave first place
to the Lowell letter" This order is
sued by superintendent of Machinery
AONeil 10 the master mechanics and
mechanical superintendents, Mr. Buck
alew claims, would tend to reduce
wages very materially throughout the
mechanical department. Mr. Buckalew
went on at length to show the effect of
this order on the wages of the men.
He claimed it was especially unjust to
apprentices.
Another reason for the strike was
the action Of the company in laying
off one-third of its machinists a week
before the conference between repre-
sentatives of the machinists and the
railroad officials in Chicago last April.
Mr. Buckalew paid his respects to the
strike breakers, many of whom he
claimed are thugs and cut throats He
asserted that the machinists are and
always have been ready to arbitrate
On the occasion of his last interview
with Third Vice President Kendrick
Mr.. BuckaIew says he was very po-
litely and cOurteously received but
that Mr.. Kendrick fatty refused to ar
bitrate the matter or to take back one
of the strikers.
In closing Mr.. BuckaIeW expressed
the determination of the machinists to
stay with the fight to the end being
entirely confident of ultimate success
The machinists will conduct them
selves hOnOrably and lawfully, acting
always within their rights. I'VE pro-
pose to win this fight by brains, not
dynamite, for brains beat dynamite
every time" he said.