The state herald., 1904-09-02
ATTACKS RAILWAY UNIONS.

Miners toward the railway labor or.
ganiZations, which are conservative,
and opposed to sympathetic strikes.
president Meyer whote the chiefs of the
railway labor unions asking that they
refuse to handle cars loaded with ore
or freight destined to the Colorado
City mills, where the western fedora
tion was conducting strike. The
chiefs of the three great railway or.
ganizations replied that they were op
posed to the sympathetic strike upon
principle, that it was contrary to the
laws of their organizations and that
they could not comply with Mr..
Meyers request.
Mr.. Meyers reply in which he bit.
terly attacks the railway labor lead
ers, questioning their honesty, was
published in the official journal of the
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
and also in the official journal of the
Order of Railway Conductors and
reads as follows:
Denver. Colorado, April 6, 1908.
p. NJ. Arthur, G. c. T., Brotherhood %
Locomotive Engineers:
My Dear Brother received your in
spring letter OF March eSth, and
must say that Its contents revealed to
me conservatism in the organization
of which you are the grand chief that
should meet with the laudatory enco-
MUM of every railroad magnate and
corporation in the United States. The
isolation of your organization from ev-
cry other department OF labor Will
commend itself to Gould, Hin. Harr-
man, Vanderbilt, and even j. Pierpont
Morgan could raise no serious objec-
tions to II labor organization that
stands alone and refuses to cooperate
with the vassals of oppression who re-
bel against industrial serfdom. You
can present the constitution and by
laws OF your organization to the Econ
omic League and Civic Federation. and
the capitalistic members Of both organ
izotions, with all their mental power
of penetration, vii scarcely detect
contemplated invasion upon the divine
right OF employers to revel in the un-
bridled license of treating their slaves
in manner that is most conducive to
profit.
1 have frequently heard. in the years
gone by. that the railroad corporations
were delighted to furnish you trans
portation without money and without
price" and that even the Pullman Car
Company. that secured federal artil-
lery to slaughter strikers in 1894 felt
honored when you accepted a compl-
mentary to travel In their moving PAL
aces,
l have heard that your position as
grand chief engineer of the Brother
hood OF Locomotive Engineers has en-
abled you to shine In the real estate
world In the city OF Cleveland, Ohio,
and that your rent roll is worth SEQ 0Os
per annum.
You tell me In your letter that pol
icy OF the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers has been when other organ
izations have been engaged in n con-
fiict to remain neutral" Further on in
your letter you say; The members OF
the II. OF l. L. know fun well what
they can and can not do and receive
the sanction OF the grand chief or. in
other words, the grand officer OF the
brotherhood" According To that state
mont. your position IL as autocratIc as
the crowned head OF Russia. whose alb
solute despotism populated Siberia
with men and women who failed to
merit his royal sanction" For years
you have been the commanding figure
In your organization. You have been a
powerful factor In moulding the legls-
lation that governs your organization.
Have you and the coterlc In whose
hands the destiny OF the organization
has been placed been responsible for
drafting constitution and statutory
onactmcntH that lock In "a prison the
individuality OF the rank and hlc OF the
organiEation7 Did you submit for the
consideration OF your members a con-
stitution that makes you the infnlli-
bic paragon whose edict must COM
mand obedlcnoe7 II the brotherhood
OF Locomotive Engineers Transferred
into your hands their collective power,
then / must oxclalm, In tho language
OF the christ; God forgive them, for
they know not what they do"
You remain neutral while humanity
II battling for better conditions TO
live, as long as the weight OF tho cor
porate hand II not felt by the members
OF your organization When you and
your organization are involved In a
lifo-nnd-death struggle. when the sky
viii be black and not a star can be
seen by the brotherhood Of Locomotive
Engineers, ! will expect to hssr your
resonant voice revcrbcrating In clarion
tones above the storm aud clash OF
war commanding the toiling millions
OF America: Hands on remain neu.
trail"
have received from y ~ clark,
Grand conductor of the order OF Rail-
way Conductors Of America. an answer
90 my letter that IL almost a fac-simile
In substance to your cpistle, but AS
Mr. CLARK hnH been lately aHsocintiug
with men Of celebrity In Washington na
member " the strike commission, aud
aH the politicians iu tho Republican
party behold ih this model young man
representative OF lahsr worthy OF be.
ms rewarded with % federal pium. |
could not expect to receive much con.
uid"ration ht his hands Tor the cause OF
the western Federation or Miners
desire to Inform yuu that y. It Nor.
fiHscy grand master OF the nrothor.
hood of Railway Trninmou. gave me the
conHollhg assurance nf his sympathy.
ana II was unexpected when took into
consideration tho fact that this gentle.
man played star engagement In tho
srhb drama Of a late railroad strike in
Colorado,
shall remember with everlasting
gratitude the brave wntuu OF Frnntf n