The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-27
ABOUT 5000 ATTEND
 B|G MASS MEETING
Audience Shows Sympathy for
 LOcked-out Men
CARS RUNNING YESTERDAY
Saloons VIII Close Tonight at 2 o'cIoek-A. G. s. Has Discon- tued Special Trains to the
 Suburbs.

The big mass meeting called for the Bijou theatre yesterday afternoon was held on scheduled time, and in spite of a rain storm. fully 5000 people turned out, but as only half of these could get into the theatre the rest assembled at the Hip podrome across the street, where over 2o0o were addressed by Organizer Ben Commons and other speakers.
 The Bijou audience was quite orderly but enthusiastic, and frequently inter- rupted the speakers with bursts of ap- plause. When the meeting was called to order strenuous objections were raised to the use of electric fans and electric lights. so all were turned off. but later the aud fence was informed that the lights must be turned on in compliance with the law and the objections ceased
 J. D. Jacobs, president of the Birming- ham Trades Council, presided over the meeting, and with him upon the platform were Organizer Ben Commons of tho Amalgamated Association of Street Rail- way Employees; Capt Frank s. White, James B. Drake, White Gibson. James II. Leath and representatives of the va- rious labor organizations of the Birming- ham district.
 The meeting lasted two and a half hours, four speakers being heard, but the @owd appeared to become impatient and began thinning out before the third speak CT concluded. The programme was cur tailed by the chairman on this account, and several other gentlemen who were scheduled to speak were not heard.
 Applaud the Speakers.
 Organizer Ben Commons came prepared with some resolutions which he an- nounced he would submit for vote of the assemblage, but for some reason they were not presented, and no expression was drawn from the audience with refer ence to the carmen and their plans other than many outbursts of applause in sym pathy with words of the speakers.
 The meeting at the Hippodrome was presided over by c. c. Houston and was addressed by Organizer Ben Commons, Dr. Dozier and others on similar lines to the speeches at the Bijou Resolutions of sympathy with the carmen were offered and adopted here with great enthusiasm.
 Commons is Conservative.
 The speeches of Captain White and MT Gibson at the Bijou were somewhat spirited in tone, but that of MT. Com mons was very conservative. He defended American freedom and liberty and con- tended for the right of the street rail- way men to organize and join a union if they chose He said he was present to vilify no one and said that if other labor organizations of the district allowed the Birmingham Railway, Light and Pow CT company to win in thls case a very bad precedent wold be established for Birmingham labor organizations to face in the years to come
 Along this line the speaker said: 'I have finally come to the conclusion that it is not a fight any longer of the street railway men, but every man and woman who tolls for living is involved in this proposition. If this corporation can force and deny the men the right and to say we know you have right to join it, and if they can deny him the right to join 1t the same Is going to fall upon the heads of every man and woman that works in the city in the future"
 The speaker suggested arbitration as means of settling the differences and said this was the most sensible and the most amicable way out or the contro- versy.
 MT. Gibson spoke at length, suggest ing among other things that the unions stand united and compel the street rail- way company to accede to the demands of the carnen's union for recognition.
 Fighting for Principle.
 Capt Frank 8. White spoke forcibly for an hour declaring that the struggle of the car men was not for a matter of wages or working hours, but for the foundation right or American citi- zenship-the right to organize. He paid his respects to the president of the Birm- ingham Railway, Light and Power com pany and to the newspapers and maln- tained that the carmen could organize and by united efforts with the other un- ions obtain the recognition they de- manded.
 z James 1T. Leath was the last speaker, representing the Birmingham Trades Council and detailed the efforts of him self and other leaders In bringing about better labor conditions In the Birming ham district. He made a strong appeal to the carmen to stand up for their rights and victory would be theirs
 Cars All Running Yesterday.
 There appeared to be little difficulty in maintaining service on all of the electric lines yesterday It was announced that the special suburban trains on the Ala bama Great Southern had been discon- tinued as there appeared to be no further need for them.
 Saloons wdll be open today from o'clock in the morning until In the evening.