The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-20
} TRIBUTE TO CAPT.
J. ED. o'eRIEN.
. . . . . 80

The current issue of the well known
magazine, Steam Shovel and Dredge"
contains the following tribute to Capt
J. Ed O'Brien of Pensacola:
J. Edward O'Brien, president of the
| American Pilots Association. is one of
| the most widely known men in ma
rine circles In the United States. Per
| hapS no other single individual in the
country has done as much to better
| the conditions and protect the inter
| eStS OF the pilots as has Capt. O-Brien-
For more than twenty years Capt
O'Brien has fought in state IegisIa-
lures and in the legislative halls in
Washington in the interests of the
men he is chosen TO represent, and he
has fought with marked success.
When the Payne anti-pilOtage bill
was pending before the committee on
merchant marine and fisheries in 1895,
1t was Capt O'BTien, who, in the face
of what seemed almost certain de-
feat, succeeded in having the bill de-
feated and the interests of the pilots
protected. At the time Can't Henry
HaTbinsOn was president of the Amer
lean Pilots Association He had
committee composed of Capt E G.
Martin of Boston, William GOrham of
New Jersey, Captain Hebb of Balti-
more, and f. o. Edwards of Norfolk,
lobbying against the bill, the passage
of which would have dealt the pilots
a severe blow. The schooner inter
ests were having the better of the con
test, and the New York and New Jer-
sey pilots got together, and Capt
O'Brien was hurried TO Washington.
Here his ability as lobbyist soon be-
came apparent. and in a short time
he had rallied the opponents of the bill
so that when a vote on the measure
was taken il was defeated on the
floor by more than two to one.
After wrestling victory from the face
of seeming defeat. Capt. O'Brien was
offered the presidency of the AmeTi-
can Pilots Association. He declined
to take the position from his friend.
Captain HarbinsOn, but magnanimOus-
" offered to do the work and allow
Capt. HarbinsOn, who was then an old
man. to retain the salary attached 10
the office There is probably no act
2 his whole career which better il
Illustrates the character of the man
than that act of sacrifice in the inter
estS of a friend II was a few years
later, when Captain HarbinsOn had be-
come too feeble in mind and body to
retain the position Of president of the
association, that Capt. OBTien was
prevailed upon 10 accept me 6OnOT-
and then only on the earnest sOIicita-
ton Of Captain HaTbinson himself
Since becoming head of the Organi-
cation Captain OBrien has led a
strenuous life in the defense of the
rights of his fellow wOTkmen. In the
last congress the Littlefield auti-piIot-
age bill. aimed at the abolition of
compulsory pilOtage Of cOastwise sail
ing vessels. was reported favOrabIy by
the committee on merchant marine
and fisheries. Speaker Cannon and
other leaders were apparently in favor
Of the passage of the measure. and il
required all the elOquence and ability
of Captain O'Brien 10 keep the meas.
ure from becoming d law. He sue
ceeded, however, the bill being defeat
ed by q vote of 100 yeas to 1855 NAYS.
there being 1O3 members who refrain
ed from voting.
That was declared to be the most
signal victory ever won in congress
against the over-protected and en-
Tiched cOaStwise sailing vessels in
teTests- But Congressman LittIefieId
was not daunted by the defeat. and
again introduced the bill at the session
Of congress recently closed. Captain
o Brien was again on the watch, how