New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-07
1000 Cheering Men Vote
Unanimously to Go Out
Committee Reports to Lyceum Meeting on Inter
borough's Refusal to Treat with Them and
All Declare for Walkout.

such an event TO declare an immediate
suspension of work. your said commit
tee. after fully considering the facts,
realized the Importance and response
bilities which such action might mean
to each individual employe, and al
though not desiring TO shirk the re-.
sponsibility placed upon us by the said
resolution, we have determined that the
better course to follow would be to re
port the facts TO you and resubmit the
question back to you for your own de-
termination.
Brothers, what is your pleasure ?"
Strike, Strike" Is Cry.
Strike, strike" came from twenty
voices at once, while the crowd by this
time. more than 1000 strong, cheering
wildly, tossed hats and coats in the arr.
A reporter who looked at his watch said
il was 9:20 o'clock Four minutes later
O'Brien again secured order. 49,.
What is your pleasure, gentlemen =
he asked.
Strike, strike" came from all parts
of the hall. -,
Gentlemen, what is your pleasure -
O'Brien repeated. HAS any one a mo-
tion TO make '"
81 move TO strike" yelled a coatless
man near the platform.
Second the notion" twenty cried at
once.
Again the cheering broke loose, stop
ping to permit O'Brien to call for those
in favor to hold up their right hands:
Every hand in the hall went up, and
again the cheering and throwing OF
hats in the air was resumed, while the
smiling Curley was carried about the
hall on the shoulders of a group or
husky guards. The cheering. broken
by momentary pause for the taking
of a fashlight picture, lasted until
1929.
Not a Hand Against Strike.
"All opposed 10 a strike hold up their
hands" CALLED O'Brien.
Not a hand went up.
"Gentlcmen," announced O'Brien, by
unanimous vote you have voted to sus-
pend work"
All this time William B. Fitzgerald,
the leader OF the men, who Tor nearly
week had been pleading with the men
10 20 slowly in the matter OF declaring
a strike, sat on the platform, his Jaws
set and his face as immovable as tnat
of a statue. He had said the actual
decision would be left to the men OF
the marlborough. and he had kept his
. word.
"You have" said O'Brien after the
cheering had subsidized, "of your own
volition and without advice. intim ds E
ton or coercion of any of the aliens
on the platform voted to suspend work.
If yea did anything else In the face
of what has happened in the last forty
eight hours you would not have red
blood in your veins.
Calls II a Lockout.
"The company has brought this con-
dtion on itself. It has brought on a
lockout. They have been advertising
for strikebreakers. They have been
trying TO scare you men, to intimidate
you, even, by bringing in strikebresk-
ers. You are not alone. You have the
support If every member OF the Anal.
gamsted Association in the United
States and Canada, moral and tinsn-
cial.
"You have nothing to fear. Before
you get through the company will do
as il did three weeks ago in the case
Of the green car men-take of its hat
and bow in submission.
"The work has not yet begun. We
want every employe OF the INTERIOR
ough in your organization. This is
where they belong. Don't let hem fall
by the wayside. Pick them up and
bring them into your organization"
O'Brien then introduced Mr.. Fridi-
ger, who. after reviewing the efforts
of the committee 20 secure settle
nicnt, reverted to the New York Rail
ways men, who were in session thirty
blocks away. awaiting the action of the
meeting.
One Issue for All.
"The New York Railways issue" he
said lis your issue. Their Hedley is
your Hedley, their directors are your
directors"
IAN official of the Interboro," he
went on. says IT, an evening paper,
the strike is on. We will fight fire
with fire. II they mean that as a
threat. II they are going to use VIC
loncc, IT will not take long before the
public and you men rise up in revolt.
II the fire they are trying 10 start with
their violent talk burns anything IL
will be their own hands that will be
burned"