Year: 1874

The brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
is one of the largest and strongest organlza-
tiOns of special branch of labor in the
United States 1t numbers some 5000 mem
bers, scattered over every part of the country,
and has hitherto enjoyed a prestige which
came from the high character of Its officers
and the excellence of the material of which
Its membership is composed. The qualities of
conduct and temperament which go to make
a good locomotive engineer are those of
high grade of manhood. The heavy RESPONSE
bility which weighs upon them, the physical
and moral qualifications their daily duties
require, the high pay they receive, are all
reasons why they should form a sort of elite
corps among the labOring men connected with
railways. Last Winter, about the time of
the Christmas holidays, some illad-
vised persons set on foot strike
among the engineers of several important
Western roads, in direct defiance of all the
traditions of tho Brotherhood, and in contra
vention of the provisions of their constitution
in reference to strikes. This action was res
olutely opposed by Mr.. Charles Wilson, for
many years Grand Chief Engineer of the AS
sOciatiOn, and to his opposition, based as 1T
was upon the principles and the practice of
the Society, the failure of the attempted viO-
lent and revolutionary action was attributed.
One would have thought that oil the members
of the Order, when they returned to the pos
session of their faculties, would have acknowl


edged their obligations to this sensible and
clear headed man who had done what
lay in his power to prevent unlimited
injury both to the engineers and the
corporations which employed them. But
nothing of the sort took place. On the
contrary, Convention of the Order was called
at Cleveland, and by the almost unanimous
vote of 100 to 49, the strikers were approved,
and Mr.. Wilson was requested to resign his
post as chief executive officer. Several Incl
dents Of the Convention show the spirit by
which it was animated. One delegate was ad


mitted belonging to o division which retains
in it's fellowship a striker who has confessed
to unlocking switch for the purpose of
wrecking a passenger train. noisy person
was allowed TO address the meeting who had
been expelled from previous Grand CODven-
ton for gross immortality. There was no
chance for any engineer of orderly or moderate
instincts to make himself heard.


The whole meaning and force Of tho per-
fOrmance is set forth in a circular letter pub
lished by Mr.. Wilson, with unusual good sense
and discretion. He points ont to the engineers
the suicidal folly of placing themselves, in
this unnecessary and useless way. in position
of absolute hostility to their employers. There
is no justification for it, even from selfish
point of view, in country which. like
ours, countenances and fosters no distinc-
tions of rank, and presents no barriers in
the way of the workingman's progress to
the position of employer. Tho General
Superintendent Of one of the greatest lines
on the continent was himself o lOc0mo


tive engineer. The men at the head of half q
dozen of the leading roads have formerly
labored with their hands in various branches
of railroad work. There is no natural hos
tility Between them and their former comrades
and associates. Incre is rather natural