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 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924066864558 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNION LABOR LEGISLA TIVE 
 . MOVEMENT IN TEXAS 
 
 COMPILED BY 
 
 L P. O'ROURKE 
 
 BY INSTRUCTION AND UNDER THE 
 SUPERVISION OF THE 
 
 JOINT LABOR LEGISLATIVE BOARD 
 
 APRIL ISth, 1909 
 
 PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS 
 
 Austin Printing Co., Austin, Texas. 
 
■ 11^ U t ; 
 
 T. P. O'ROURKE 
 
 SECRETARY AND TREASURER LEGISLATIVE BOARD BROTHERHOOD 
 OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS OF TEXAS 
 
 $ 
 
 
074 
 
 T. P. O'ROURKE. 
 
 A sincere regret, as well as an apology for the omis- 
 sion from the first edition of this important history 
 of this brief biography is offered here, the reason for 
 which was purely an oversight of the publishers. T. 
 P. O'Bourke, the author, %s one of the best and the 
 most favorably known men connected with the labor 
 movement in the South, and especially in the legisla- 
 tive branch. He is loved and admired by all union 
 labor, and his work has proven him to be entirely and 
 absolutely unselfish in all things which bring the great- 
 est good to the greatest number. Though broken in 
 health, his mind is as active and his heart as sympa- 
 'thetic for the true ideals of the working people as when 
 in the prime of Ufe; just as aggressive, just as fearless, 
 just as kind and solicitous for mankind. And when 
 upon the scroll of time another chapter of the Union 
 Labor Legislative history in Texas shall have been 
 recorded, his name will brighten its pages and his 
 achievements enthuse the minds and lighten the hearts 
 of those who may attempt to follow his example. A 
 strong writer, an effective worker, a Christian gentle- 
 man and truly one of Ood's noblemen. 
 
 C. P. GOODRIDGE. 
 
Preface. 
 
 At the Joint Convention of aU the State Legislative Boards 
 he d m the city of Port Worth, April 17, 1908, consisting of the 
 duly authorized delegates of the State Federation of Labor Or- 
 der of Railway Conductors, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin 
 eers Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen 
 Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and Brotherhood of Railway 
 Olerks, a resolution was unanimously adopted instructing the 
 writer to compile a brief history of the Union Labor Legislative 
 Movement m Texas under the supervision and at the expense 
 of the Joint Board. The object was to leave a record for those 
 who come after the men now actively engaged in it. of work 
 actually done and results gained up to the present time. By 
 putting It in condensed and convenient form it was hoped to 
 make It the vehicle for conveying information to the rank and 
 hie of the wage-workers of the State, the majority of whom 
 seldom see the reports of the Joint Board and have but a very 
 vague Idea of what is being accomplished by that body 
 
 Besides, men now leaders in movement have confused ideas 
 of Its origin and early work, which is pardonable, as the pioneers 
 lett tew records that are available and seldom made any kind of 
 a report of what they had done. By getting information from 
 men still living who were identified with the first formation and 
 work of the legislative boards we are able to give a pretty 
 straight story which we hope will clear up all misunderstanding 
 Knowledge of the perfection of our organization and its success 
 has traveled beyond the borders of Texas inspiring organized 
 wage-earners in other States to follow our example and copy our 
 method of doing business. Encouraged by this it is hoped that 
 by circulating this history in those States where no organized 
 legislative movement now exists it might stimulate the union 
 men therein to form active legislative boards. 
 
 Conscious of his limitations the writer has misgivings of his 
 ability to make this little history as interesting and attractive as 
 Its promoters expected and regrets that some one more compe- 
 
tent was not selected for the task. He has done the best he could, 
 and, while his facts may not be clothed in glowing rhetoric he 
 has labored earnestly to make them accurate. 
 
 Identified with the legislative movement the past fifteen years, 
 secretary-treasurer of the B. of L. E. State Legislative Board 
 ten years, delegate or visitor to every important convention or 
 meeting held in this State since 1894, active in trying to induce 
 the railway brotherhoods and State Federation 6f Labor to or- 
 ganize legislative boards and co-operate in a Joint Board, has 
 given the writer opportunities to become familiar with the inside 
 history of the legislative movement, which can form the only 
 reasonable excuse for his selection to write it as he makes no claim 
 whatever to literary ability. 
 
 The writer is under obligations to the grand officers of the rail- 
 way brotherhoods for information kindly furnished, also to F. N. 
 Graves, secretary of .the State Federation of Labor, Joseph S. 
 Myers of the B. of L. F. & E., who furnished invaluable data; to 
 to E. P. Curtis of the 0. R. C, and last, but not least, W. H. 
 Young of the B. of L. B., the parent of the first legislative move- 
 ment. 
 
 T. P. O'ROUEKE, 
 
 Smithville, Texas, March 15th, 1909. 
 
Introduction. 
 
 Systems, methods, thought, prejudices, philosophy, environ- 
 ment are constantly changing. 
 
 The old gives way to the new. The new of yesterday is old 
 today. Tomorrow, the things we cherish and hold sacred today, 
 will be cast aside and forgotten in the enjoyment of newer and 
 better things. — This is progress — civilization. 
 
 The best and noblest in man, never satisfied with what IS but 
 ever toiling upward to attain that which IS TO BE. 
 
 As the race advances onward and upward from stage to stage 
 of progression a few inspired, far-seeing ones, lead and blaze 
 the way. The multitude plods on behind— ever shifting, chang- 
 ing places, struggling for position. 
 
 In this grand procession of progress and civilization organ- 
 ized labor asks to have the wage earners assigned their true posi- 
 tion, to be given that place in the line their relative importance 
 justly entitles them to, to have their rights recognized and 
 granted, their legitimate needs satisfied, and their aspirations 
 accorded a fair and free field for development. 
 
 Organizations of labor, generally composed of the best and 
 most intelligent — the cream of the wage-workers — ^being made 
 up of human units, are subject to and controlled by the same 
 laws of progress that apply to the race. They can not stand still 
 and live. If they try to they stagnate, rot and perish, or are 
 run over and crushed out of existence by the competition of the 
 progressive. The conditions under which their members work 
 and their general environment are constantly changing and they 
 have to adjust themselves to meet these changes or go out of 
 business. 
 
 Hence policies once held sacred by organizations of labor have 
 from time to time been modified or discarded and new ones 
 adopted to meet new conditions. 
 
 This is particularly true of their changing attitude toward 
 entering the arena ,of polities and permitting the discussion of 
 legislative matters in their lodge rooms. Not many years ago no 
 
subject, with the exception of religion, was so rigorously ex- 
 cluded. Even the discussion of legislative matters, the effect 
 on their interests for good or evil of laws enacted or proposed, 
 was not permitted, lest such discussions might lead to politics, 
 and politics spelled discord, disruption. This rigid exclusion of 
 politics was, no doubt, at one time necessary and wise. Follow- 
 ing the civil war partisan feeling was deep rooted and bitter. 
 The men who took part in that titanic struggle or who lived in 
 this country during its continuance considered loyalty to party 
 secondary only to loyalty to God. To permit the injection of 
 any subject having a political complexion among a body of such 
 men, composed of the adherents of opposite political parties, 
 would be about equivalent to tossing a lighted torch into a pow- 
 der magazine. 
 
 But those men have passed away, another generation has as- 
 sumed control; with newer and more liberal ideas and broader 
 outlook they have adjusted their organizations to meet new issues 
 and changed conditions and are taking an active and intelligent 
 interest in political and legislative matters affecting labor. 
 
 Within the last twenty years the railway brotherhoods have 
 adopted laws providing for State legislative boards, for several 
 years they have maintained a representative at Washington to 
 look after their joint interests; city crafts, miners' unions and 
 the State Federations of Labor in many States have taken up 
 legislative work and this year, 1908, the American Federation 
 of Labor has entered the arena of polities with a vim and energy 
 which gives promise of great deeds. 
 
 'Tis true that the forces of labor have not yet been able to act 
 unitedly nor even harmoniously in polities, which is to be re- 
 gretted, yet the fact that they have taken up this work at all, 
 if scatteringly and in a desultory manner, is of itself encourag- 
 ing. We can trust to time and experience to bring unity and 
 harmony. 
 
 This change of policy was not sudden or revolutionary, but the 
 slow and gradual result of persistent agitation on the part of 
 clear headed and far-seeing men within the organizations and 
 the advice of sincere friends on the outside. 
 
 Those men saw that, because of the indifference of organized 
 labor to political and legislative matters, labor interests were 
 ignored or sadly neglected by law-making bodies, while corporate 
 
interests were being industriously safeguarded and that some- 
 thing had to be done or labor would be hemmed in and bound 
 helpless by statutory law and court decisions. They realized 
 that by shutting out discussion of political and legislative sub- 
 jects the organizations were depriving their members of the 
 safest and best means of educating themselves on matters of vital 
 importance to them and that by letting the individual member 
 go to the polls without advice or instruction the majority fell 
 easy prey to swindling politicians, who used their votes to elect 
 the enemies of labor to office. Union men were antagonizing 
 union men at the ballot box, their voting strength frittered away 
 in the sham strife of parties which under no circumstances could 
 bring any beneficial results to labor. When those "far-seeing 
 ones" first advocated a change of policy they met vigorous oppo- 
 sition, often bitter and vindictive; they were abused and ma- 
 ligned, accused of trying to drag labor into the mire of politics 
 for the purpose of destroying its organization. This opposition, 
 while growing weak and faint, has not wholly ceased as we stiU 
 have many well meaning men in the ranks, and a few in high 
 official positions, who think it a mistake, this too, despite the 
 fact that the legislative program has become a fixed policy and 
 that the work has been going on long enough to demonstrate that 
 it can be successfully conducted without danger of disrupting 
 the organizations engaged in it. , The opposition contends that 
 in taking ,up legislative work organized labor is going outside its 
 legitimate field, viz. : the adjustment of wages and making of 
 contracts with employers defining rights, seniority, hours, con- 
 ditions of service, etc. 
 
 This contention will bear analysis. True the adjustment of 
 wages and making of contracts is a work of the first importance 
 that can not be neglected and should command the best energy 
 and intelligent thought of every labor organization and 
 no true uniop man would do aught to hinder it. But 
 contracts and wage schedules are of necessity limited to 
 one class of men engaged in a common employment in the 
 service of a single employer, whether corporation or individual. 
 They cannot be made of sufficient scope and width to cover every 
 emergency and regulate aU the grievances of labor. For in- 
 stance, no contract made with an employer will wipe out the old 
 doctrine of fellow servant and assumed risk from national juris- 
 
8 
 
 prudence, provide for safety appliances on cars and locomotives, 
 provide for the inspection of mines and factories and compel the 
 adoption of safe and sanitary surroundings for those employed 
 in them, that will prohibit child labor or prevent the attachment 
 of wages and the homestead for debt. Such matters as these 
 are of nation-wide importance, affecting alike all branches of 
 labor, and can be reached only by legislation, In this broad field 
 organized labor finds work to do of just as much importance and 
 equally as necessarj'^ as the regulation of wages. Instead of being 
 a hindrance to, what we might call for convenience, the indus- 
 trial work of labor organizations — regulating wages, etc., the leg- 
 islative movement is of great assistance since it tends to wipe 
 out laws that give undue advantage to the employer, check the 
 use and abuse of injunctions, clears the field of all legal restric- 
 tions and obstructions and gives the industriar program a free 
 course. 
 
 That the legislative movement wiU find ample employment in 
 the field of industrialism is evidenced by reports furnished us 
 by the Inter-State Commerce Commission, the Department of 
 Labor and a few State Commissioners of Labor, of the thousands 
 who are killed and maimed annually on the railroads, in the 
 mines, factories, workshops and other places where men labor, 
 that could be saved, or their numbers materially reduced by the 
 adoption of proper precautions. These reports are too volumi- 
 nous to quote in a work of this nature. To illustrate., however, 
 we quote a few extracts from a recent article by Waldemar 
 Kaempffert : 
 
 "If fighting were as deadly as making matches, riding in a 
 locomotive cab, or riveting a girder in a truss two hundred feet 
 in the air, swords would be beaten into plowshares and war 
 abolished. * * * The recent Asiatic conflict cost in dead and 
 wounded, Japanese and Russians, a bloody total of 333,- 
 786. Yet in this country a struggle is raging which 
 the great public never sees, but which outdoes the Russian- 
 Japanese war in blood-letting. AM some two hundred 
 thousand dead and woimded to the three hundred thousand 
 odd casualties which the Russian and Japanese armies were able 
 to inflict on each other, with the aid of weapons especially de- 
 signed for swift and sure death-dealing, and you have the awful 
 price paid by our railroads, mines, factories and handicrafts in 
 
9 
 
 order that we may travel quickly and live comfortably. One 
 man out of every hundred and fifty is marked to lose an arm or 
 leg, to sustain greater or less injury, or to die. A wage-earner 
 toils constantly in the shadow of death. * * * Our industrial sys- 
 tem as at present conducted sends a man every minute to the 
 imdertaker' or the surgeon. * * * The shuddering total of five 
 hundred thousand casualties for an average industrial year 
 fails to reveal the true horror of the fight for civilization and 
 progress. * * * The shame of it all lies in the admission that 
 much of this Slaughter is not only unnecessary but a distinct 
 economic loss. * * * From reports furnished the Inter-State 
 Commerce Commission by the railroads for the year ending June 
 30, 1907, 5000 persons were killed and 76,286 injured by them. 
 * * * In the average year 12,000 men will either die or come to 
 harm in the iron, gold, silver, lead and coal mines and in the 
 quarries of the United States. * * * One hundred thousand are 
 yearly mangled in the mills. * * * It has been estimated that 
 ninety per cent of the deaths occurriag among bridge and struc- 
 tural iron workers are due to accident. * * * Let it not be im- 
 agined that this statistical necrology includes all the victims of 
 our industrial Juggernaut. Disease contracted in an occupation 
 probably wreaks as much havoc as cutting machinery. Not even 
 a rough guess can be ventured, so meager is the information 
 available. ' ' » 
 
 Here in Texas the policy of our Joint Labor Legislative Board 
 is not to limit its efforts to securing safety appliances, the inspec- 
 tion and regulation of mines and worshops and such like, but, 
 imbued with that same spirit which animated the lowly Carpen- 
 ter of Nazareth when He delivered His message of. peace and love 
 from that nameless mound by the shores of Galilee, it will take 
 up and push forward any sane humanitarian measure intended 
 to lessen the burdens of the oppre^ed or to elevate humanity, 
 such as the abolition of child labor, compulsory education, the 
 abolition of the lease system for convicts, also such measures as 
 tend to improve and perfect our system of government, as for in- 
 stance the secret ballot, the initiative and referendum, the elec- 
 tion of judges and United States Senators by popular vote and 
 other reforms. 
 
 It is a principle of the Joint Board to be absolutely honest and 
 fair in all its dealings, that, while seeking to secure what is fair 
 
10 
 
 and just to labor, it has no desire to injure any person or in- 
 tel"est. Its mission is to endeavor to eradicate existing evils, pro- 
 vide for the protection and safety of wage earners while engaged 
 in their daily avocations and try to have such' laws enacted as 
 will place them on an absolute equality with aU other citizens be- 
 fore the courts, a privilege they do not now enjoy. If, in doing 
 these things, it comes in conflict with interests that have been 
 profiting by special privileges, wrong and neglect, it should not 
 be condemned and accused of trying to injure employers of labor 
 and ruin their business. 
 
 Sane union men never wish to injure their employers or 
 hamper the business from which they derive their 'living, on the 
 contrary they are always anxious to have them succeed and pros- 
 per in order that their employment may be permanent and fairly 
 compensated. 
 
 Capital is entitled to fair and just treatment under the law 
 and should be given sufficient freedom of action to enable it to 
 earn a reasonable profit, but, as all corporations are created by 
 law, having certain powers conferred on them by the State to 
 transact business, they should, be regulated by law and subject 
 to its limitations. When corporations try to evade or violate the 
 law they have no right to expect or require their employes to 
 assist them in doing it, neither do we think it right that when 
 there is a clash between railway corporations and the people, or 
 public officials, their employes should be pushed forward to take 
 part in the conflict. It is not fair to accuse employes of disloyalty 
 to their employers when they refuse to be used as a buflPer in 
 such contingencies. They do not hire out for that purpose and it 
 is not specified or implied in their agreements, or contracts, that 
 such service will be required. Organized labor does not object to 
 co-operating with employers in legislative matters for the general 
 good, provided the benefits to be derived therefrom are reciprocal 
 and mutual. If employes co-operate with employers in trying to 
 maintain rates and prices and to prevent tQO drastic and rigid 
 regulations by the State, the employers should reciprocate and 
 assist the employes in abolishing the old common law doctrines 
 of the feUow servant, assumed risk and other musty relics of the 
 past and in securing safety appliances and sanitary conditions to 
 labor under. It is a poor rule that does not work both ways. ' 
 Corporations would get better results, more considerate treat- 
 
11 
 
 ment, save money nowpaid out to high-priced attorneys and lob- 
 byists and have the good will and unstinted support of their em- 
 ployes in all their honest undertakings if they would cease their 
 policy of blind obstruction to every sane and reasonable measure 
 offered for the safety and protection of labor. April 15, 1908, 
 Judge N. A. Steadman, attorney of the General Managers' Asso- 
 ciation of Texas, addressed the railroad delegates to the legisla- 
 tive convention then in session at Fort Worth and said it was the 
 desire of the General Managers to establish harmonious relations 
 with the legislative boards and to work with them for mutual 
 advantage. Very good, and the legislative boards have ex- 
 pressed willingness to comply provided the partnership is not all 
 one-sided.- An arrangement of this kind would maJke the work 
 of the legislative boards much easier as, heretofore, their hardest 
 task has been to overcome the opposition of railroad attorneys, 
 besides, there are some matters that could be adjusted by mutual 
 agreement between the employes and the management and kept 
 out of the Legislature. 
 
 Some of our brothers are inclined to take rather a pessimistic 
 view of the political situation as a result of the late campaign 
 and are fearful that the political program of organized labor 
 in the United States will prove disastrous. They are discour- 
 aged because all branches of organized labor did not act in har- 
 mony and vote unitedly. There is no cause for discouragement. 
 It must be remembered that this is the first general effort to in- 
 duce labor to shake off partisan shackles and vote independently. 
 There has not been sufficient time for all to divest themselves of 
 their old partisan prejudices and predilections and rise to the 
 altitude of independent citizenship. The campaign was of vast 
 benefit from an educational standpoint. The strife and turmoil 
 and contention was but the leaven workiag through the ma,ss. 
 In time all will settle to a calm cohesive and harmonious entity 
 as united in politics as now in industrial matters. 
 
 Meantime, patience. It has been said that: "Three enemies 
 of organized labor infest the ranks of workingmen, the nonunion 
 man, the union man who resorts to violence and the voter who 
 never scratches his party's ticket. The last is the greatest menace 
 both to labor and the public." 
 
 The same/ authority : "The political parties are understood 
 by the educated classes who vote independently but the poor 
 
12 
 
 workingman is still hoodwinked by the puerile cry of party loy- 
 alty," 
 
 Labor must learn to be self-reliant and independent in politics 
 if it is to command respect. It must cease to depend supinely 
 on parties and politicians, who "keep the word of promise to 
 the ear, but break it to the hope," for remedial legislation and 
 look within itself for power necessary to rectify the evils it com- 
 plains of. 
 
 ' ' God helps those who help themselves ; ' ' labor has the power 
 of numbers but is not yet sufficiently educated to sever partisan 
 ties and unite on a political program based on enlightened class 
 interest. 
 
 The late Jay Gould, then principal owner of the Erie railroad, 
 once told a Congressional Committee that in a Democratic State 
 he was a Democrat, in a Republican State he was a Republican, 
 but he was always an Erie man. Union labor might grasp and 
 assimilate this idea and carry its union principles with it to 
 the ballot box. 
 
 Texas, perhaps, more than any other State in the Union shows 
 all branches of organized labor and the Farmer's Union united 
 on a political program and working harmoniously together for 
 the general welfare. What is practised in Texas is possible every- 
 where. It strikes one as absurd to say that sane men, with or- 
 dinary common sense and average intelligence can not co-operate 
 and work harmoniously together for a common purpose. 
 
 Try it, brothers, try it in every State in the Union. 
 
 As a fitting fiijiale to this introduction extracts from a speech 
 delivered by the Hon. Tom Fitch, Attorney General of Nevada, 
 at a convention of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, held 
 in San Francisco, September, 1890, are quoted : 
 
 "* * * Why is it that jurisprudence is about the only sci- 
 ence which fails to keep pace with the brilliant and advancing 
 procession of progress in all other ways? In theology, total de- 
 pravity and' infant damnation have been laid aside, along with 
 the legend of Jonah's sojourn in the whale's interior, and the new 
 philosophies — the result of modern thought and ancient cult 
 combined — ^have stricken the shackles from the onward feet of 
 the seekers after truth. 
 
 "In medicine the lancet, the blister and the black draught 
 are no longer the ruling trinity; the fever stricken patient no 
 
13 
 
 longer cries in vain for water, and anesthetics have almost ban- 
 ished pain from among the ills of life. But when we ap- 
 proach the laws the entire membership of the legal profession, 
 from the most venerable judge to the latest pin-feathered chicken 
 of the schools, cries out: 'Do not disturb the venerable dust 
 of innumerable ages.' 
 
 "I am not especially given to iconoclasm, but I can see no 
 greater reason for preserving the errors of by-gone ages in law 
 than for insisting upon a literal six days' creation in theology, 
 or for adhering to bluemass and brimstone in medicine. 
 
 "The coromon law doctrine which relieves the employer from 
 responsibility for injuries which his employe may sustain through 
 the negligence of a fellow-workman has been upheld, and 
 strengthened, and enlarged and construed by the courts of Eng- 
 land and America in the interest of employers, until it has 
 grown into a monstrous and apparently impregnable fortress, 
 from behind which wealth can defy the claims of the workers. 
 
 "There is doubtless a special and extraordinary risk incurred 
 by railroad employes, and therefore greater necessity for protec- 
 tive legislation in their behalf, but the principle underlying 
 the reform I advocate will extend with equal logic and equal 
 force to all trades and avocations, and the true rule should be 
 that an employe may recover from his employer in any case 
 where he might recover if he were not an employe. If an elevator 
 in a dry goods house falls through the fault of the engineer, why 
 should not the elevator boy recover damages as well as the 
 passengers in the elevator? If it falls through the unskillful- 
 ness of the elevator boy, why should not the injured clerk re- 
 cover as well as the injured customer? 
 
 "* * * The rule that the servant can not recover from the 
 master for injuries inflicted through the negligence of a fellow- 
 servant is as old as the English common law, and it is old enough 
 to die, for it has survived all the conditions which gave it birth. 
 
 "It originated in a system of society where the terms 'master 
 and servant' were almost equivalent to the words 'master and 
 slave, ' where the employer and the employed had in theory both 
 rights and duties, but where in practice the servant UvSually had 
 all of the duties and the master all of the rights. It is a, rule that 
 was established before railroads were built, before the use of 
 
14 
 
 steam or electricity was known, before great manufacturing es- 
 tablishments existed. 
 
 "Elections are approaching in many States. If a committee 
 from your order, co-operating with committees from other or- 
 ganizations shall demand of legislative candidates public pledges 
 of support to such a law there is little question but such pledges 
 would be given. At least it will be quite your privilege to allow 
 such candidates as refuse pledges to obtain their election — if 
 they obtain it at all — without the help of your votes. You have 
 in your ballots an invincible weapon. Do not surrender that 
 weapon to boss or caucus, but use it for the defense of your rights. 
 
 "The relations between capitalists and laborers are happily 
 growing toward just and peaceful solution, and it is in broader 
 and stronger unionism of each trade, rather than in general amal- 
 gamation of all trades, that labor will find its greatest strength. 
 
 "Individual economy and industry will, in this country sooner 
 than in any other, bring independence to the laborer, for the 
 margin between earning and eating is larger here than elsewhere, 
 and in my judgment the best plan of labor organization will be 
 for each trade to determine for itself what conditions will be 
 just to its members, just to its employers and just to consumers, 
 and then governing itself by enlightened self-interest within lines 
 bounded by justice and moderation, insist through lawful meth- 
 ods upon its fights. 
 
 "Society surges with the throes of a new life for the worker, 
 and upon the horizon of hope a pencil line of light will soon be- 
 gin to glow. Away and away beyond the Eastern horizon, across 
 stormy seas, across forests and plains, beyond the ruins of em- 
 pires, and eastward still until the globe is girdled to the shores 
 of the western sea, everywhere the night of selfishness and greed 
 and despotism has for ages been resting in close weight upon the 
 nations. In the far north, under the midnight suns of Russia, 
 manhood dares not utter the truth which the Spirit of God whis- 
 pers to his ears, and women shriek and sob under the scourge. 
 Upon the continent of Europe drill and discipline, discipliae and 
 drill, and the labor of preparation for death-dealing to humanity, 
 withdraw from productive labor and change into pauper ruf- 
 fians the flower of its manhood. Africa is still in the jungle of 
 ignorance and superstition, and in Asia the living, trampled un- 
 der the feet of caste, and faint with the exactions of both native 
 
15 
 
 and alien rule, look forward with hope only to the deliverance 
 pf death. 
 
 "Only here under the flag of forty stars and under the banner 
 of the Canadian Dominion does the toiler begin to ask why he 
 must gather his rags closer lest he jostle the silken garment his 
 fingers have fashioned? Why he must offend his hunger with 
 the odor of banquets which he prepared but must not taste? 
 Why he must walk weary and shelterless in the shadow of pal- 
 aces which he built but may not enter? The worker has begun 
 to question; he- will soon begin to act. He will not supplicate 
 for his rights, but he will take them. Not in wrath, not in in- 
 justice, but in lawful and manly ways will he take them. He 
 hears the cry of peoples weary of centuries of error, centuries of 
 wrong, centuries of toil and tears and martyrdom, and he knows 
 that the free toilers of a free land will heed and answer the cry, 
 for labor is here, sovereign; it is the prophet, priest and king; it 
 is the creator and conservator, of all wealth, all government and 
 all civilization. 
 
 "Labor rends the earth and hoists the somber ore and seethes 
 it in baths of fire and hammers and rolls and tempers into glit- 
 tering blade and ponderous rail. Labor gathers the fleeces, 
 whitens them in steaming vats, and with humming spindle and 
 shifting shuttle transforms them into a thousand articles of use 
 and beauty. Labor bids the green-plumed forest monarch fall 
 low upon the earth, and seizes his huge form and sends it scream- 
 ing under the gang-saw, until the forest is changed into material 
 for homes. Labor smites at the adamantine doors of the earth's 
 treasure chambers and bids them roll back upon their hinges and 
 reveal their shining secrets. 
 
 "With hand on throttle-valve and face red with the glow of 
 the furnace, Labor feeds and guides the black cavalry of com- 
 merce as with steam-flecked flanks they thunder up the mountain 
 side or scream across the plain. On the foam-crested seas, in 
 golden harvest fields, amid the din of factories and the roar of 
 forges, everywhere it is the dews of toil alone that nurture a na- 
 tion from poverty to affluence. 
 
 "And shall not the toilers come to their own? Shall not 
 crowns and castes be abased before them, and oppression and in- 
 justice and greed lose their power? Who shall doubt it? When 
 amid the howling storm the mariner, sailing over tropic seas, 
 
16 
 
 waits for relief from his weary watch he turns his eyes toward 
 the Southern Cross burning luridly above the tempest-vexed 
 ocean, and as the midnight approaches the Southern Gross begins 
 to ben, the whirling worlds change their places, with starry fin- 
 ger-points the Almighty marks the passage of time upon the dial 
 of the universe, and though no bell may beat the glad tidings, the 
 lookout knows that the midnight is well nigh past, and relief 
 and rest are close at hand. 
 
 Let labor everywhere take heart of hope, for the. cross is bend- 
 ing, the midnight is passing and 'joy cometh with the morning. ' " 
 
 "We stand in the light of a dawning day, 
 
 With its glory creation flushing ; 
 And the life-currents up from the pris'ning clay 
 
 Through the world's great heart are rushing. . 
 While from peak to peak of the Spirit Land 
 
 A voice unto voice is calling : 
 ' The Night is over, the Day is at hand. 
 
 And the fetters of es^rth are falling.' " 
 
History of the Union Labor Legislative 
 Movement in Texas. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 It can be safely asserted that the Union Labor Tiegislative 
 Movement in Texas, and by this is meant a continuous unifoi*m 
 organized movement, had its beginning in the formation of the 
 State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- 
 gineers, which was first organized at Austin, February 5, 1889. 
 
 The Grand International Division of the B. of L. E. in con- 
 vention at Richmond, Va., 1888, adopted a set of rules provid- 
 ing for the organization and support of State Legislative Boards 
 and defining their powers and duties. The rules provided that 
 if, the subdivisions located in a State decided by majority vote 
 an active Legislative Board should be formed. Having complied 
 with the law and the necessary majority obtained, W. H. Young, 
 then chief engineer of Division 307, located at Taylor, and the 
 nearest to Austin, issued a caU for the duly elected delegates to 
 meet at the Avenue Hotel in the latter city February 5, 1889. 
 
 Out of the fourteen divisions then in the State but six sent 
 delegates. These were Sam Millican Division 139; Sam Grant 
 Division 187; Milt Goodrich Division 194; W. H. Craine Divi- 
 sion 206 ; F. S. Brooks Division 242 ; W. H. Young Division 307. 
 Organization was perfected by the election of W. H. Young, 
 chairman and F. S. Brooks, secretary. 
 
 The Legislature had been in session nearly thirty days when 
 this board was formed 'and it got in the field a little too late for 
 effective work. 
 
 A committee of three was appointed to prepare bills for pre- 
 sentation to the Legislature. They drafted a> Fellow Servant 
 Bill and an Anti-Blacklist Bill which were approved by the 
 Board and introduced into the House and Senate. Learning 
 that a member of the House had a bill he was about to introduce 
 providing for a color blind test for railway employes the board 
 called on him and induced him not to present it. As less than 
 
18 
 
 one-half the divisions in the State were represented at this meet- 
 ing and, as the Board was yet an untried experiment, the mem- 
 bers present felt a delicacy in incurring too much expense, be- 
 cause of the discouraging effect it might have on the future of 
 the Board and decided, on the evening of the 7th to send three of 
 the debgates home. 
 
 Leaving their bills in the hands of professed friends in the 
 House and Senate the others went home Saturday evening, 
 the 9th. Little consideration was given their measures after the 
 Board had left: they never 
 came to a vote. 
 
 This Board ^vas in session 
 but five days and got noth- 
 ing in the -shape of legisla- 
 tion, yet it has earned our 
 gratitude for laying the 
 foimdation of th? present 
 magnificent machinery for 
 conducting the legislative 
 business of the organized 
 wage earners of the State. 
 They are entitled to appn- 
 ciation and honor as the 
 pioneers of the movement 
 and though their first effort 
 was timid and barren of im- 
 mediate results it was a step 
 in advance into a new and 
 untried field of endeavor 
 where the application of 
 more energetic and compre- 
 hensive methods have brought such grand returns. 
 
 The second convention of the B. of L. E. liCgislative Board 
 was held in Galveston, December 29, 1890. Twelve divisions 
 were represented by delegates. W. H. Young was re-elected chair- 
 man and F. S. Brooks, secretary. It was decided to have a com- 
 mittee of three represent the Board at Austin and W. H. Young 
 of Division 307 ; W. W. Winfield of Division 219, and J. S. Baker 
 of Division 194 were chosen. Draft of a Fellow Servant Bill pre- 
 pared by the law firm of Wheeler and Rhodes of Galveston, was 
 
 W. H. ("CANNONBALL") YOUNG 
 
 rst Chairman B. of L. E. Legislative 
 Board. 
 
19 
 
 debated and referred to the legislative committee. Learning that 
 a bill to license locomotive engineers would, be presented to the 
 Twenty-second Legislature the Board instructed the Legisla- 
 tive Committee to use their influence to defeat it and if found 
 impossible to do so to try to have introduced as a substitute a 
 bill prepared by the Board. 
 
 No record has been left us of the work done by this Legisla- 
 tive Committee, but the writer has been informed by its Chair- 
 man, W. H. Young, that they succeeded in having their Fellow 
 Servant Bill passed, and, with the assistance of some conductors, 
 who brought the matter forward, had'alaw for the proper bond- 
 ing of conductors, agents and others handling company money 
 enacted also. 
 
 The passage of the Fellow Servant Law was contested bitterly 
 by the railway corporations of the State, whose attorneys and 
 some officials used every means at their disposal, fair or foul, 
 to defeat it. Members of the B. L. E. and other organizations 
 were brought to Austin to testify before committees of the House 
 and Senate that the railroad employes of Texas did not want 
 the law, were opposed to its passage and that the Legislative 
 Board did not represent the engineers and other employes in 
 this matter. 
 
 • The Board was convened in third Biennial session in Fort 
 Worth, December 21, 1892, eleven of the seventeen divisions then 
 in the State being represented by delegates. J. G. West of Di- 
 vision 177, Denison, was elected Chairman and W.. H. Craine of 
 Division 206, Temple, was elected Secretary-Treasurer. It was 
 decided to have the Chairman and Secretary represent the Board 
 at Austin and they were instructed to endeavor, to have a law 
 passed prohibiting the employment of foreign detective agencies 
 in this State; to procure a copy of the Australian Arbitration 
 Act and, if found satisfactory, to have a bill of a similar nature 
 drafted and introduced; to oppose the passage of a license law 
 for locomotive engineers. 
 
 As the time of the Twenty-third Legislature was mainly con- 
 sumed in a trial of the Land Commission, labor measures were 
 given hasty and superficial consideration. Still, the Board suc- 
 ceeded in having a Fellow Servant Law passed to supercede the 
 law of 18.91 in which the courts had found numerous defects ; had 
 the bill prohibiting the employment of foreign detective agen- 
 
20 
 
 cies, known as the "Anti-Pinkerton Bill," enacted and were in- 
 strumental in having the first Monday in September (Labor 
 Day) made a legal holiday. 
 
 Up to this time the Board had issued no formal report to the 
 divisions in the State of the work being done at Austin by its 
 representatives, in consequence of which considerable dissatisfac- 
 tion was manifested, interest began to wane, assessments were not 
 paid promptly, if at all, and the Board found itself seriously 
 hampered for want of money. 
 
 Because of these conditions the fourth biennial session of the 
 Board, which met in San Antonio, November 21, 1894, was poorly 
 attended, but seven delegates presenting credentials. The Board 
 was in debt and several di^asions delinquent for legislative as- 
 sessments. The prospect was so discouraging that a few sug- 
 gested the dissolution of the Board. Had their advice been 
 heeded, the labor legislative movement would have received a se- 
 rious' set-back and it is doubtful if we would now have such a 
 magnificent and perfect organization for conducting legislative 
 business. It was a critical period. 
 
 B. A. Pickren of division 197, San Antonio, was elected Chair- 
 man, and J. T. Sutton of Division 212, Big Springs, elected Sec- 
 retary. 
 
 The time of the session was consumed principally in devising 
 ways and means to overcome the financial difficulties and revive 
 the interest of divisions in legislative work. Little time was given 
 to the consideration of proposed legislation. The Chairman and 
 Secreta,ry were instructed to work for the passage of an Arbitra- 
 tion Bill; an Anti-Blacklist Bill and "any other measure they 
 think for the good of the brotherhood." The members 'deter- 
 mined to continue the Board as an active body; levied assess- 
 ments to meet deficiencies and sent out circulars to divisions urg- 
 ing interest and support. 
 
 Prior to the convening of the Twenty-fourth Legislature, B. A. 
 Pickren asked his employing company, the Southern Pacific, for 
 a leave of absence to go to Austin to perform the duties assigned 
 him by the Legislative Board and was promptly told that he 
 could not get a leave of abssnce for that purpose, but if he wished 
 to quit, the company would gladly give him his time. The alter- 
 nate Chairman, J. W. Nelson, of Division 445, Paris, was calle.d 
 on to act instead of Mr. Pickren. 
 
21 
 
 • Acting Chairman Nelson and Secretary Sutton have left us a 
 very comprehensive and detailed report of all they did and tried 
 to do while in Austin, together with their views on several mat- 
 ters of more or less importance. This was the first formal report 
 issued by the Board to the divisions in the State and it had a 
 good effect, attracting attention in and out of the brotherhood. 
 
 They prepared and had introduced into the House and Senate 
 an Arbitration Bill, an Engineers ' Qualification Bill and an Anti- 
 Blacklist Bill. The Arbitration Bill passed and is still the law ; 
 the Qualification Bill was defeated in the Senate ; the Anti-Black- 
 list Bill and a bill to regulate the hours of rest for railway em- 
 ployes, introduced by a representative from Bexar, and sup- 
 pbrted by the Board, died on the Speaker's table. 
 
 They supported an amendment to the general charter laws of 
 the State permitting trade unions to take out charters and pro- 
 tecting their labels, trade marks, emblems, etc. Supported an 
 amendment to the Anti-Trust law exempting labor organizations 
 from its provisions and which repealed the pernicious conspiracy 
 law enacted in 1878. Supported an amendment to the Mechan- 
 ics' Lien law aimed to facilitate the collection of liens and make 
 the law more effective generally. All three amendments passed. 
 They successfully opposed an amendment to the Bond Law, in- 
 tended to destroy its protective features; a pernicious Fellow 
 Servant Bill intended to supercede the law of. 1893, with all the 
 best features left out, also a bill for the licensing of locomotive 
 engineers. This committee met with vigorous opposition from the 
 railroad lobby. "The opposition," says their report, "was well 
 organized and strong armed with unlimited means and passes." 
 
 As the Arbitration law has reposed upon the statute books in 
 a condition of "inocuous desuetude" from 1895 to the present, 
 its provisions, so far as the writer is informed, having never been 
 invoked to adjust a labor "dispute, it is somewhat amusing to look 
 back and review all the fuss its introduction and passage stirred 
 up. All of the leading daily papers iri the State, with the ex- 
 ception of the Fort "Worth ' Gazette, "waged a relentless and 
 bitter fight against the bill," reports the Board, "calling it every- 
 thing but good. The Southern Pacific Eailroad sent its general 
 attorney, Holmes Cummings, of ■ California, to Austin to fight 
 the bill." The Galveston and Dallas News denounced the bill. 
 
22 
 
 the "labor lobby" and all its friends in unmeasured terms. It 
 was simply a case of ' ' much ado about nothing. ' ' 
 
 The Board gives credit to Senator Perry J. Lewis of San An- 
 tonio for a large portion of its success at this session. 
 
 Taking into consideration the powerful opposition this com- 
 mittee met with and the further fact that workingmen gener- 
 ally throughout the State, at that time, took very little interest 
 in legislative matters and, paid scant attention to the records of 
 men they were voting for, while the corporations were alive to 
 their every interest and took 
 an active part in politics, it 
 is surprising they accomp- 
 lished so much. It speaks 
 well for the majority of 
 members of the Twenty- 
 fourth Legislature and tends 
 to prove that the average 
 legislator is not as corrupt 
 as lie is often painted. 
 
 Up to this time it liad cost 
 the engineers of the State al- 
 most $7000 to sustain a Leg- 
 islative Board and as every 
 railway employe in the Stare 
 was benefited by their worii 
 they began to consider the 
 advisability of calling on 
 other organizations of men 
 in the service to assist them 
 and share the burdens and 
 responsibility as well as the 
 rewards. Hence the legislative committee. Nelson and Sut- 
 ton, attached a supplement to their report recommending 
 that a union meeting of all the organizations in train 
 service be held to consider the necessity of forming a co-oper- 
 ative legistative board. They requested every division in the State 
 to vote on the proposition to name the city where the meeting 
 should be held and to instruct the committee to call the meetin" 
 and set the time. All of the divisions voted unanimously in fa'^ 
 vor of the union meeting and, all but one, designated Fort Worth 
 
 B. P. CURTIS 
 First Chairman of O. R. C. State Legis- 
 lative Committee in Texa-s, and Second 
 Chairman of Joint Labor Legislative 
 Board. 
 
23 
 
 as the place of their choice to hold it. The committee set the date 
 for August 15 to 17, 1895, and turned the matter over to the 
 local divisions and lodges of railway organizations at Fort Worth 
 to issue a general call and make all necessary arrangements. The 
 meeting was held on time and was called to order in the opera 
 house at 10 o'clock a. m. of the 16th, in executive session. The 
 15th was taken up with open exercises, speechmaking by city 
 officials, prominent men, and the grand officers of brotherhoods, 
 who were in attendance. J. E. Archer, 0. R. C, Houston, was 
 elected Chairman and D. O. Freeman, 0. R. T., Fort Worth, 
 Secretary. The chair appointed coinmittees on credentials, per- 
 manent organization, rules, constitution and by-laws, press and 
 resolutions. The committee on credentials reported B. of L. E., 
 32 delegates; 0. R. C, 40; B. of L. F., 29; B. of R. T., 21; 0. R. 
 T., 12 ; several grand officers and visitors from other States. 
 
 The committee on permanent organization made a report fa- 
 voring the organization of a co-operative Legislative Board pro- 
 viding each organization should be allowed to determine for itself 
 who were to represent it on said Board. After considerable dis- 
 cussion, which showed there was a strong sentiment in favor 
 of co-operation for legislative work, the report was adopted. 
 
 On behalf of the committee on constitution and by-laws, the 
 writer reported a complete set of rules for the government of 
 "The Railroad Employes' Co-operative Legislative Board of 
 Texas," and after some debate and explanations they were 
 adopted. Rule 2 of this report read "That each organization 
 shall elect its legislative board in accordance with the provisions, 
 of their respective constitutions." The B. of L. E. was the only 
 organization represented having a legislative board so elected, 
 hence time had to be given all of the others to comply with the 
 law and legally elect their boards. The question of holding an- 
 other union meeting was left to a vote of the lodges and divisions 
 in the State, they to report the result of the ballot to the B. of 
 L. E. legislative board, who were requested to take charge of 
 the matter and call a meeting if the vote favored it. The meet- 
 ing adjourned with much enthusiasm, assurances being given 
 that every organization would be found ready with a legally 
 elected board at the next meeting. Alas, "the best laid plans bf 
 mice and men aft gang aglee," these assurances were not kept 
 
24 
 
 and the system of eo-operation agreed on at Port Worth was 
 never put in effect. 
 
 In compliance with instructions given it, is stated above, the 
 B. of L. E. legislative hoard, after canvassing the returns from 
 the lodges and divisions and finding the majority favored another 
 union meeting, issued a call for a meeting to be held in San An- 
 tonio, September 8, 9 and 10, 1896. This meeting was well at- 
 tended by representatives of all the railway organizations and 
 .their grand officers, numerically and socially it was a grand suc- 
 cess, but in so far as accomplishing the purpose for which it was 
 called, the organization of a co-operative legislative board, it 
 proved a sad disappointment inasmuch as the conductors, brake- 
 men and firemen had failed to organize legislative boards and 
 nothing could be done. After adopting resolutions declaring that 
 a necessity existed for united action by the railroad employes of 
 Texas on legislative matters and urging the different organiza- 
 tions to elect legislative boards as soon as possible, the meeting 
 adjourned. 
 
 The B. of L. E. Legislative Board held its fifth biennial ses- 
 sion in San Antonio, September 7, 1896, one day in advance of 
 the union meeting and elected J. W. Hopper of Division 177, 
 Denison, Chairman, C. B. Ketchum of Division 219, Marshall, 
 Secretary, with instructions to represent the board at Austin. 
 They were given no instructions regarding legislation. Hop- 
 per was a mistake; he ran the board in debt and made no re- 
 port to the divisions during his term of office. After this com- 
 mittee had been in Austin for more than a month and had pre- 
 pared and introduced several^ bills, among them a Fellow Servant 
 Bill to take the place of the law passed in 1893, which had been 
 somewhat roughly handled by the courts, Mr. E. P. Curtis pre- 
 sented himself as the legislative representative of the 0. E. C, 
 which organization had just formed a legislative board. After 
 a discussion of the situation it was decided that the work could 
 be carried on just as well and with less expense if one of the en- 
 gineers was sent home. Ketchum went home. From Curtis' 
 report, which will be quoted under the heading of the 0. R. C. 
 Legislative Board, we learn what was done by himself' and Hop- 
 per at the Twenty-fifth Legislature. 
 
 The sixth biennial session of the B. of L. E. Legislative Board 
 was held in Houston, September 22-23, 1898, at which sixteen di- 
 
25 
 
 visions were represented. C. C. Walker of Division 500, Cle- 
 burne, was elected Chairman and the writer, T. P. 'Rourke, was 
 elected Secretary-Treasurer, to which position he has been re- 
 elected each succeeding session and still holds the. office. It wajs 
 decided to have the Chairman alone represent the board at Aus- 
 tin and he was instructed to act in accord with the representatives 
 of other organizations of employes in the train service when the 
 interests were mutual. A new and better business system was 
 adopted, the Chairman was required to make monthly reports to 
 the Secretaiy-Treasurer whose duty it is, prescribed by the con- 
 stitution of the B. of L. B., to issue a report to the divisions. We 
 have had no trouble since then about reports or finances, the close 
 of each term showing a substantial surplus in the Board's 
 treasury. 
 
 C. C. Walker was given no instructions about legislation, but 
 on his arrival in Austin he, in conjunction with Mr. B. P. Curtis, 
 legislative representative of the 0. -R. C, prepared and had in- 
 troduced into the House and Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legisla- 
 ture an Anti-Blacklist Bill, a Qualification Bill for conductors 
 and engineers, and an Interlocking Railroad Crossings Bill, none 
 of which were passed. They jointly opposed and helped defeat 
 a bill that would have been detrimental to beneficiary insurance 
 associations and an amendment to the Fellow Servant law that 
 would render it worthless to railway employes. Representative 
 Staples of Bastrop presented .a" bill, which passed both Houses, 
 legalizing trade unions and making it clear that the Anti-Trust 
 law passed at this session did not apply to trade unions, which 
 was earnestly supported by Walker and Curtis. It is still a dis- 
 puted question as to whether this law was repealed by the Anti- 
 Trust law enacted by the Twenty-eighth Legislature, a more 
 ample account of which will be given later. 
 
 Org.anized Labor representatives did not get much from the 
 Twenty-sixth Legislature for which C. C. Walker gives as a 
 reason in his report: "It is a well known fact that our Leg- 
 islatures are composed of men inexperienced in railroading, who 
 have no idea of the needs of railroad employes, and when we ex- 
 plain to them what we want and ought to have and partly gain 
 their consent to ^support our measures, we are then confronted 
 by the corporation lobby with plenty of money in hand, if nec- 
 essary, to defeat us. " One potent argument used by the corpora- 
 
26 
 
 tion lobby is the free distribution of railroad passes and telegraph 
 and telephone franks. They come here prepared, financially to 
 win and it is a common thing to see theater parties composed of 
 the members of both Houses chaperoned by corporation attorneys, 
 banquets and suppers given by the same parties and a nightly oc- 
 currence to see them treating with lavish freedom in the four or 
 five prominent saloons of the city. ' ' 
 
 Governor Joseph D. Sayers called a special session of the 
 Twenty-sixth Legislature to convene on January 23, 1900, and, 
 at the request of the labor representatives backed by numerous 
 petitions from train service employes, submitted to the Legisla- 
 ture the proposition of prohibiting the running of double head- 
 ers. Perhaps a brief account of this double header matter may 
 be of interest to those who are not familiar with it. 
 
 THE DOUBLE HEADER CONTROVERSY. 
 
 In 1898 and 1899 several railroads in the State, notably the 
 Fort Worth and Denver, the Southern Pacific, the Gulf, Colorado 
 and Santa Fe, and others, hiade a practice of running their en- 
 gines in freight service tandem, or ' ' double header, ' ' that is two 
 or more engines coupled together pulling one train. This en- 
 abled them to dispense with a number of train crews, conductors 
 and brakemen. The practice was very unpopular with all of 
 the train service employes, not alone because it increased their 
 labor without adding to their compensation and caused much 
 "rawhiding" they would not otherwise have to contend with, 
 but it increased the risks also. The train service employes on 
 the G., C. & S. F. R. R. had an agreement with that company 
 limiting and conditioning the running of double headers and the 
 general superintendent issued a bulletin notifying them that 
 the agreement would be abrogated October 12, 1899. He at once 
 began running double headers indiscriminately. The employes 
 protested and the boards of adjustment of the B. L. E., 0. R. C, 
 B. L. F. and B. R. T. jointly waited on the management, asking 
 to have the agreement restored and the practice stoppe(J. Their 
 request was not granted and the practice continued. The boards 
 of adjustment then issued a joint circular to all lodges and divis- 
 ions in the State requesting them to petition the Governor to em- 
 body in his call for a special session of the Legislature the enact- 
 
27 
 
 merit of a law to prohibit the running of double headers. C. C. 
 Walker was Chairman of the B. L. E. board of adjustment on the 
 G., C. & S. F. R. R. and, acting for the employes, he wrote the 
 Governor about the matter and received a written promise that it 
 would be submitted. Meantime E. P. Curtis having personally in- 
 terviewed the Governor and learning his intentions, SL'nt circular 
 letters to all lodges of the B. of L. F. and B. of R. T. in the State 
 urging them to organize legislative boards at once and to meet 
 with the 0. R. C. and B. L. E. boards in Austin, January 21, 
 
 1900, to take up the double 
 header question. In re- 
 sponse to this circular let- 
 ter seventeen delegates rep- 
 resenting B. of R. T. lodges 
 met, organized a legislative 
 board and selected a commit- 
 tee of three, consisting of 
 Wm. MeClary, Chairman, 
 James A. Lawson, Secretary 
 and Perry Collier to repre- 
 sent them at the eapitol. 
 Geo. L. Wilson and J. J. 
 Cassidy were present to rep- 
 resent the B. of Ij. F. on 
 the G., C. & S. P. R. R., 
 no State Legislative Board 
 being organized by that or- 
 der. At a joint meeting held 
 it was agreed to act united- 
 ly. A call was made on the 
 Governor ; attorneys were 
 consulte 1 and a bill prepared embodying the ideas of the 
 boards, which was introduced into the Senate by Senators 
 Lewis of San Antonio and Odell of Cleburne, and in the House 
 by Representative Smith of Sherman and others. Following a 
 spirited contest the Senate set aside the original bill and passed 
 a substitute giving the State Railway Commission power to in- 
 vestigate and prohibit the running of doiible headers if in their 
 judgment it was shown to be necessary ; the House accepted this 
 ■ substitute which was signed by the Governor and is now the law. 
 
 O. D. KINSLEY 
 
 Fir.st Chairman B. of L. F. and E. Legis 
 
 lative Board. 
 
28 
 
 This law carries a proviso that railway employes shall not be 
 held to assume the risk of death or injury when engaged in the 
 operation of trains propelled by two or more engines, which is its 
 only redeeming feature and has resulted in minimizing the prac- 
 tice to almost nil. One good result was that the interest created 
 brought the B. of R. T. and B, of L. P. into the legislative move- 
 ment to stay. 
 
 In compliance with the provisions of this law eighteen engin- 
 eers employed on the G., C. & S. F. R. R. joined in a petition to 
 the Railway Commission complaining against the practice of 
 double heading engines as extra hazardous and asking for an 
 order to prohibit its further continuance. The Commission re- 
 ceived the complaint and notified all interested to appear before 
 it March 27, 1900. . The employes were represented by Grand 
 Chief Clark of the 0. R. C, Assistant Grand Chief Youngson of 
 the B. of L. E., Vice Grand Master Maeir of the 
 B. of L. F., chairmen of the legislative boards, repre- 
 sentatives of the men . in active service, and Attorneys 
 Hon. Tom Campbell, now Governor, Perry J. Lewis of San An- 
 tonio, D. W. OdeU, of Cleburne and Cecil Smith of Sherman. On 
 account of important business elsewhere which he could not neg- 
 lect. Grand Master Morrissey of the B. R. T. was prevented from 
 attending, his organization was represented by local committee- 
 men. At the hearing the employes ' attorneys submitted a njass of 
 affidavits and ex parte statements from employes and patrons ' 
 of the railroads tending to prove the practice of double heading 
 dangerous, which were rejected because of the inability of cross- 
 examination. The railroad companies had a multitude of wit- 
 nesses, many of them actually engaged in train service and run- 
 ning double headers every day, who testified that there was no 
 extra danger attached to the practice, that in fact they felt safer 
 on, and preferred to run, double headers. The employes had very 
 few witnesses who were in active service, the men seemed afraid 
 to come forward and testify, each branch of the service holding 
 back and trying to push their neighbors to the front to face the 
 fire of the enemy's guns. It may be, too, that the committees 
 relied too much on the affidavits and statements and had not made 
 arrangements to get their men before the Commission to testify. 
 Anyhow they lost the case and it may be safely set down that it 
 was lost for want of evidence. The Railway Commission denied 
 
29 
 
 the order asked for and dismissed the case, giving as a reason that 
 "We find from the evidence that there is no more and perhaps 
 less danger to employes on trains propelled by more than one 
 locomotive than on trains propelled by a single engine." This 
 peculiar reasoning sounds like a sarcasm and may have been in- 
 tended for sarcasm. Note how the Commission says, "We find 
 from the evidence," etc. The preponderance of evidence really 
 leaned that way. To carry out this reasoning of the Commission 
 to its logical conclusion it would follow that if two engines les- 
 sened the danger as against one the num))er mig'ht be increased so 
 as to eliminate all danger, which is silly rot. 
 
 At the close of the hearing the employes' attorneys positively 
 refused to accept pay for their services and would not even allow 
 their expenses paid, declaring they had been performing a labor 
 of love. They should certainly be remembered with imdying 
 gratitude by the railway employes of Texas for this generous act. 
 
 Prior to the convening of the Twenty-seventh Legislature the 
 subdivisions of the B. L„ E. in the State instructed their legis- 
 lativfe board to have no more to do with the double header fight 
 for the reason that many of their members were losing their posi- 
 tions as a result of the railroad companies dispensing with the 
 small engines they had been using for double heading and replac- 
 ing them with large engines, each capable of doing the work of 
 two, and, in some instances, three of the smaller engines, thereby 
 throwing a number of engineers and firemen out of their jobs. 
 Following these instructions" the board remained neutral; the 
 fight was continued by the conductors, brakemen and firemen. 
 
 At the Democratic State Convention held in the late summer of 
 1900, E. P. Curtis, who was on the platform committee,-.had a 
 plank inserted in the platform demanding the passage of a law 
 absolutely prohibiting the running of double headers. The 
 Twenty-seventh Legislature ignored this platform demand and 
 refused to pass the bill submitted to it by the legislative boards. 
 The bill was again presented to the Twenty-eighth Legislature, 
 but met defeat and the matter rested. 
 
 C. C. Walker was re-elected Chairman of the B. of L. E. Legis- 
 lative Board at its seventh biennial session held in Fort Worth, 
 August 27-28, 1900. In consequence of protests received from 
 several divisions the board concluded to submit the question of 
 a further continuance of the fight on double headers to a vote 
 
30 
 
 of the membership' in the State, to be taken through the subdi- 
 visions. The result of this ballot negatived further action and 
 the Chairman was instructed to have nothing more to do with it. 
 Notwithstanding that no covenant or agreement existed between 
 the organizations at that time that all should pursue the same 
 policy or be in any way bound to defer to eslch other's wishes, 
 each acting entirely independent and on its own responsibility in 
 everything connected with what it considered for the benefit of 
 its own membars, nevertheless when Walker explained the at- 
 titude he was instructed to assume in the double header contro- 
 versy it proved a disappointment to the representatives of the 
 conductors,, brakemen and firemen. While they agreed to work 
 together in harmony on other proposed measures in which all 
 were interested, yet as the session of the Twenty-seventh Legis- 
 l&,ture advanced and the fight on the double header waxed warm 
 and finally became fiercely hot, harmony took flight, the other 
 representatives tried to force Walker into the fight and the re- 
 lations were strained to the breaking point. The corporation 
 lobby were quick to learn and take advantage of this situation 
 and hastened with devilish activity to widen the rupture. Lies 
 galore were put in circulation and the position of the organiza- 
 tions misrepresented to the Legislature several members of which 
 excused their failure to support or vote for labor measures on the 
 ground that as there was such a deplorable absence of agreement 
 between labor's representatives they could not make up their 
 -minds as to what labor really wanted and who voiead its legiti- 
 mate needs. 
 
 This experience should teach a valuable lesson and emphasizes 
 the necessity of labor presenting a united and harmonious front 
 to the Legislature and to the enemies of progress. 
 
 Whatever differences we may have, and as intelligent, reason- 
 ing human beings we are bound to have differences from time to 
 time, should be thrashed out and settled among ourselves away 
 from the precincts of the capitol and free from the observation 
 and mischievous intermeddling of our "friends, the enemy." 
 
 Walker again took up the three bills which failed to t)ass at 
 the Twenty-sixth Legislature,. namely: Anti-Blacklist Bill, Qual- 
 ification Bill for conductors and engineers. Interlocking Railroad 
 Crossings Bill, and a new bill to amend the Fellow Servant law 
 so as to. include all employes engaged on or about cars, loeomo- 
 
31 
 
 tives or trains or working on the track, bridges, yards or shops. 
 He supported a bill to prohibit the payment of wages in store 
 orders or merchandise script and a bill to protect laboring men 
 and trade unions. 
 
 Three of thes3 bills were passed, the Blacklist Bill, Interlock^ 
 ing Crossings Bill and that prohibiting the payment of wages in 
 script. He opposed two bills which, if passed as introduced 
 would seriously interfere with the conduct of beneficiary insur- 
 ance business in this State; both were defeated. 
 
 After the close of the Twenty-seventh Legislature, Walker 
 resigned as Chairman to accept the position of traveling engin- 
 eer on the G., C. & S. P. R. R. and the alternate Chairman, R. J. 
 McCool of Division 201, Tyler, assumed the duties of the ofSce. 
 McCool was elected Chairman at the eighth biennial convention 
 of the Board held at Temple, August 25-26, 1902, and he was in- 
 structed to work for the passage of bills providing for English 
 speaking night track walkers, electric headlights, derail switches, 
 switch lights and to make invalid all contracts conditioned on 
 employinent wherein the individual waives the right to sue for 
 personal injuries. The Chairman and Secretary were instructed, 
 to represent the Board at the convention of the State Federation 
 of Labor to be held at Houston, November, 1902, and try to in- 
 fluence that body to provide for a legislative board. Soon after 
 McCool 's arrival in Austin in 1903,, he became identified with 
 the Joint Labor Legislative Board and dropped all of his pro- 
 posed bills except the derail and switch lights bill 
 
 THE ORDER OP RAILWAY CONDUCTORS. 
 
 The Order of Railway Conductors in national convention, 1893, 
 enacted laws providing for the organization and maintenance of 
 State Legislative Boards and, though the matter had been agi- 
 tated and one or two attempts made, no, organization was effected 
 in Texas until February 17, 1897. In the winter of 1896 the 
 proposition to create a Legislative Board was submitted to a 
 vote of the Texas divisions and the majority favoring the prop- 
 osition the Grand Chief Conductor, E. E. Clark, on February 12, 
 1897, issued a call for a meeting of the elected delegates, in pur- 
 
32 
 
 suance of which a meeting was held on the first mentioned date 
 at Austin and the organization of a Legislative Board perfected. 
 Twelve divisions were represented* by delegates. A. L. West- 
 brook of Division 88, Ennis, was chosen permanent Chairman 
 and B. P. Curtis of Division 256, Smithville, Secretary. It was 
 unanimously decided to maintain a representative at the State 
 Capitol during the sessions of the Legislature, to remain there 
 the entile time of each session. B. P. Curtis was elected by ac- 
 clamation, legislative representative of the Board, and instructed 
 to work with the Engineers ' Committee in the interest of all 
 bills favorable to railway employes. 
 
 On consulting the Engineers' Committee, Mr. Curtis found 
 they had introduced a Fellow Servant Bill, which had already 
 passed the Senate and was pending in the House, and an Anti- 
 Blacklist Bill and together with them he drew up a Qualification 
 Bill for conductors and engineers, and a bill to protect working 
 men in the right of organization and the purposes thereof. 
 ^ Later Mr. Curtis sought to have a bill passed repealing the 
 law which required passengers boarding trains without tickets 
 to pay four cents a mile to conductors; in this he failed. 
 
 Not one of the bills presented by the engineers and conduct- 
 ors to the regular session of the Twenty-fifth Legislature passed. 
 Two bills beneficial to labor, approved and supported by Hopper 
 and Curtis, did pass. One was to extend the benefits of the me- 
 chanics' lien law to clerks, accountants, bookkeepers, artisans, 
 craftsmen, factory operatives, servants, quarrymen, farm hands 
 and common laborers. The other declared that the proceeds of 
 the sale of the homestead should' not be subject to garnishment 
 within six months after such sale. 
 
 The enactment of a competent Fellow Servant law being a 
 Democratic platform demand. Governor Charles A. Culberson, 
 having strongly recommended its passage in his message to the 
 regular session, again submitted it in a very forcible message to 
 the special session, which he called immediately after the ad- 
 journment of the regular session. 
 
 In the light of present day events and arguments made by 
 corporation attorneys seeking the repeal of the law enacted by 
 this special session extracts from the messages of Governor Cul- 
 berson furnished us by Curtis in his report, will prove interest- 
 ing. 
 
33 
 
 ' ' In addition to his desire to have the party pledges i-edeemed, ' ' 
 Curtis tells us "Governor Culberson was thoroughly convinced 
 of the injustice of the doctrine of fellow servants, and recom- 
 mended its entire abrogation." 
 
 In his message to the regular session the Governor said : 
 
 "More than half a century ago in South Carolina, a railroad 
 company, in order to relieve itself of responsibility for dam- 
 ages, suggested the doctrine of fellow-servants, and it was 
 adopted by the court. It has since become the recognized law 
 of the land except where 
 modified by 1 e g i s 1 a- 
 tion. Broadly put, it means 
 that a person engaged in 
 service cannot recover dam- 
 ages of his employer for per- 
 sonal injuries, nor his fam- 
 ily if death ensues, if the 
 injury resulted from the 
 negligence of a fellow-ser- 
 vant. Believed to be cruel 
 and merciless by many, iv 
 has been vigorously attack- 
 ed in this State, and, though 
 the court felt bound to fol- 
 low previous decisions, 
 Chief Justice Gaines thua 
 thoroughly exposed the in- 
 justice of the rule in an 
 opinion delivered in 1888." 
 
 The Governor quotes the 
 decision of the Chief Justice and continuing, says: "It is 
 not- clear from the opinion of the court in the Warner case, 
 but it seems that the Act of 1893, now in force and in- 
 corporated in the Revised Statutes would be improved and 
 would authorize the recovery of damages for negligence in 
 cases now denied if the legislative interpretation of the term 
 grade were omitted and the matter remitted to the courts. 
 But the settlement of the question should not 'be left to 
 a statutory definition of fellow servants. The real purpose 
 of the acts of the Legislature was to overturn the doctrine of 
 
 JAS. A. LAVi'SON 
 
 First (Jh airman B. of R. T. Legislative 
 Board, and Fir.st Chairman Joint Labor 
 Legislative Board of Texas. 
 
34 
 
 fellow servants. It is illogical; it is not grounded in any whole- 
 some public policy, and under it thousands of employes and their 
 families have been denied redress for personal injuries or death 
 resulting from corporate negligence. The true remedy, the one 
 which will afford the relief demanded, is to denounce and abro- 
 gate the doctrine by express law. It will also do justice to rail- 
 way employes to compel railroad companies to provide automatic 
 ear couplers on all trains, as is done by the Act of Congress, 
 approved March, 1893, applicable to interstate commerce, and 
 guard against accidents and injuries to brakemen in switching 
 by suitable appliances. ' ' 
 
 To the special session he said : "In my judgment, the doctrine 
 of fellow servants should be abrogated by express law, because 
 it is illogical, indefensible and unwise. * * * Opposition to this 
 policy in the Legislature seems to rest upon the propositions 
 that railway employes take the risk of the negligence of their 
 associates, and that to compel the companies to pay damages for 
 such injuries would increase railroad charges. Neither of these 
 contentions is sound. Persons who engage in the service of 
 ra,ilroad companies do not, for the wages contracted for, as 
 frequently insisted, assume the risk of negligence of their fel- 
 low servants. The business is extra hazardous, and their com- 
 pensation is based upon the services rendered and the peril of 
 the employment. It is a common argument of railway compa- 
 nies to insist that the modification or abolition of this doctrine 
 will authorize an increase in freight and passenger charges, be- 
 cause it will increase expenses. It is the familiar corporate 
 reasoning against taxation and other liability, audacious because 
 it involves a threat of retaliation and unsound because if pur- 
 sued to its logical conclusion it will result in absolute relief for 
 the corporations against either liability or taxation. If the 
 basis of this argument were true, legislators should not hesitate 
 to make the change if it be just to the large body of railway em- 
 ployes, regardless of such consequences. But it is untrue. Dam- 
 ages which are the result of negligence of railroad corporations 
 or their agents, are not legitimate operating expenses upon 
 which an increase in rates may be justly predicated, for tliat in 
 a measure would reward wrong doing. ' ' 
 
 Speaking of Governor Culberson in his report, Curtis says: 
 "The railway employes of Texas would be ungrateful indeed 
 
35 
 
 if they did noi appreciate the services rendered them by this 
 man. In him we have a friend at court, one who has the wel- 
 fare of labor at heart coupled with the ability to help us when 
 and where we most need a friend. Regardless of the powerful 
 influenca which was brought to bear on him on this question, he 
 boldly attacked the doctrine of fellow servants and insisted on 
 legislative action." In the United States Senate Charles A. 
 Culberson has continued to advocate and vote for labor meas- 
 ures. In and out of office he is our friend and should be grate- 
 fully remembered. 
 
 Of another good friend of labor, he says: "The efforts of 
 Senator Perry J. Lewis in the several Legislatures, of which he 
 was a member, to abrogate the doctrine of fellow servants by 
 statutory law, have been made known to you before. A true 
 typical southern gentleman and orator, a firm friend and an 
 able advocate, he has worked in harmony with the legislative 
 committees of railroad labor organizations for several years, and 
 to him in equial measure with Governor Culberson, is due the 
 credit for our present fellow servant law. ' ' 
 
 Running through the reports of the various legislative boards, 
 the writer finds record of Perry J. Lewis, during his entire ca- 
 reer as a member of several Legislatures, as a consistent friend 
 and champion of labor interests and the uncompromising foe of 
 every proposed measure presented by the enemies of organized 
 labor. 
 
 Curtis and Hopper remained in Austin during the special ses- 
 sion in the interest of their Fellow Servant bill and had the sat- 
 isfaction of seeing it passed by good substantial majorities in 
 both Houses. 
 
 Expressing his satisfaction after the passage of the bill Gov- 
 ernor Culberson said: "A Fellow Servant law has been enacted 
 which gives just protection to railway employes against corpo- 
 rate negligence." 
 
 Considering that all that has been said and written about this 
 inhuman doctrine of the fellow servant applies with equal 
 force to all classes of wage workers, as well as to railroad em- 
 ployes, the writer hopes the day is not far distant when this 
 musty relic of the past will be wiped out by proper legislation 
 and the way cleared for persons in every branch of industry 
 or labor to sue for the recovery of damages for personal injur- 
 
36 
 
 ies inflicted through the carelessness, want of skill or negligence 
 of a co-employe. It is his opinion that this could be done, in 
 Texas, without prejudice to the existing law, which benefits 
 railway employes only. The argument that an effort in that 
 direction might imperil the present law is not good for the rea- 
 son that no Legislature would now dare to take a backward step 
 on this issue. Besides the quality of justice can not be strained 
 to give this privilege to railway employes and deny it to other 
 classes of employes, as a matter of abstract justice it should be 
 extended alike to all. 
 
 The writer has no record of the proceedings of the second 
 biennial session of the 0. E. 0. legislative board, but has learned 
 from other sources that B. P. Curtis was re-elected legislative 
 representative with instructions to do all in his power to secure 
 the repeal of the four-cent train rate law. 
 
 At the State Capitol he met C. C. Walker, representing the 
 eiigineers' legislative board and they worked together during the 
 regular session of the Twenty-sixth Legislature. 
 
 In addition to the bills taken up jointly with Walker, viz. : 
 Anti-Blacklist bill; Qualification bill for conductors and engin; 
 eers; Interlocking Eailroad Crossings bill; Curtis had prepared 
 and introduced a biU to repeal the four-cent train rate law and 
 and a bill to provide for stationing of brakemen and flagmen on 
 passenger and freight trains, and to have one brakeman for 
 every twenty cars contained in each train. Not one of these 
 bills passed. 
 
 With Walker, Curtis succeeded in having a bill regulating 
 fraternal beneficiary insurance associations amended to exempt 
 the railroad organizations. At the request of Ed. A. Mosely,, 
 Secretary of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Curtis had 
 introduced a Safety Appliance bill, almost an exact copy of the 
 national law. It failed to pass. 
 
 The corporation lobby held the whip hand at the regular ses- 
 sion of the Twenty-sixth Legislature and were able to block 
 every move of the labor representatives. Curtis, too, had the 
 same experience in his work the engineers' representatives and 
 those of other organizations have met with and frequently com- 
 plained of and that is the open and secret opposition of members 
 of their organizations and the general apathy of the great ma- 
 jority. In his report he said : "As was the case two years ago 
 
37 
 
 in the Twenty-fifth Legislature with the Fellow Servant bill, 
 I met strong opposition from members of the order, and regret 
 to say was not supported as I should have been by divisions 
 whose location it seems to me enabled them to command the 
 situation with reference to their legislators. 
 
 My experience at two sessions of the Legislature is that too 
 many of our brothers cease to take interest the moment a legis- 
 lative committee is organized when, in my judgment, they should 
 redouble their efforts to push the machine along after it has 
 been set up and not expect it to move off like an automaton. 
 I trust that at the next session of the Legislature we will have 
 a federated legislative committee, thoroughly organized and 
 equipped, financially and otherwise, for the full and vigorous 
 prosecution of its work. ' ' 
 
 When the special session of the Twenty-sixth Legislature was 
 convened Curtis, who was salaried chairman of the 0. R. C. 
 board of adjustment on the M., K. & T. R. R., was in St. Louis 
 on grievance business and could not get away. Thad. Adams 
 of San Antonio acted in his stead and took an active part in all 
 that was done to secure the passage of the double header bill. 
 
 At the hearing of the double header case before the State Rail- 
 way Commission Curtis represented his organization. Curtis 
 was again elected legislative representative in 1901, but his 
 duties as Chairman of the M., K. & T. demanded so much of 
 his time that for a portion of the regular session of 
 the Twenty-seventh Legislature he could not be in Austin 
 and W. J. Wright of Tyler acted as alternate and worked 
 in conjunction with the representatives of other railway labor 
 organizations in support of the measures approved by them. We 
 have already told what these measures were and the action of 
 the Legislature. 
 
 In 1903 Ed. B. Willis of Denton was chosen legislative repre- 
 sentative and during his incumbency the Joint Board was 
 formed. He became affiliated with it and the record of his work 
 will be found in their report. 
 
 E. P. Curtis was elected legislative representative in 1905 and 
 made Chairman of the Joint Board. As Mr. Curtis has been 
 promoted in his organization and is no longer actively identified 
 with our legislative work, a few remarks about him as a man 
 may not be out of place. E. P. Curtis is a man of more than 
 
38 
 
 the average in ability, of fine appearance and gentlemanly- 
 address; he commands respect and attention. Earnest and en- 
 thusiastic in the cause of organized labor he was a potent factor 
 in the legislative movement bringing, by his tact and faculty 
 for gaining and holding the friendship of men in high official 
 position, powerful influences to support its measures. 
 
 From earliest manhood he has been connected with labor or- 
 ganizations, having been a member of the B. of L. F., B. of R. T., 
 and 0. R. C. successively, and has held many positions of trust 
 and usefulness in all of them. He served as chairman of the 
 0. R. C. board of adjustment on the M., K. & T. R. R. for twelve 
 years and was regularly salaried for six. Because of Mr. B. B. 
 Clark, Grrand Chief Conductor, resigning to accept a place on 
 the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the advancement of 
 Mr. Garretson to occupy the position of Grand Chief, B. P. 
 Curtis was appointed to the position of Grand Senior Con- 
 ductor of the 0. R. C. of America, September, 1906. At the 
 following convention he was elected to the same position and 
 still holds. He made the race for State Railroad Commissioner 
 in this State twice and, notwithstanding that he was not gener- 
 ally known outside of railway circles and was vigorously op- 
 posed by the railway corporations, he was defeated by a very 
 small margin. It was mainly through his efforts that the 0. 
 R. C. legislative board was organized and put in good working 
 order and we feel safe in designating him as its "Daddy." 
 
 THB BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD TRAINMEN. 
 
 The Grand Lodge of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen 
 in convention at Galesburg, 111., 1893, authorized the formation 
 of a legislative board in the State of Ohio, and at the following 
 convention, Boston, Mass., 1895, this idea was written into the 
 law and made general. 
 
 Following the union meeting at Port Worth in 1895, an at- 
 tempt was made to organize a legislative board in Texas, which 
 resulted in failure and again, after the San Antonio meeting in 
 1896, on the urgent recommendation of Grand Master P. H. 
 Morrissey, the effort was renewed but without success. 
 
39 
 
 J. A.' Lawson of Lodge 52, San Antonio, was an active and. en- 
 thusiastic factor in trying to get a legislative board organized 
 and, as stated in our account of the double header controversy, 
 had the satisfaction of seeing delegates from seventeen lodges 
 meet in Washington Fire Hall, Austin, January 23, 1900, and 
 perfect an organization. This meeting was eaUed to order by 
 E. S. Overshiser of Ennis, now Secretary 6f the Board. Per- 
 manent organization was effected by the election of William 
 McClary, of Cleburne, chairman ; James A. Lawson of San An- 
 tonio, Secretary, and Perry Collier of Houston, Treasurer. These 
 three officials were instructed to act as a legislative committee 
 and represent the board at the State Capitol during the special 
 session of the Twenty-sixth Legislature and endeavor, in co-op- 
 eration with the representatives of other railway organizations, 
 to have a law passed prohibiting the running of double headers. 
 We have already given the. result of their joint efforts. This 
 committee made a very intelligent report of its work and of the 
 progress of the Double Header bill in both Houses, giving the 
 vote of members at every stage of its progress. Commenting 
 on the defeat of the bill, their report says: "The railroads 
 were strongly represented at the special session of the Legisla- 
 ture, and wielded an influence we could not overcome." 
 
 Responding to a call issued by Grand Master P. H. Morrissey, 
 dated December 4, 1900, delegates from thirteen lodges met at 
 the Driskill Hotel, Austin, January 3, 1901, and organized the 
 second legislative board by electing James A. Lawson of San 
 Antonio, Chairman; J. C. McKenzie of Fort Worth, Secretary, 
 and Ed. H. Hanke of Smithville, Treasurer. These officials were 
 authorized to represent the board at the Capitol and instructed 
 to work for the passEige of a double header bill. This session dis- 
 cussed at length the advisability of forming a federated, or 
 joint legislative board and a motion prevailed to instruct the 
 legislative committee to confer with the representatives of sister 
 organizations and endeavor to form a joint board. The legis- 
 lative committee met the representatives of the 0. R. C, B. of 
 L. E., and B. of L. F., and after a thorough canvass of the sit- 
 uation it was agreed to act in concert on all measures approved 
 jointly, the engineers making an exception of the double header 
 bill. The measures taken up and their fate has been stated in 
 the preceding pages. 
 
40 
 
 After the close of the regular session of the Twenty-seventh 
 Legislature the committee reported : ' ' The Blacklist bill and 
 the Interlocking Eailroad Crossings bill was the only legisla- 
 tion enacted at this session affecting railway employes. The 
 Double Header bill was fought so vigorously by the railroad 
 lobby that the committee was necessarily compelled to neglect 
 other bills and devote all their time to supporting it. The rail- 
 road lobby was the most arrogant during the regular session of 
 any session of the Texas 
 Legislature and wielded an 
 influence we could not over- 
 come. ' ' 
 
 For the first time in Tex- 
 as this committee's report 
 contained a complete list ot 
 the Senators and Represen- 
 tatives composing the Twen- 
 ty-seventh Legislature with 
 their addresses, nativity, oc- 
 cupation, county or district 
 represented, together with a 
 synopsis of their legislative 
 records, showing their votes 
 and attitude on labor meas- 
 ures. This report was mod- 
 eled after a report issued by 
 the union labor legislative 
 boards of Colorado, popu- 
 larly known as "The Blue 
 Book," because of the color 
 of its cover, which was frequently used during campaigns to 
 check the effusive boasting of office seekers who attempted to pose 
 as friends of labor. This report of the B. of R. T. committee 
 created considerable interest and was used extensively in the 
 campaign of 1902 in which twenty-seven members of the Legis- 
 lature who sought re-election were defeated and some who ran 
 for other offices met the same fate. 
 
 The State legislative board being firmly established as a con- 
 tinuous body met in its third session at Austin, January, 1903, 
 and re-elected James A. Lawson Chairman and legislative rep- 
 
 C. M. RODGERS 
 Pioneer in Legislative Work in the 
 B. of L. F, and E, 
 
41 
 
 resentative. On the thirteenth of the same month the Joint Leg- 
 islative Board was formed and J. A. Lawson was elected its first 
 chairman, an honor conferred in recognition of his efforts to 
 formulate such a board and as a slight reward for his zeal in 
 the cause of organized labor. Lawson served his organization 
 faithfully and was untiring in his efiforts to secure legislation 
 tending to promote the best interests of wage earners. He was 
 afterward appointed Safety Appliance Inspector by the Inter- 
 state Commerce Commission and is serving in that capacity now. 
 
 THE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE FIREMEN AND 
 
 ENGINBMEN. 
 
 Although the Grand Lodge of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
 Firemen in national convention at Cincinnati, Ohio, September, 
 1892, adopted laws providing for the formation of State Legis- 
 lative Boards, it was not until the summer of 1900 that the Texas 
 lodges were able to muster the necessary two-thirds majority to 
 organize. Earnest efforts to organize had been made prior to 
 that time but without success. 
 
 After the adjournment of the union meeting at Fort "Worth in 
 1895, an attempt was made, and a few weeks after the union 
 meeting in San Antonio in 1896, while the Grand Lodge was 
 holding a convention at Galveston, the delegates from the Texas 
 lodges got together and organized a temporary legislative board,, 
 electing 0. L. Kinsley of Yoakum, Chairman. Mr. Kinsley 
 worked hard to organize a B. of L. F. legislative board from 
 the time the subject was first broached and to him and C. M. 
 Rodgers of Cleburne should be given the credit for its final ac- 
 complishment. The temporary organization effected at Galves- 
 ton had to be referred back to the Texas lodges "for ratification, 
 unfortunately it failed of the two-thirds majority and was dis- 
 solved. 
 
 Nothing more was done until 1899, when the double header 
 question became a burning issue. The firemen on the Gulf, Col- 
 orado and Santa Fe Railroad rather than see their organization 
 unrepresented at the State Capitol, raised a fund among them- 
 selves and sent Geo. L. Wilson of Cleburne to Austin to assist 
 
42 
 
 the representatives of sister organizations. Meantime C. M. 
 Eodgers, general chairman of the B. L.- F. Joint Protective Board 
 of the G., C. & S. P. R. E., asked authority from Grand. Master 
 Prank P. Sargent to organize a legislative board. The author- 
 ity was granted and the Grand Master notified the Texas lodges. 
 After a great deal of corresponding and personal solicitation 
 Mr. Eodgers was able to call a sufficient number of delegates 
 together at Port Worth in August, 1900, to organize a- legal 
 legislative board. Geo. L. Wilson of Lodge 449, Cleburne, was 
 elected Chairman and representative at Austin with instructions 
 to work for the passage of a law to absolutely prohibit the run- 
 ning of double headers.. Mr. Wilson took a very active and 
 prominent part in the double header fight, already reviewed, for 
 which he was subsequently dismissed from the service of the G., 
 C. & S. P. E. E., but through the able and persistent efforts of 
 C. M. Eodgers and the Joint Protective Board of that road, 
 was reinstated to the service. Wilson is the first recorded mar- 
 tyr of the legislative movement — the first to sacrifice his job for 
 too earnest activity on behalf of a measure intended to benefit 
 his co-workers. 
 
 The second biennial session of the Legislative Board was held 
 in Port Worth July, 1902, with sixteen delegates present. Jos. 
 S. Myers was elected Chairman and legislative representative, 
 a position to which he has had the honor to be re-elected each 
 succeeding session and stiU fills with credit to himself and to 
 the material benefit of his organization. 
 
 Among the important acts of this session were the adoption 
 of a plan providing for the organization of a joint board; the 
 adoption of resolutions asking for the enactment of a child labor 
 law, for an eight-hour law, commendiag the action of the State 
 Democratic convention in denouncing the Agricultural College 
 for furnishing its students to take the places of striking machin- 
 ists, instructing the Chairman to protect the Pellow Servant 
 law, and, if possible, to secure the passage of a law to prohibit 
 the running of double headers. 
 
 During Jos. S. Myers' first term the Joint Board was organ- 
 ized and he was elected its Secretary. He is a young man of 
 great promise, with a legally trained mind, thoroughly in earnest 
 in his efforts to serve the best interests of wage earners; well 
 balanced, neither too radical or conservative, but sane and safe. 
 
43 
 
 He has occupied the position of State Librarian the past two 
 years and resigned at the opening of the Thirty-first Legislature 
 to take up the work of the Joint Board. 
 
 THE STATE FEDERATION OP LABOR. 
 
 Experience having demonstrated the benefits to be derived 
 from legislative action and that the more organizations repre- 
 sented in the work the greater the influence and better the re- 
 sults, the railroad brotherhoods determined, if possible, to draw 
 aU organized labor in the State into the movement. At the close 
 of the Legislature, in 1901, a circular letter signed by E. P. 
 Curtis, C. C. Walker, James A. Lawson and Geo. Wilson, was 
 sent to all organizations in the State calling a union meeting in 
 Austin to discuss the proposition to form a co-operative legisla- 
 tive board. The meeting was held in July of the same year and 
 was. presided over by C. P. Goodridge of the 0. R. C, now Chair- 
 man of the Joint Board, with J. A. Lawson of the B. R. T., Sec- 
 i-etary. The Austin Trades Council provided the hall and its 
 members took an active part in the proceedings. The attend- 
 ance was not large, the unions outside of Austin sending very 
 few representatives. A thorough discussion of the proposition 
 was had and resolutions favoring a better understanding and 
 closer relationship between all branches of organized labor 
 adopted, and it was recommended that the labor press of the 
 State give more attention to legislative matters. 
 
 This meeting is noteworthy chiefly because it was the first of 
 its kind held in this State wherein the railway brotherhoods 
 and city crafts made a serious effort to get closer together. No 
 co-operative board was formed. 
 
 Acting on his own responsibility the writer attended the State 
 Federation of Labor Convention held in Waco January, 1902, 
 where he was cordially received and given the privilege of the 
 floor to explain his mission. He told of the legislative work 
 being carried on by the railway brotherhoods and that, from 
 time to time, while engaged in this work, they had taken up 
 and supported measures which did not affect theim; but which 
 might materially affect the welfare of wage earners in other 
 
44 
 
 fields of industry and that this could be done better, perhaps, 
 by committees representing the men directly interested. He 
 urged the formation of a legislative board, but nothing was done. 
 When he reported this visit to the B. of L. E. Legislative Board 
 convention in 1902, his action was approved and a motion pre- 
 vailed instructing the Chairman and Secretary of the Board to 
 attend the next convention of the State Federation on a similar 
 mission. Accordingly, the writer was on hand at the opening of 
 the convention in Houston, November 17, 1902 ; on the 18th R. J. 
 McCool arrived and on the 19th E. P. Curtis of the O. R. C, and 
 Jas. A. Lawson of the B. R. T. were present. We were given the 
 freedom of the floor during the entire session and, although some 
 confusion existed at first as to what we wanted, we explained it 
 away and had the satisfaction of witnessing the passage of a 
 resolution providing for the organization and maintenance of a 
 legislative board. P. N. Graves, Secretary of the State Federa- 
 tion of Labor, has furnished the writer with a very clear synop- 
 sis of the history of the organization and work of the Federa- 
 tion's legislative board, which he can not improve upon,, and 
 takes the liberty of quoting in full. 
 
 "Although the matter of activity in legislative work had been 
 frequently discussed, it was not until the Houston meeting in 
 1902, that a regular legislative committee was elected, with in- 
 structions to act in harmony and conjunction with the then ex- 
 isting boards of the railroad orders. This first legislative com- 
 mittee had as its Chairman, Tom Dee of Galveston, then pub- 
 lisher of the Galveston Labor Journal, now practicing dentistry 
 in Houston. Walton Peteet, J. C. Groldstein, F. N. Graves and 
 John R. Spencer formed the rest of the committee. On organ- 
 izing, the committee decided to send Walton Peteet as its rep- 
 reseiitative on the Joint Board, the chairman not being able to 
 neglect his publishing business for the length of time necessary. 
 At the next convention held in Fort Worth, 1903, Walton 
 Peteet was elected Chairman of the committee with F. N. Graves, 
 John McNeely, Jake Stine, Tom Dee forming the rest of the com- 
 mittee, and Mr. Peteet was again chosen as representative oil 
 the Joint Board. 
 
 The next convention, 1904, re-elected Peteet Chairman, with 
 P. W. Habel, Tom Dee, Jerry Deems, and John McNeely as 
 the committee. 
 
45 
 
 Denison convention, 1905, Peteet, Chairman, F. W. Habel, 
 G. E. Algaier, John McNeely, H. C. Fuller, Chairman to repre- 
 sent the Board. 
 
 Beaumont, 1906, Peteet, Chairman; C. Houghton, John R. 
 Spencer, Joe Amstead, W. C. Bollinger. 
 
 At the Austin convention, 1907, the same committee was re- 
 elected except J. W. Parks was substituted for C. Haughton, 
 who was not a delegate. 
 
 At the last convention, 1908, the present committee was 
 elected — P-eteet, Chairman; A. Harry, Galveston, Ed. Cunning- 
 ham of Bridgeport, Joe Amstead of Austin, J. W. Parks of 
 Dallas. 
 
 Mr. Peteet has been the representative of the committee on the 
 Joint Labor Legislative Board ever since the first formation of, 
 the committee, having been elected by acclamation in every in- 
 stance except the last time at Fort Worth, when he had opposi- 
 tion, but was elected by a good plurality. 
 
 The present membership of the Federation is about twelve 
 thousand, composed of every class of trade unionist from every 
 portion of the State. The Federation has sustained an almost 
 unprecedented growth, starting with only twelve unions repre- 
 sented at the first meeting in Cleburne, January 15, 1900, the 
 total membership of w"hich was probably 500. 
 
 The laws we have succeeded in obtaining have been in some 
 instances made practically inoperative through technical de- 
 fects and oversights of enactment, but the results gained are 
 of so magnificent a character that we are encouraged to go on 
 with the work in the same maner as heretofore, believing that 
 in this way we may eventually secure the sum total of the re- 
 sults we are striving for, which as I understand it and believe, 
 is merely the same recognition before the law for the working 
 man as that accorded the employer — "an even break and no 
 special favors asked." 
 
 The opening of the year 1903 found the four train service or- 
 ganizations and the State Federation of Labor's representatives 
 at Austin fully equipped and ready for business. Before going 
 into the record of their proceedings we will scan the field already 
 traversed and conclude this chapter with a few Comments on the 
 work accomplished and some experiences of the legislative 
 boards. 
 
4& 
 
 Glancing over the many measures proposed and passed, we 
 find the majority of them designed to apply to, or affect, rail- 
 way employes only, while a goodly number apply to those en- 
 gaged in train service alone. This was not the resvilt of selfish 
 indifference to the needs or welfare of other classes of labor, 
 but rather a condition that arose from circumstances. Natur- 
 ally, each legislative board, 
 acting independently, tried 
 to do the best it could for 
 those it represented and who 
 alone were bearing the ex- 
 pense of its maintenance, 
 yet, we find, whenever the 
 opportunity presented itself, 
 they did not hesitate to lend 
 a helping hand to others and 
 often supported measures 
 that scarcely touched rail- 
 way employes, but would 
 benefit workers in other in- 
 dustries. 
 
 The measures sought 
 might be collected under 
 three heads. First, those 
 intended to correct abuses 
 and prevent injustice and 
 discrimination ; second, those 
 intended to abrogate ancient 
 law doctrines, to remove le- 
 gal restrictions and court 
 regulations prejudicial to 
 labor and secure to em- 
 ployes the same rights and 
 privileges before the courts 
 enjoyed by other classes of 
 citizens; third, those of a protective or humanitarian character, 
 such as safety appliances, elevating th > standard of competency 
 of employes, and prohibiting dangerous practices which frequent- 
 ly result in killing and maiming them. And, while there may still 
 be, as there has been, differences of opinion regarding the wis- 
 
 WALTON PETEET 
 
 Fir.st Legislative Representative Texas 
 State Federation of Labor and Third 
 Chairman .Toint Labor Legislative Board. 
 
47 
 
 dom and expediency of some of these measures, we cannot 
 qustion the honesty or sincerity of the committeemen who advo- 
 cated them and must make allowance for the sentiment of the 
 men back of them whose experiences made them think such 
 maasures of great importance. 
 
 Perhaps some may think we should have given the text of all 
 measures proposed by the legislative boards so as to make them 
 intelligible to our readers, but when the nature of this work is 
 taken into consideration and that it is intended for distribution 
 among organized workingmen who are, generally, familiar with 
 every subject treated in it so that the mere title of a bill conveys 
 to them a pretty clear idea of its meaning, it will be readily seen 
 that such elaboration is not required. Were this little book in- 
 tended for th3 enlightenment of the public, it would be a differ- 
 ent matter and much that has been merely referred to should 
 receive more explanation. 
 
 - While pursuing their work the legislative boards had many 
 and varied experiences and their path was not always lined with 
 roses. They had troubles, plenty; disappointments and discour- 
 agements beset them on many occasions; they were made the 
 victims of deception by politicians: abused, threatened, bullied, 
 and, a time or two, persecuted by railroad officials and their at- 
 torneys, but the "unkindest cut of all" was the open and secret 
 opposition of members of their own organizations. All have 
 had this experience to a greater or lesser degree and we find it 
 complained of in all of the reports. It was first met with when 
 the original Fellow Servant law was pending in 1891, again in 
 1893 its evil influence was felt and when in 1897, the existing 
 law was before the Legislature these traitors were busy work- 
 ing for its defeat. When the double header fight was on they 
 were most numerous and "perniciously active," their evidence, 
 given before the State Railway Commission, furnishing grounds 
 for that body to deny the order prohibiting the practice. Be it 
 understood that this has reference to the men who go to the State 
 Capitol to lobby against bills proposed by the legislative boards 
 and to others who stay at home but write letters and send in 
 petitions inspired by their officials— that is, employing officials. 
 
 Some of these are influenced to violate their obligation and 
 work against their organization by promise or hope of reward in 
 the shape of promotion to official position in the service of thei^ 
 
48 
 
 employing company and are the most reprehensible, the Judas 
 Iscariots and Benedict Arnolds of the railway world. Others 
 are driven to do this dirty work by fear of the loss of their jobs 
 and are contemptible because they lack manhood. It might 
 be a good idea for the Joint Board to make a list of all such met 
 with at each future session of the Legislature so they may be 
 generally known and scorned and their names handed down 
 in history alongside of Iseariot and Arnold. 
 
 As has been mentioned, the white-winged angel of peace did 
 not at all times find a pleasant abiding place among the legisla- 
 tive representatives, the sombre shadow of discord taking its 
 place. While this was deplorable it was inevitable, made so by 
 lack of proper understanding and respect for each other's opin- 
 ions. However, as this discord proved to them the futility of 
 divided effort and hastened the formation of the Joint Board, 
 we can easily forgive them. 
 
 It would be far better to let the subject of contention, if it 
 can not be settled peaceably among themselves, rest in abeyance 
 until a more favorable occasion and, if that occasion never 
 comes, then let it rest forever, rather than endanger the perfect 
 unity and harmony that should exist between them and which 
 has been found so essential to success. 
 
 They ought to adopt the words of St. Augustine as their work- 
 ing motto: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in 
 all things, charity." 
 
 Summing up the work of the legislative boards from their 
 first feeble effort in 1889 to the formation of the Joint Board in 
 1903 and taking into consideration their triumphs, though few^ 
 their trials, tribulations and even their quarrels, the total of net 
 gain more than compensates for the expenditure of money and 
 effort and should cause all good union men to be grateful for 
 their existence. 
 
The Joint Labor Legislative Board. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Those who have closely followed the text of our story in the 
 preceding chapter will remember that the sentiment favoring 
 the creation of some sort of a co-operative legislative board first 
 found expression in the report of the B. L. E. legislative com- 
 mittee, Nelson and Sutton, in 1895. The union meeting at 
 Fort Worth the same year drafted plans and by-laws for a co- 
 operative board, and it was again discussed at the union meeting 
 in San Antonio, 1896. Subsequently the reports of the legis- 
 lative representatives contained appeals urging a closer work- 
 ing relationship between the different organizations engaged in 
 legislative work and the B. of L. P. and B. of R. T. legislative 
 boards in convention adopted plans for drawing all into closer 
 bonds of unity. The union meeting held in Austin in 1901, 
 adopted resolutions recommending it and, finally, when the State 
 Federation of Labor decided to elect a legislative board it gave 
 definite instructions for it to act in harmony with the representa- 
 tives of the railway brotherhoods. 
 
 The failure of the boards to get anything from the Twenty- 
 seventh Legislature was caused, principally, by friction and 
 quarreling among themselves and sincere friends of the labor 
 movement in both Houses advised them to cease their bicker- 
 ings and unite as a compact body working for a common pur- 
 pose or quit the field. They could never hope to accomplish 
 anything while working apart and at cross purposes and if they 
 wished to merit respect and receive consideration for the. meas- 
 ures they advanced they must work together in perfect har- 
 mony. 
 
 In consequence of all this the legislative representatives of 
 the five organizations, viz. : the 0. R. C, B. of L. E., B. of L. F., 
 B. of R. T., and State Federation of Labor, who were in Aus- 
 tin in January, 1903, on the assembling of the Twenty-eighth 
 Legislature, held a meeting and after thoroughly reviewing the 
 
50 
 
 situation agreed to form a joint board. They named it the 
 Joint Labor Legislative Board of Texas, elected James A. Law- 
 son of the B. R. T., Chairman ; Joseph S. Myers of the B. L. P., 
 Secretary; Ed. B. Willis of the 0. R. C, Treasurer and Walton 
 Peteet of the State Federation of Labor, Press Correspondent. 
 R. J. McCool of the B. of L. E. was the fifth member of the 
 Board. It was agreed that each member would abide the action 
 of the whole on all matters of legislative policy. The members 
 had numerous bills which had been referred to them by their 
 respective boards and it was considered best to drop most of 
 them and concentrate their 
 efforts on a few preferred 
 measures. The after results 
 justified the wisdom of this 
 policy as nearly every mea;^- 
 ure advanced by the Board 
 passed the Legislature. 
 
 After the adjournment of 
 the Twenty-eighth Legisla- 
 ture, the Joint Board issued 
 a report of the work accomp- 
 lished during the session 
 from which we extract the 
 following : 
 
 "The net result to labor 
 of the session just closed is 
 seven bills passed directly 
 benefiting us, two bills aim- 
 ed at labor killed in commit- 
 tee, and one measure believ- 
 ed to be inimical to our in- 
 terest (the so-called Anti-Trust law) passed. 
 
 Following are the measures championed by labor which passed 
 the Legislature : 
 
 Child Labor law. 
 
 Sixteen hours continuous service law. 
 
 Siding and Switch Light bill (vetoed.) 
 
 Law against coercion and blacklisting for refusal to trade at 
 company store or commissary. 
 
 Barber bill (vetoed.) 
 
 G. F. GOODRIDGE 
 
 Legislative Representative O. R. C, and 
 present Chairman .Joint Labor Legisla- 
 tive Board of Texas. 
 
51 
 
 Law requiring two outlets or openings to all underground 
 mines. 
 
 Street car vestibule law. 
 
 The measures successfully opposed were : 
 
 Bill requiring all persons suing for personal injuries to ex- 
 hibit his or her person as often as required by opposing counsel. 
 
 Constitutional amendment to repeal exemption of wages from 
 garnishment. ' ' 
 
 Calling attention to some of the labor measures passed at this 
 session the joint report says: 
 
 "The first labor measure passed was the child labor bill, and 
 if no other labor legislation had been secured at this session we 
 feel that our efforts would not have been in vain. It is just 
 cause for pride that organized labor of Texas made the cause of 
 the little children of Texas their own and while social, religious 
 and philanthropic societies were deploring the ' ' white slavery 
 in the cotton mills," it was left for the union men of the State 
 to sacrifice time, money and effort to secure the passage of a law 
 that would take the little children from the whirr and din and 
 dust and heat of the factory and restore them to the school and 
 the play ground. ' ' 
 
 Their report tells of the effort made by organizations of retail 
 merchants and butchers to amend that section of the Constitu- 
 tion exempting current wages from garnishment and states 
 that several large collecting agencies were behind them; that it 
 was admitted by one of its promoters this amendment was but 
 the forerunner of an amendment to change the homestead law, 
 and that "There is little room for doubting that if union labor 
 had not made the fight it did the amendment would have 
 passed. ' ' 
 
 The report criticises Governor S. W. T. Lanham for vetoing 
 the Siding and Switch Light bill and the Barber bill. In vetoing 
 the Switch Light bill Governor Lanham was undoubtedly misled 
 by the information furnished him by the State Railroad Com- 
 mission to whom he had referred the matter for investigation 
 and advisement. The Railroad Commission referred it to its 
 expert engineer, one R. G. Thompson, who made a report upon 
 which the Governor based his reasons for the veto. At the 
 Twenty-ninth session the Switch Light bill was passed and 
 
52 
 
 signed by Governor Lanham, who had learned, in the meantime 
 that he had been misled by the Thompson report. 
 
 The Governor's reasons for vetoing the Barber bill werfe that 
 it was unnecessary, paternalistic, interfered with the rights of 
 citizens to engage in a harmless occupation, that it discouraged 
 competition and concentrated extraordinary powers in the 
 hands of three men forming the examining board. 
 
 Of the so-called Anti-Trust law passed at this session the 
 report says: "In the opinion of many of the ablest lawyers in 
 the United States it vitally affects labor organizations. The lan- 
 guage used to define and declare illegal the capitalistic combina- 
 tions which are oppressing the people is so broad and compre- 
 hensive as to apply to labor unions, and then the penalties in- 
 tended to be imposed upon trusts are also imposed upon unions. 
 • * * Several able lawyers in both Houses are of the opinion 
 that the law will apply to us. In addition, we have the opinions 
 of half a score of the ablest lawyers in Texas, and the general 
 attorneys of the A. F. of L., the B. of L, E., the B. of L. F., the 
 0. R. C, and the B. of R. T., to the same effect. Its authors, 
 Messrs. Conally and Meachum and Attorney General Bell stout- 
 ly maintain thatfhe law docs not reach us, and this same claim 
 was made by many who voted against the amendments offered 
 by our friends in the House and Senate to make it clear we were 
 not included. * * * Our defeat is due solely to the strong ad- 
 ministration influence that was brought to bear on the mem- 
 bers. * * * There is not an intelligent man connected with 
 the administration who will deny the assertion that if the Gov- 
 ernor had kept his hands ofT this hill,it would have been amended 
 so as to make it clear that it does not apply to us. After the 
 bill passed, we made an effort to have Governor Lanham submit 
 to the special session the re-enactment of whatsis known as the 
 "Labor law of 1899." (This law of 1899 has been previously 
 mentioned in this history.) "This law was by implication re- 
 pealed by the Anti-Trust law just passed. Public meetings were 
 held throughout the State and coimtless petitions, resolutions and 
 letters were sent to the Governor asking him to submit this law 
 for re-enactment. The Governor said the law had not been re- 
 pealed. We named him the many able lawyers who said the law 
 had been repealed, and asked him to settle all doubt by permit- 
 
53 
 
 ting the Legislature to re-enact the law. But he declined to 
 do so." 'The status of these laws remaijis'the same to this date, 
 but so far no action has been taken-^rough the courts against 
 a labor organization. ' 
 
 At this session a bill regulating railroad telegraphing, prepared 
 at the instance of the Order of Railroad Telegraphers, was intro- 
 duced in the House but too late to get it up for a vote. The 
 telegraphers held a meeting in Austin and selected 0. E. Petty 
 to represent them during the remainder of the session. He 
 acted with, and was assisted by, the Joint Board. 
 
 Some recommendations of the Board are: 
 
 ' ' The work of the Joint Labor Legislative Board has con- 
 vinced us that unity of action in legislative matters on the part 
 of all labor bodies is absolutely essential to success. We there- 
 fore recommend that in the future all legislative representatives 
 be instructed to co-operate with other labor representatives in, 
 the organization of a Joint Labor Legislative Board and abide 
 the action of the Board on all matters affecting legislation. We 
 also recommend a more active participation by members of or- 
 ganized labor in local and State politics, giving special atten- 
 tion to the election and instruction of members of the House and 
 Senate. * * * In order to secure united and harmonious ac- 
 tion we strongly recommend that all organizations so change 
 their laws as to make it the duty of their legislative boards to 
 meet biennially on the third Monday in April at some central 
 point agreed upon by a majority of the legislative chairmen." 
 
 Their report further contained an exact copy of all bills 
 championed by the Joint Board, together with a synopsis of the 
 vote and attitude of every member of the House and Senate 
 on them. It contained, also, a tabulated list of Senators and 
 Representatives, showing district and county represented, and 
 the occupation of each. This form of report has been perma- 
 nently adopted and is found very convenient by the wage earn- 
 ers of the State as a handy reference during political campaigns. 
 
 Imagine not 0, gentle reader, that all of these laws secured 
 by the Joint Board were given for the asking. On the contrary 
 they were strenuously contested by the .corporation lawyers, who 
 formed a strong and influential lobby and had to be fought for 
 at every stage of their progress. In fact the same story of op- 
 position from the corporation lobby is handed out from every 
 
:ii?it'i^ 
 
 54 
 
 session since the first legislative board began its work. At some 
 sessions, dept-nding on the nature of the legislation asked for by 
 the representatives of labor, this opposition has been fierce, bit- 
 ter, vigorous; at other times it was milder and less militant but 
 it was alwaj's there and had to be met. The same old crowd 
 with the same old lies, bluffs, buncombe, banciuets, theatrical 
 parties, free excursions, free passes and other inducements has 
 been on hand at each session to more or less successfully hinder 
 and obstruct the passage of protective and humanitarian laws. 
 Were it not for them the 
 way would be smooth and 
 easy, but, because of them, 
 our friends in the House 
 and Senate, and, often in 
 the Governor's office, are 
 compelled to withstand a 
 strong negative influence 
 that would deny us the least 
 portion of beneficial legisla- 
 tion. 
 
 In a letter addressed to 
 the members of the Joint 
 Board, the Hon. Gayle Tal- 
 bot, representative from 
 Wise county, pays them the 
 following neat and deserved 
 compliment : 
 
 "As a member of the 
 Twenty-eighth Legislature 
 I desire to say a few words 
 in regard to the work done 
 by Messrs. Peteet, Willis, 
 Myers, Lawson, McCool and Petty as representatives of 
 organized labor during the present session of this body. Almost 
 every measure advocated by these gentlemen has become a law 
 for the reason that the merits of each have been placed before 
 the House in such a manner as to appeal straight to the fair- 
 ness and good judgment of our membership. Always alert and 
 earnest, yet discreet and courteous, the representatives of labor 
 have won the respect and confidence of all with whom thev came 
 
 F. N. GRAVES 
 Legislative Committee Texas 
 and present 
 Legislative 
 
 Cliairman 
 
 State Federation of Labor 
 
 Vice-Chairman Joint Labor 
 
 Board. 
 
55 
 
 in contact, and it has been both pleasant and profitable to con- 
 sult them on questions concerning the welfare of the laborers 
 of our State. A more intelligent, conservative and effective set 
 of gentlemen could not have been selected to fill the trying posi- 
 tion in which these men have been placed." 
 
 FIRST JOINT CONVENTION. 
 
 Acting on the recommendation of the Joint Board the legis- 
 lative representatives of the different organizations affiliated 
 with it, by correspondence with the local lodges and divisions, 
 arranged to have all of the legislative boards hold 'their regular 
 biennial conventions in Fort Worth at the same time, April 4, 
 1904. Each board met separately, elected its officers, attended 
 to its internal affairs, agreed on the bills it desired to have en- 
 acted and then, on the 6th, they all met in a joint convention. 
 
 Participating in this joint convention were the entire legis- 
 lative boards of the B. L. E., 0. R. C, B. L. F., B. R. T., 0. R. 
 T., and State Federation of Labor. "Walton Peteet of the Fed- 
 eration of Labor was elected Chairman, and 0. E. Petty of the 
 0. R. T., Secretary. The action of the legislative representa- 
 tives in forming the Joint Labor Legislative Board was approved 
 and the Board highly commended ,for the excellent record it 
 had made. After a thorough and complete discussion of what 
 the system of operation and general policy of the Joint Board 
 should be, the following resolutions were adopted : 
 
 ' ' That it is the sense of this meeting that a Joint Labor Leg- 
 islative Board be organized on a plan similar to the one formed 
 during the Twenty-eighth Legislature and that the legislative 
 representatives of the different organizations here represented 
 be instructed to abide the action of a majority of said Joint 
 Board on all matters perf'aining to the passage of bills en- 
 dorsed and referred by this meeting. 
 
 "That the Joint Board, to be organized, be instructed to as- 
 certain by correspondence, personal inquiry, and, otherwise, the 
 attitude of candidates, for the Legislature in as many counties 
 and districts as possible, communicate such information to the 
 working people in such communities for their guidance and, 
 generally, to be active and diligait in securing the election of 
 men who are fair and just to labor, the expense of gathering 
 
56 
 
 and disseminating such information to be shared equally by the 
 organizations here represented. 
 
 "The the Joint Board be instructed to confer with the offi- 
 cers of the Farmers' Union of Texas to the end of securing 
 their assistance and co-operation in carrying out our legislative 
 program. ' ' 
 
 Kesolutions were also adopted thanking the friends of organ- 
 ized labor in the Legislature and expressing the hope that our 
 appeals would be always such as to merit the approbation and 
 support of all honest legislators. Thanking the Hon. Chris. 
 Callan, representative from Bexar county and member of the 
 Typographical Union, for earnest and unceasing effort while a 
 member of the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Legislatures, 
 in behalf of measures calculated to benefit the wage earners of 
 the State. 
 
 A motion prevailed urging the delegates to become active and 
 diligent in their home districts, in securing the election of men 
 to legislative positions who were friendly to organized labor. 
 
 In order that the energies of the Joint Board might not be 
 dissipated in the pursuit of a multitude of measures it was con- 
 sidered wisest and safest to concentrate on a few preferential 
 bills, accordingly each organization was requested to present to 
 the convention for endorsement one measure to which it desired 
 to give preference. In compliance therewith the engineers pre- 
 sented the Derail and Switch Light bill; the conductors pre- 
 sented the bill to abolish the doctrine of Assumed Eisk; the 
 firemen presented the bill to create the office of Labor Commis- 
 sioner; the trainmen presented the Full Crew bill; the telegra- 
 phers a bill to create a State Board of Examiners for railroad 
 telegraphers ; the Federation of Labor presented the Compulsory 
 Education biU, all of which were approved and referred to the 
 Joint Board. 
 
 Immediately after the adjournment of the convention the 
 newly elected legislative representatives of the different legis- 
 lative boards met and organized the Joint Board with the fol- 
 lowing officers and members: E. P. Curtis, 0. R. C., Chair- 
 man ; Joseph S. Myers, B. of L. F., Viee-CKairman ; O. JE. Petty, 
 0. R. T., Secretary; C. D. Johnson, B. L. E., Treasurer; Wal- 
 ton Peteet, Federation of Labor; H. G. Wagner, B. R. T. It 
 was agreed to have another meeting of the Joint Board at Aus-- 
 
57 
 
 tin, in May, when a plan of campaign would be outlined and the 
 part the Board was to take in the coming primary elections de- 
 cided upon. This meeting was held May 20, 1904, with the full 
 Board present. A synopsis of the preferred legislation desired 
 was prepared and printed in the form of a circular letter; after 
 the brief explanation of each proposed bill a space was left for 
 candidates to state what their sentiments were in regard to it 
 and at the bottom a space for the candidate's signature. A sup- 
 ply of these circulars was printed and furnished to the local 
 lodges, divisions and unions to be submitted by them to the 
 candidates for legislative offices to fill out. In localities where 
 there were no lodges or unions, members of the Joint Board 
 mailed these circulars to the candidates. As a result of this 
 method a large number of the members . of the Twenty-ninth 
 Legislature went to Austin pledged to support our measures. 
 ■ Speaking of this feature of its work the Joint Board in its re- 
 port says: 
 
 "We can not too strongly emphasize the importance of this 
 branch of our work and we hope to have even more enthusiastic 
 and intelligent co-operation of our members next year." 
 
 TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE. 
 
 The Twenty-ninth Legislature convened January 10, 1905, 
 and aU members of the Joint Board were in attendance except 
 0. E. Petty of the 0. R. T., his organization being unable to 
 stand the financial strain of maintaining a representative on the 
 Joint Board, but did contribute its pro rata of the expenses of 
 the Board. The Board took charge of the telegraphers' bill and 
 tried to have it passed. H. G. Wagner of the B. R. T. was 
 elected Secretary of the Board to succeed 0. E. Petty. 
 
 At the close of the session the Board, in its report, gave the 
 following summary of the results of its work: 
 
 Laws enacted, 4. 
 
 Bill to relieve railroad employes from assuming the risk of 
 defective equipment and appliances. 
 
 Bill to require railroads to maintain signal lights on all main 
 line switches at night, and provide derail switches on all main 
 , line sidings on which cars are left standing. 
 
58 
 
 Bill making it unlawful to pay employes in cheeks or merchan- 
 dise script. 
 
 Bill taxing out of existence the " ten-per-eent-a-month " money 
 sharks who prey upon and blackmail workmen by means of as- 
 signment of future wages. 
 
 Measures successfully opposed, 5. 
 
 Bill to increase the i)oll tax. 
 
 Two so-called anti-conspiracy bills, the effect of which if 
 passed, would have been to make all labor unions unlawful. 
 
 A compulsory arbitration 
 bill fraught with grave dan- 
 ger to labor. 
 
 A stock report bill, which 
 would have been exceeding- 
 ly troublesome to locomotive 
 engineers. 
 
 Measures advocated which 
 failed to pass: 
 
 Telegraphers' bill. 
 
 Compulsory school attend- 
 ance bill. 
 
 Mine bill. 
 
 Experience bill, relating 
 to railway employes. 
 
 Full Crew bill, relating to 
 railway service. 
 
 On the whole the Joint 
 Board feels well satisfied 
 with the results of this ses- 
 sion's work. Every one of the laws passed are of great im- 
 portance to the laboring men of Texas. The assumed risk bill 
 alone would be ample compensation for all time, effort and ex- 
 pense of our work this year. 
 
 Representatives of associations hostile to union labor were in 
 evidence about the capitol several times during the session and 
 sought the passage of so-called anti-conspiracy laws, the effect 
 of which would have been to make labor unions unlawful. The 
 efforts of these enemies of labor were, however, successfully 
 checkmated. There is no room for doubt that had it not been for 
 the presence of the Joint Board in Austin more determined ef- , 
 
 H. G. WAGNER 
 Present Chairman B. of R. T. Legislative 
 Board and Secretary Joint Labor Legis- 
 lative Board. 
 
59 
 
 forts would have been made to slip through the Legislature laws 
 inimical to the welfare of labor. 
 
 "The phenomenal growth of the Farmers' Union of Texas and 
 its potent influence in legislation is known to all who keep abreast 
 of the times. This organization steinds, like the labor unions,, 
 for clean politics, good laws and against corporation and 
 money rule. We are under many obligations to them for valu- 
 able assistance renderd in our work. ' ' 
 
 Considering the friendly attitude of the Twenty-ninth Legis- 
 lature some might wonder why so many of the preferred meas- 
 ures of the Joint Board failed of passage. This can be explain- 
 ed by an unfortunate circumstance that occured while these 
 measures were still pending. 
 
 "We will let the Joint Board's report tell the story: 
 
 "The Board is called iipon to chronicle one unfortunate in- 
 cident of the session affecting our general welfare. The Farm- 
 ers' Union petitioned the Eailroad Commission to reduce the 
 freight rate on cotton. The corporate interests of the State 
 were alarmed over the action of the State convention of the 
 Farmers' Union in sending representatives to Austin to guard 
 their interests and instructing them to aid us wherever possi- 
 ble. The cotton rate hearing came just at the time when the 
 corporation-dominated newspapers were hysterically trying to 
 provoke antagonism between the Farmers' Union and the La- 
 bor Unions. 
 
 "At this juncture several railroad companies sent out nu- 
 merous letters and telegrams offering to p#- the wages and 
 expenses of employes in train service to get signatures to 
 petitions opposing the cotton rate reduction and come to Aus- 
 tin and protest in person. The argument advanced by the 
 companies was ' that the reduction of the cotton rate would 
 endanger the wage scale of their employes. 
 
 "A number of divisions took such action and many employ- 
 ees signed petitions. This gave the corporation press and 
 labor's enemies over the State the opportunity to proclaim a 
 'breach between the Farmers and the Union men.' Every- 
 thing possible was done by our enemies to make capital out of 
 this incident and to use it to hamper and cripple our legisla- 
 tive work. The legislative representatives of the railway 
 brotherhoods on the Joint Board strongly advised their or- 
 
60 
 
 ganizations against taking such action and we are unani- 
 mously of this opinion still. At the very moment when those 
 railroad employes were here aiding the railroad companies, 
 the latter were exhausting every resource at their command to 
 defeat pending legislation asked by, and for the protection of 
 their employes." 
 
 Quite a number of the members of the Legislature were 
 from the rural districts and in full sympathy with the Farm- 
 ers' Union. They were friendly to the labor unions, too, until 
 the date set for the cotton rate hearing, when a mob of railway 
 employes appeared toi protest against the reduction asked for 
 by the farmers. After that date not a single measure of or- 
 ganized labor was passed. 
 
 Strange how men supposed to be intelligent and loyal to the 
 principles of the organizations to which they belong can be 
 buncoed in that fashion. " 'Twas ever thus," — and ever will 
 be. 'Tis said "a sucker is born every minute;" considering 
 how easy the great mass of railway employes can be influenced 
 to do foolish things one might imagine that all these "suckers" 
 enter railroad service when they attain manhood. 
 
 Closing its report the Joint Board says: 
 
 "In conclusion, a word about the Joint Board. At the close 
 of the second session of the Legislature since its establishment 
 we can justly point with pride to the result of its work. More 
 laws for the protection of labor have been passed than ever 
 before in a like period, and during that time no legislation 
 hostile to our inflrests has been enacted, with the possible 
 exception of the Anti-trust law, and the effect of that is still 
 a disputed question. Realizing all this, we appeal to our mem- 
 bership to still further strengthen and support the Joint Board 
 in the future, for nothing would please our enemies so much as 
 to bring about its dissolution." 
 
 At this session the railroad attorneys and lobbyists were 
 particularly active in their opposition to the Joint Board, one 
 of whose members declared: "that never in the history of the 
 Texas Legislature had a legislative board been fought so hard 
 by the railroad companies." 
 
61 
 
 SECOND JOINT CONVENTION. 
 
 The second biennial joint convention of all the State legis- 
 lative boards was held in Houston, April 12, 1906, the B. L. E., 
 0. R. C, B. L. F., B. R. T. and State Federation of Labor being 
 fully represented 
 
 Walton Peteet was elected Chairman and H. G. Wagner, Sec- 
 retary. The B. L. E. presented the Electric Headlight biU as 
 its preferred measure; the B. L. F. presented Labor Commis- 
 sion bill; the B. R. T the FuU Crew bill; the 0. R. C. the 
 Contract of Employment bill ; the Federation of Labor presented 
 the Mine bill. 
 
 A resolution was adopted thanking C. A. Graham of the 0. 
 R. R. C, J. T. Ward of the B. L. F., J. J. Elliott of the B. R. 
 T., C. Callan and A. S. Crisp of the Typographical Union, who 
 were members of the Twenty-ninth Legislature for valuable 
 service to the cause of labor and great assistance rendered the 
 Joint Board. 
 
 The resolutions adopted at the Ft. Worth, 1904, convention 
 were re-enacted and, in addition, the following, — all of which 
 are still in force haviug been re-enacted by the Joint Conven- 
 tion at Ft. Worth, April 17, 1908 : 
 
 "Resolved, That we extend to the Joint Labor Legislative 
 Board a hearty vote of thanks for able and efficient services. 
 That we endorse and approve of its official acts. That we 
 earnestly approve of its policy to steer clear of corporate in- 
 fluence and all entangling alliances that might impair its 
 usefulness, and confining its activities to labor interests alone. 
 We wish the same wise policy continued and trust that no mem- 
 ber of any of the organizations here represented wiU, at any 
 time, lend himself to our opponents in any effort to hinder its 
 work or create discord." 
 
 At the suggestion of the delegates who thought the matter 
 of hours of rest for railway employes in train service could 
 be adjusted through the General Managers' Association of 
 Texas, the Joint Board was instructed to arrange a conference 
 with the managers and try to persuade them to agree to settle 
 the question by contract with their employes, but failing to 
 secure such an agreement they were to have a bill drafted 
 
62 
 
 and presented to the Legislature amending the Sixteen-Hour 
 law. 
 
 On the evening of April 14 the Joint Board met and organ- 
 ized with the following officers and members : Walton Peteet, 
 Texas Federation of Labor, Chairman; C. F. Goodridge, 0. R. 
 C, Vice-Chairman ; H. G. Wagner, B. R. T., Secretary; C. D. 
 Johnson, B. L. E., Treasurer; Joseph S. Myers, B. L. F. & E. 
 Statistician. 
 
 Another meeting of the Board was held at Temple, April 29, 
 1906, for the purpose of pre- 
 paring circulars to be sub- 
 mitted to candidates and ar- 
 ranging to ta]w part in the 
 ensuing primary elections. 
 For the information of those 
 who may be interested in 
 the form of circular sent 
 out by the Board we give 
 the following sample: 
 
 "Dear Sir: The laboring 
 men of Texas will have pre- 
 sented to the next Legisla- 
 ture several measures for 
 the protection and safety of 
 the people. The undersign- 
 ed representatives of labor 
 organizations in the district 
 desire to obtain from you 
 an expression of opinion on 
 these measures, and learn 
 what your attitude will be 
 towards them if elected. 
 
 , , .,, .,. „ ,, Chairman B. ot L. E. Legislative Board 
 
 A bill providing for the and Treasurer of Joint Labor Legislative 
 
 health and safety of persons 
 
 employed in and around mines, and requiring periodical inspec- 
 tion of mines to enforce compliance with the law. 
 
 A bill to provide for the safety of the public and employes 
 of railroads in Texas, by requiring all railroads to equip all 
 road locomotives running at night with electric headlights, or 
 
 C. D. JOHNSON. 
 
63 
 
 with headlights of equal candle power to electric headlights 
 now in use. 
 
 A bill to prohibit railroad companies from operating trains 
 with less than a sufficient crew to safely handle the same — 
 requiring one engineer, one fireman, one conductor and one 
 brakeman on all passenger trains, and two brakemen on all 
 freight trains, . and that all light engines running over the 
 road shall have- one engineer, one fireman and one conductor. 
 
 A law preventing corporations exacting private contracts 
 from employes on entering their service, limiting the liability 
 of such corporations by requiring notice to be given of claims 
 for damages within unreasonable limits, and pleading failure 
 of notice in bar of suit for damages. 
 
 A .bill creating the office of Labor Commissioner, whose 
 duty it shall be to collect and publish information relative to 
 labor, similar to laws now in force in a large majority of the 
 States of the Union. 
 
 Sign here , " 
 
 Later, in its report, the Joint Board says : 
 
 "A large supply of these questions was printed and copies 
 furnished to each organization represented by the Joint Board 
 to be by them presented to candidates for signature. It is 
 gratifying to note the increased interest taken by our members • 
 in this feature of our work, and to this is du« in large measure 
 our success in securing legislation this year, as we have only 
 one instance to record of a legislator repudiating his pledge — 
 the case of Senator Kellie of the Beaumont district, who in 
 writing promised his constituents before election to vote for 
 the Mine Bill, and when he got to the Senate did all in his 
 power to defeat it. 
 
 "The importance of questioning candidates before nomina- 
 tion cannot be too strongly emphasized. Labor is entitled 
 to know how candidates for the Legislature stand on labor 
 questions and this information cannot be gained in any other 
 way than by asking direct questions. The day when labor 
 can be satisfied with glittering generalities is past." 
 
64 
 
 DENIED AUDIENCE WITH GENERAL MANAGERS. 
 
 "Complying with instructions given it by the convention at 
 Houston, the Joi^t Board met at Waco, August 2, 1906, the same 
 day the General Managers' Association of Texas was scheduled 
 to meet. The Board met several of the Managers in the morn- 
 ing before they convened, informed them that the Board was 
 in Waco, what its mission was and where it could be found. 
 The Board waited patiently until 2 p. m., and having heard 
 nothing a special messenger was sent with a letter asking if 
 it was the intention of the Managers to meet the Board. In 
 a reply from the president of the General Managers' Asso- 
 ciation the Board was informed that the meeting of the Man- 
 agers had adjourned and the members left town; that con- 
 cerning the Hours of Rest Law all of the roads in Texas were 
 living up to it, and it did not occur to the Managers there 
 was any necessity for meeting the Board. Rather a cold re- 
 buff, we take it, which the Managers have had good cause to 
 regret since then, several of them expressing sorrow for the 
 incident. 
 
 Under the circumstances, there was no other course for the 
 Joint Board to pursue but to propose and have a measure 
 enacted by the Legislature, which was "done. 
 
 THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE. 
 
 In its report of the Thirtieth Session the Joint Board says of 
 its progress and influence: 
 
 "It is a pleasure to be able to report four years after the 
 Board was organized that the cause of labor has made a steady 
 advance, and that today we are recognized as a substantial 
 factor in legislation in Texas. By a wise and consistent policy 
 of concerning ourselves only in matters that affect us, and of 
 keeping free from all entangling alliances with special in- 
 terests that would use us for advancing selfish ends, we have 
 not only maintained but increased the respect of the. Legisla- 
 ture and the public. As the friends of labor in the Legislature 
 increase and the standing and influence of the Joint Board im- 
 proves the effort to draw us into personal and political alli- 
 ances that would ultimately destroy us also increases, and it 
 
65 
 
 is only by the exercise of sound judgment and a wise discre- 
 tion that we have been able to steer a straight course. ' ' 
 
 More laws beneficial to labor were passed by the Thirtieth 
 Legislature than at any previous session in the history of 
 Texas. 
 
 Th/ey were: 
 
 Mine Inspection Law. 
 
 FuU Train Crew Law. 
 
 Electric Headlight Law. 
 
 Anti-Blacklist Law. 
 
 Employes Contract Law. 
 
 Hours of Rest Law, for Train Service Employes. 
 
 Eight Hour Law for Railroad Telegraphers. 
 
 Barbers' License and Inspection 1/aw. 
 
 Submitting a Constitutional Amendment for the creation of 
 a Bureau of Labor. 
 
 Extension of benefits of Uniform Text-Books to cities above 
 10,000 population, which were exempt under previous law. 
 
 Amendments to Anti-Free Pass Law, exempting railroad em- 
 ployes. 
 
 A law limiting the granting of injunctions. 
 
 For the first time in the history of the legislative movement 
 the Joint Board was not required to oppose any measures hos- 
 tile to labor, for none such were introduced. This is not be- 
 cause the foes of labor lacked desire, but having obtained a 
 clear understanding of the sentiments of the Legislature and 
 the strength and influence of labpr's representatives, they 
 realized the hopelessness of any effort. 
 
 Early in the session the Board learned that a firm of Gal- 
 veston lawyers was attempting to raise a fund from the Em- 
 ploying Plumbers to be used in lobbying for a bill to destroy 
 the Plumbers' Union, and made such timely use of the infor- 
 mation that the attempt was abandoned. 
 
 It was mainly through the influence of the Joint Boaid that 
 the Uniform Text-Book Law was passed, as it was hoped work- 
 ing men dwelling in the larger cities would proflt by it through 
 cheaper books and less frequent changes. The Board sought 
 to have the law give preference to Texas made books, but 
 failed. 
 An Anti-Lobby Law was enacted at this session which makes- 
 
66 
 
 it a crime to seek to influence a member of the Legislature by 
 any other means than "appeals to his reason," and as the 
 Joint Board has never used any other "arguments," the law 
 does not affect them. , ....•.,'.. 
 
 Having secured the passage of all the preferred measures 
 referred to it by the Joint Convention, the Joint Board gave 
 its support to several meritorious measures pending in both 
 houses, which, unfortunately failed to pass and will come up 
 again later. These were a bill to abolish city poll tax, an 
 experience bill for railroad 
 employes, a bill to protect 
 dock workers handling de- 
 fectively baled cotton, to 
 prohibit discrimination by 
 bonding companies a n d 
 amending the- Mechanics ' 
 Lien Law. 
 
 A constitutional amend- 
 ment embodying the Initia- 
 tive and Referendum was in- 
 troduced and endorsed b> 
 the Board which failed to 
 pass. The bill to create a 
 Bureau of Labor was intro- 
 duced, but not pressed, and 
 the Board supported a bill 
 backed by the Farmers' 
 Union to submit a constitu- 
 tional amendment creating 
 a Department of Agricul- 
 ture and a Bureau of La- 
 bor, which passed. When 
 this amendment was submitted to the people at a special election 
 held in August 1907, it failed to get the necessary number of 
 votes to give it effect. 
 
 Immediately after the adjournment of the Regular Session 
 -of the Thirtieth Legislature, Governor Campbell called a spe- 
 cial session for the purpose of considering measures relating 
 in the main to revenue, taxation and court reform. After clos- 
 ing up its business and compiling its report, the Joint Board 
 
 JOSEPH S. MYERS 
 
 Chairman B. of L. F. and E. Legislative 
 Board and present member Joint Labor 
 Legislative Bgiard. 
 
 ..J 
 
67, 
 
 adjourned, and nearly allrof its members had gone hom^,;5!rheA 
 Idiere was simultaneously introduced in the House and Senafs 
 a bill to regulate court procedure that would dose the doors 
 of the State courts to railroad employes running across the 
 bofders, who might be injured outside the State, to bring ^uit 
 for damages. The law has .always been! that a suit for per- 
 sonal injuries could be brought wherever the responsible party 
 could be found, and under this law employes who were injured 
 across the iorder have often come to Texas to file suit, the 
 ld,ws ahd courts of Texas being more favorable than those, of 
 Mexico or" the Territories on the north, which were extremely; 
 Unfavorable. , 
 
 The bill had passed the Senate before our friends became 
 aware of its effect. The Joint Board was reconvened at once 
 and efforts directed toward its defeat. The. House bill was 
 tilled in committee and the Senate bill was allowed to die .911 
 the House calendar. Concerning this, the Joint Board's report 
 says: "Inasmuch as the Legislature did not respond to the 
 Governor's recommendations for judicial reform, it is very 
 liliely that this and other efforts of the same kind wiUrbe made 
 at- future sessions of the Legislature to destroy or weaken 
 many of the laws now on the statute books affecting the rights 
 of labor in the courts, and for that reason our organizations 
 should be exceedingly watchful." 
 
 Apparently the railroad corporations of the State were much 
 chagrined at the passage of the Hours of Rest Law for railway 
 employes by the Regular Session, and immediately began talk- 
 ing of changing division terminals all over the State as neces- 
 sary to comply with the law. This created a great deal of;, 
 anxiety among the people interested, because, if carried out, 
 it meant a serious depreciation of their property and the 
 breaking up of homes of a large number of railway employes. 
 The greatest exctiement prevailed at Hillsboro, which was 
 threatened with the immediate removal of the M., K. & T. 
 terminals from there to some other point, and a committee was 
 sent to Austin for the purpose of having thfe law amended or 
 repealed, but, meeting no encouragement, they asked for an 
 extension of ninety days before putting the law in effect,' in 
 order that certain changes might be made so as to keep the 
 terminal. After a careful consideration of the matter and 
 
68 
 
 eonf«rring with a large number, of railway employes from all 
 over the State the Joint Board consented to an extension of 
 time, provided no other feature of the bill was changed. This 
 was agreed to, and a bill to extend the time from July 12th 
 to October 12th was introduced in the Legislature. Fearing 
 the .original law might be tam.pered with, the Board watched 
 the course of the extension bill very carefully. In the Senate 
 an emergency clause was added which, in the opinion of good 
 lawyers, had a tendency to jeopardize the original law, where- 
 upon the Board insisted that the House bill take the place of 
 the Senate bill, which was done. When this bill reached the 
 Governor, he discovered that in its enrollment some interlinea- 
 tions had been made that would nullify the original law. The 
 Governor very promptly refused to approve the bill, saying 
 that he agreed to submit the matter to the Legislature only 
 for the purpose of extending the time; that he was a friend 
 of the sixteen hour law, and that he woidd not give his ap- 
 prbval to any bill that would kill or cripple it. The bill was 
 taken back to the enrolling room, and, after being corrected 
 so as to "conform to the law, passed by the Legislature, the 
 Governor approved it. Commenting on this, the Board says: 
 "To the friendship of Governor Campbell for this law, and his 
 watchful care, we are indebted for the preservation of this 
 very valuable law. And in this connection we desire to say 
 that the working people of Texas owe a debt of gratitude they 
 can never repay the Governor for the strong support he has 
 given to- all measures for their betterment. His office has been 
 open at all times to members of our Board, and he has always 
 been ready to meet and confer with us on matters of Legis- 
 lation, and in countless ways has advised and assisted us. He 
 has proven himself a true friend of the masses of the people, 
 and has stood courageously by their cause in all matters. ' ' 
 
 While making his first campaign Governor Campbell ran on 
 a platform of promises, every plank of which was a pledge 
 to serve the best interests of the whole people of Texas. After 
 election he fulfilled every one of those promises; honestly, keep- 
 ing faith with the people. During his first campaign his main 
 ■support came from the working people and the farmers; he 
 held their support for a second term, and in addition received 
 the votes of all fair-minded citizens not influenced, coerced 
 
69 
 or controlled by selfish corporate interests, which fought him 
 viciously, and was re-elected by the largest majority ever re- 
 ceived by a Governor in this State. 
 
 Concluding its report of the Thirtieth Legislature, the Joint 
 Board states: 
 
 "It should be a matter of pride to the union men of- Texas 
 that our Joint Labor Legislative Board is regarded as a model 
 by our brothers in other States, and is being extensively copied 
 and patterned after. Texas has been the first State in the 
 Union in which all branches of labor have united on a legis- 
 lative program and where representatives of union labor and 
 union farmers have actively co-operated in aiding each other." 
 
 They make the following recommendations : 
 
 "First. Closer unity and co-operation in the questioning of 
 candidates. This work should be done by a joint committee 
 representing all branches of labor in each county or district, 
 and when questions have been answered concerted action 
 should be taken to make the answers known to every union 
 working man in the county and district. In no other way 
 can we unite our forces to elect good men to the Legislature. 
 
 "Second. An active participation in primary elections. It 
 is here that public oflScers are chosen and it is here that we 
 must vote and use our influence. 
 
 "Third. That more joint and open meetings of all branches 
 of labor be held for the discussion of our legislative work. 
 No matter what union or brotherhood we are a member of, we 
 have a common cause with the members of every organization 
 in matters of legislation. To this end we recommend that pro- 
 ivsions be made by each organization represented by the Joint 
 Board to have its Board members attend as many local Joint 
 meetings as possible to discuss and explain our legislative 
 program. 
 
 "Fourth. That each organization represented in the Joint 
 Board send a fraternal representative to every State meeting 
 or convention of every organization represented and of the 
 Farmers' Union, with a view to bring about even closer unity 
 and co-operation." 
 
 Strenuous efforts were made to create discord and bring about 
 a dissolution of the Joint Board at this session. A well known 
 railroad attorney offered a member of one of the railway or- 
 
70 
 
 ganizations a large sum of money to go to Austin and bring 
 about its disruption. The man he sought to bribe exposed the 
 scheme. 
 
 Another railroad attorney, disgusted with their failure and 
 the Joint Board's success, sa,reastically asked a member of the 
 Board if he was certain there was nothing the Board over- 
 looked or forgot to ask for, because if there was he iand his 
 colleagues would help the Board get it. 
 
 CONVENTION OF 1908. 
 
 The regular biennial sessions of all the State legislative 
 boards were -held in Fort Worth from April 14 to 17, 1908. 
 They were largely attended and much interest manifested. At 
 the opening exercises, held in the City Hall on the evening 
 of the 14th, his Excellency, Governor T. M. Campbell, was 
 the guest of honor and delivered an able and stirring address. 
 Several members of the Thirtieth Legislature were present 
 and made brief addresses. 
 
 A feature of these conventions which has become a fixture, 
 is the sending of a committee from each of the State Boards 
 to all of the others to extend fraternal greetings and pledging 
 friendship and co-operation. At the Fort Worth conventions 
 these committees created" much enthusiasm and strengthened 
 the feeling of mutual good will already existing. When each 
 of the organizations had finished their internal business and 
 agreed on the legislation they preferred, the Joint Convention 
 of all the Boards was held on the 17th. Walton Peteet was 
 again re-elected chairman and H. G. Wagner again re-elected 
 secretary. The Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, through its 
 representative, H. G. Cox, asked permission to affiliate with the 
 Joint Board, which was granted. The presentation of pre- 
 ferred measures resulted in the Federation of Labor presenting 
 the so-called "Spider Bill" to regulate the handling of defect- 
 ively baled cotton; the engineers presented no preferred bill, 
 but took it on themselves to protect the anti-garnishee section 
 of the State Constitution from alteration or repeal, and as a 
 secondary measure a few amendments to the Anti-Piiss Law 
 in favor of railway employes; the 0. R. C. presented a bill to 
 create a Bureau of Labor or office of Labor Commissioner, and 
 
71 
 
 as a secondary measure the Experience Bill, which had been 
 considered by but not passed in the Twenty-ninth Legislature; 
 the B. of L. P. and E. presented the Automatic Ash Pan Bill, 
 which is an exact counterpart of the national law on the same 
 subject; the B. R. T. presented the Safety Appliance Bill, 
 w^ch is also a copy of the national law; the Brotherhood of Rail- 
 way Clerks presented an amendment to the Anti-Blacklist Law 
 so as to require that an employe leaving the service of an em- 
 ployer be given a service letter stating in full the length of 
 time in the service, in what capacities and the degree of satis- 
 faction given in each occupation. By unanimous vote the com- 
 apulsory education bill was made the preferred measure of the 
 Joint Convention. 
 
 By motion Governor T. M. Campbell was thanked for friend- 
 ship and valuable assistance rendered the Joint Board, as was, 
 also, the Thirtieth Legislature for the many excellent laws 
 passed beneficial to labor. The Joint Board was thanked for 
 its splendid Work; the resolutions adopted at Houston in 1906 
 were re-enatced, and by motion of Walton Peteet, seconded 
 by W. Davis of the 0. R. C, T. P. O'Rourke was instructed to 
 write the history of the Labor Legislative Movement in Texas,- 
 under the supervision and at the expense of the Joint Board. 
 President Neill of the Farmers' Union and members of the ex- 
 ecutive board were in attendance and held seats in the conven- 
 tion as fraternal delegates. Presiddiit Neill addressed the 
 Convention, expressing his gratification at the fact that it 
 was made possible fer the farmers and union labor to meet 
 under such happy and harmonious conditions, that' we were 
 getting to understand each other better,* that the farmer would 
 stand by and support us in all that was fair and just. A mo- 
 tion prevailed thanking Mr. Neill and the representatives of 
 the Farmers' Union for their presence and promise of co-opera- 
 tion and expressing sympathy and support to the Farmers' 
 Union. The Convention then adjourned. 
 
 Judge N. A. Stedman, attorney for the principal railroads 
 of Texas, claiming that he was the authorized representative 
 of the General Managers' Association of Texas, requested a 
 meeting with the Legislative Boards. Accordingly a meeting 
 was arranged for and held in the city hall on the evening of 
 the 15th. The Federation of Labor did not take part for the 
 
72 
 
 reason that their presence might possibly cause some embar- 
 rassment. Judge Stedman made a neat address, in which he 
 said it was the desire of the General Managers to establish and 
 maintain friendly relations with the Joint Board and the various 
 legislative boards, that they had no desire or inclination to 
 disrupt or weaken the Boards but on the contrary wished to see' 
 them more efficient and influential, if that were possible. He ad- 
 vised closer working relationship between the employes and offi- 
 cials to the end that the com- 
 panies' business might be 
 made profitable and prosper- 
 ous and that all might make 
 united opposition to propos- 
 ed drastic legislation that 
 would seriously affect the 
 welfare of the great railway 
 interests with that of all 
 those engaged in their ser- 
 vice. No action of any kind 
 resulted from this meeting. 
 
 The Joint Board met and 
 organized at the close of the 
 convention with the follow- 
 ing officers and members : 
 Walton Peteet, Federation 
 of Labor, Chairman; C. F. 
 Goodridge, 0. R. C, Vice- 
 Jhairman ; H. G. Wagner, B. 
 R. T., Secretary; C. D. John- 
 son, B. L, B., Treasurer; 
 Joseph S. Myers, B. L. F. 
 and E., Statistician ; H. G. Cox, Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. 
 
 Arrangements were made at the same time for printing the 
 usual circulars and sending them to the various locals for use in 
 the campaign. 
 
 The entire Joint Board attended the National convention of 
 the Farmers' Union held at Fort Worth, September 2, 3, and 4, 
 1908, and, like Samuel Gompers, President of the American Fed- 
 eration of Labor, who was present, they were treated royally 
 and given many privileges and courtesies. 
 
 H. G. cox 
 
 Chairman Legislative Committee Broth- 
 erhood of Railway Clerks, and present 
 member Joint Labor Legislative Board. 
 
73 
 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE. 
 
 The Joint Board met in Austin, January 11, 1909, one day- 
 prior to the convening, of the Thirty-first Legislature; all aifil- 
 iated organizations were represented except the Brotherhod of 
 Railway Clerks, who were not able to bear the financial burden 
 of keeping a representative at the capitol, but agreed to pay 
 their pro rata of the incidental expenses of the Joint Board. 
 
 It being impossible for him to leave his employment on the 
 editorial staff of the Fort Worth Record for the length of time 
 necessary to attend" the entire session of the Legislature, Walton 
 Peteet resigned as chairman of the Joint Board and legislative 
 representative of the State Federation of Labor, Frank N. Graves 
 of Cleburne, Secretary of the State Federation of Labor, was 
 chosen as its Legislative representative. The Joint Board elected 
 C. F. Goodridge of the O. R. C, Chairman and F. N. Graves, 
 Vice-Chairman. 
 
 The State Supreme Court having decided the Full Crew law, 
 passed by the Thirtieth Legislature unconstitutional because of 
 a defedtive caption the representative of the B. of R. T. concluded 
 to take that matter up again as his preferred measure. The 
 Board took charge of the preferred measure of the Railway 
 Clerks. 
 
 Bills covering all matters under the control of the Board were 
 prepared in proper form and, after the Legislature was or- 
 ganized, were placed in the hands of members of the House and 
 Senate for introduction. 
 
 In addition to the preferred measures approved at Fort Worth 
 a few secondary measures were prepared and presented, among 
 them being an Experience BiU brought forward by the 0. R. C, 
 providing that a man must have had at least three years exper- 
 ience as locomotive fireman or engineer before being permitted 
 to take charge of a locomotive in this State and that a man must 
 have had at least two years experience as a brakeman or con- 
 ductor before being permitted to assume the duties of a con- 
 ductor. The B. R. T. took up its safety appliance bill as a sec- 
 ondary measure. 
 
 The Federation of Labor had as secondary measures an amend- 
 ment to the Plumbers' law, to make it more effective and give 
 better protection to journeymen plumbers, als« an amendment 
 
74 
 
 to the Mine Inspection law passed by the Thirtieth Legislature 
 which had never been put in operation because the Legislature 
 had failed to appropriate sufficient funds for salary a,nd ex- 
 penses of carrying on the work, the amendment is intended to 
 rectify this deficiency. 
 
 The Board had a bill introduced amending the Sixteen-hour 
 law to make it conform to the Federal Statute on the same sub- 
 ject. 
 
 The Brotherhood of Kailway Carmen took a referendum vote 
 of its membership in this State on the question of sending a rep- 
 resentative to Austin and affiliating with the Joint Board, which 
 resulted favorably and G. T. Johnson of Hillsboro was chosen 
 legislative representative. He presented his credentials Jan- 
 uary 24, and was admitted to the Joint Board. He had as a pre- 
 ferred measure a bill requiring railroad companies to provide 
 sheds for car repairers to work under when the weather condi- 
 tions are so severe that they can not work out in the open. 
 
 GENERAL MANAGERS SEEK A CONFERENCE. 
 
 January 15, by request of the General Managers' Association 
 of Texas, representatives of that body and grand officers of the 
 train service organizations, viz. : the 0. R. C, B. L. E., B. L. F. 
 and E., and B. R. T., met in Fort Worth to discuss legislative 
 matters and see if a plan of co-operation could not be arranged 
 for whereby the legislative boards could be used to assist the 
 railroad companies in opposing the passage of legislation detri- 
 mental to their interests. The grand officers informed the gen- 
 eral managers that they had no jurisdiction over the legislative 
 ^rf boards, these bodies being governed by the laws of their respec- 
 tive organizations and as long as they were working in com- 
 pliance with the law could not be interfered with, that they could 
 not dictate to the legislative boar^, to adopt this policy but they 
 suggested that the general managers confer with the Joint Board 
 a^OTjt the matter. Accordingly a committee from the General 
 Managers' Association went to Austin, hunted up the Joint Board 
 and Eirranged for a conference, which was held at the DrisMU 
 Hotel the afternoon of Sunday, January 17. The general mana- 
 gers said; their mission was one purely of good will and mutual 
 co-operation, to »e8tablish a better understanding between . the 
 
 "c; 
 
75 
 
 employes and officials to the end that all might work together 
 to check the tide of popular prejudice against the railroads. 
 
 The Chairman of the Joint Board stated that the Board was in 
 no sense prejudiced against the general managers of the railroad 
 companies and had no desire to injure their business or seek 
 the enactment of laws that would inflict unnecessary burdens on 
 them, that its efforts were directed to securing legislation that 
 would protect wage earners from needless abuse and injustice 
 and requiring the adoption of safety appliances and sanitary 
 surroundings that would prevent them from being killed and in- 
 jured unnecessarily, a humanitarian work in which they had 
 heretofore met with the most bitter and persistent opposition 
 from the representatives of the railroad companies. That while 
 they could not consistently enter into a working alliance with 
 the general managers on legislative matt-ers as that would put 
 a period to the usefulness of the Board, they were perfctly will- 
 ing to clasp hands across "the bloody chasm" of the past and do 
 aU in their power to promote the era of good will now apparent- 
 ly beginning to dawn. 
 
 The proposed bills of the Joint Board were then taken up 
 for the general managers' inspection and criticism. They ap- 
 proved of the Ashpan bill, the Safety Appliance bill, the amend- 
 ment to the Blacklist law, the amendment to the Sixteen-hour 
 law, and the Experience bill and promised that their attorneys 
 would offer no opposition to their passage. They refused to ap- 
 prove the fuU crew bill prepared by the representative of the 
 B. R. T., which was radically different from the old law, but pro- 
 posed that if the old law, which had been declared unconstitu- 
 tional was again taken up and a correct caption placed upon 
 it they would approve it; this Mr. Wagner of the B. R. T. de- 
 clined and the matter rested. Next day, Monday, meetings were 
 again held in the afternoon and evening but no further progress 
 was made. 
 
 February 3 the general managers returned to Austin and again 
 met with the Joint Board and it was agreed that Mr. Wagner 
 would withdraw his new FuU Crew bill and substitute the old 
 law as amended. The Car Shed bill of the Railway Carmen was 
 then taken up and the managers asked to have action on it sus- 
 pended until they could have a meeting of their Association in 
 Houston on February 5, when they thought the matter could 
 
76 
 
 be provided for without legislation. This request was granted, 
 but nothing came of it; the bill was pushed by the Board and 
 fought by railroad attorneys "and offiicals as though their very 
 lives depended on its defeat. 
 
 This conciliatory attitude is a new departure for the general 
 managers and deserves to be commended and encouraged if we 
 could be satisfied that they are sincere. Our past experiences 
 have taught us to be cautious, however, and we can not afford 
 to be too precipitate in accepting their advances and profes- 
 sions of disinterested friendship. Neither is it wise or good 
 business policy to refuse to meet them half way when convinced 
 of their honesty of purpose. Since 1889 when the first legis- 
 lative board began to work 'for legislation in the interest of rail- 
 way employes we have encountered the most vigorous and per- 
 sistent opposition from the railroad companies and their repre- 
 sentatives have tried by every means they could command to dis- 
 courage and defeat the efforts of our legislative boards. They 
 have tried to bluff and intimidate our legislative representatives 
 even to the extent of dismissing them from the service, have 
 sought to inject discord into our councils, even offering members 
 of our organizations a money bribe to bring about the dissolu- 
 tion of the Joint Board. In view of all this we can not be 
 blamed for a little hesitancy and caution in accepting their pro- 
 fessions of friendship before they have done anything to prove 
 their sincerity. 
 
 We want peace, we pray for peace and will make sacrifices to 
 establish an era of peace, but we do not want to have that senti- 
 ment taken advantage of to lure us into a position where we will 
 be made the thoughtless instruments of our own destruction. 
 
 We are not vindictive or intolerant, and when once convinced 
 that our employers are in earnest in seeking our welfare as well 
 as their own we, will meet them with open hands. 
 
 "The olive branch is in our hands. 
 
 The white flag floats above ; 
 Peace, peace pervades our myriad bands. 
 
 And proud, forgiving love. 
 But 0, let not our foes forget, 
 
 We're men as Christians, too, 
 Prepared to do for Labor yet 
 
 What Union men should do " 
 
77 
 
 A NEW HIGH WATER MARK. 
 
 The regular session of the Thirty-first Legislature adjourned 
 sine die March 13, having Avorked strictly according to tlie Con- 
 stitution limiting time, it was the shortest regular session held 
 in Texas in many years. While the Joint Board rejoiced over the 
 net results of its efforts during the Thirtieth Legislature the 
 high water mark of laws sought and secured has been set still 
 higher at the close of ths Thirty-first. While true that organ- 
 ized labor got all it asked for from the Thirtieth and did not get 
 all it asked for from the Thirty-iirst, yet the aggregate of labor 
 laws enacted by the Thirty-first exceeds those enacted by the 
 Thirtieth. 
 
 Of the bills prepared and presented by the J oint Board the fol- 
 lowing passed and are now the law : 
 
 Creating the ofiSce of Labor Commissioner. 
 
 Experience _BiU for conductors and engineers. 
 
 Amendment to the Mine Inspection law. 
 
 Amendment to the Plumbers' law. 
 
 Amendment to the Anti-Blacklist law. 
 
 Amendment to the Hours of Rest law. 
 
 The Full Crew bill (corrected and re-enacted.) 
 
 Safety Appliance bill. 
 
 Automatic Ashpan bill. 
 
 Requiring the erection of sheds over repair tracks. 
 
 These were, strictly speaking, Joint Board measures. In ad- 
 dition the Board gave its support to and was mainly instrumen- 
 tal in having passed an amendment to the Mechanics' Lien Law, 
 whicii requires those for whose benefit work is being done to 
 withhold 10 per cent of the con^struction price to be a preferred 
 lien in the interest of the labor employed. This amendment 
 should be credited to the Joint Board although they did not 
 originate it but it could have never passed without the support 
 they gave it. 
 
 A biU was introduced by Representative Roger Byrne of 
 Smithville prohibiting railroad companies from sending locomo- ' 
 tives, cars and equipment out of the State to be overhauled and 
 repaired which was supported by the Joint Board and passed. 
 
 The Joint Board boasted that it had to encounter no hostile 
 legislation at the Thirtieth, it was not so favored at the Thirty- 
 
7« 
 
 first, as the Garnishee proposition was injected early in the ses- 
 sion in the shape of a constitutional amendment to permit the 
 garnishment of twenty per cent of current wages. This was 
 backed by the Retail Merchants' Association and a flood of peti- 
 tions asking its adoption was poured in by them and their friends 
 from all portions of the State. The Jcint Board was kept ex- 
 ceedingly busy for a couple of weeks in counteracting the Retail 
 Merchants and checkmating their efforts and were finally suc- 
 cessful in having the proposed amendment killed in committee. 
 Three separate bills regulat- 
 ing the life and accident in- 
 surance business were in- 
 troduced that, if enacted, 
 would seriously interfere 
 with the transaction of our 
 railway brotherhood insur- 
 ance business in this State. 
 The Joint Board took the 
 matter in hand and had the 
 proposed law amended to ex- 
 empt our insurance. 
 
 Thus, practically, the sum 
 total of reward for their la- 
 bor is twelve bills passed and 
 two inimical measures killed, 
 which is unquestionably a 
 record for the organized 
 wage earners of Texas to be 
 proud of and should inspire 
 them with sentiments of sin- 
 cere gratitude for those who 
 did the work as well as for 
 our friend. Governor T. M. Campbell, for counsel and assistance, 
 and those members of the House and Senate who ably cham- 
 pioned and supported our cause. 
 
 Two of the preferred measures of the Joint Board died in the 
 Senate, after having passed the House, viz. : the Compulsory Ed- 
 ucation bill and the "Spider bill" — defectively baled cotton. 
 
 The Compulsory Education bill was endorsed by the Farmers' 
 Union, the State School Teachers' Association and the Depart- 
 
 G. T. JOHNSON 
 Chairman Legislative Committee Broth- 
 erhood of Railway Carmen of America, 
 and present member Joint Labor Legis- 
 lative Board. 
 
79 
 
 ment of Education. It met with strong opposition and had a 
 stormy passage through the House and was again fought over in 
 the Committee on Education of the Senate from which it emerged 
 with a favorable report but never came to a vote. The princi- 
 ple objection to it seemed to he the reluctance of many to force 
 education on the "nigger," and in order to have such a law con- 
 stitutional, he can not be omitted. 
 
 The bill drafted to regulate defectively baled cotton was in the 
 nature of a liability bill, that is it gave workmen injured while 
 handling defectively baled cotton the right to sue for damages, 
 but when it came to the question of fixing the responsibility for 
 the defectively baled cotton and designating the party from 
 whom the injured workman could recover, there was such a di- 
 versity of opinion and so many interests were dragged in that 
 a lot of valiiable time was consumed in the House, v^here the bill 
 originated. The question of what court should have jurisdic- 
 tion in trying such suits also came in for a great deal of dis- 
 cussion. The bill finally passed the House and after a hard fight 
 was reported favorably in the Senate where it would have 
 undoubtedly passed on the last day before adjournment had it 
 not been for the unfortunate circumstances incident to the ex- 
 pulsion of a Senator accused of slandering the Senate, which 
 consumed all the time and caused the "Spider bill" to die an 
 unexpected death. 
 
 THE PERSONAL EQUASION. 
 
 As the personal, equation enters largely into the success or 
 faUure of every movement, the quality and caliber of the men 
 placed at its head or selected to fill positions of trust affecting 
 and influencing it for good or ill, the Joint Board has been pe- 
 culiarly blessed in the splendid material furnished it. No bet- 
 ter men could be chosen than those who served on it in the past 
 and the present Board is the peer of any that has gone before. 
 Organized labor in Texas can rest satisfied that its legislative in- 
 terests are in safe hands and that everything consistent with good 
 judgment, safe and sane principle, wiU be done to promote its 
 welfare. 
 
 We have already given brief sketches of E. P. Curtis, James 
 A. Lawson and Joseph S. Myers ; we will now speak a few words 
 of the others. 
 
80 
 
 Walton Peteet, who has just resigned the cha,irmanship of the 
 Joint Board, without intending any disjparagement of the others, 
 who are all fair minded and doubtless will concur in the esti- 
 mate, was the best man so far identified with the legislative 
 movement and his loss will be keely felt. With an exceptionally 
 brilliant and cultivated intellect he was possessed of a tireless 
 energy and labored incessantly to advance the principles of or- 
 ganized labor and promote its welfare. He was equally adept 
 with voice or pen to give expression to his thoughts. He was as 
 unselfish as he was imtiring and cared not whether reward or 
 emolument awaited his efforts. He was respected and admired 
 by legislators and State officials who often asked his advice on 
 matters of legislation. He had the confideace and esteem of his 
 co-workers and of the State Federation of Labor which elected 
 him legislative representative every term since its legislative 
 board was organized. 
 
 C. F. Goodridge, the present Chairman of the Joint Board is 
 a member of the Order of Railway Conductors and has been prac- 
 tically identified with the legislative movement since 1895. He 
 has always taken an active interest and has attended every union 
 meeting held in the State and has been chosen delegate by his 
 division on numerous occasions. He has a well balanced mind, 
 is a man of strong convictions, fair, honest, iand impartial. Of 
 more than average intelligence he is well able to sustain any po- 
 sition he assumes by clear and lucid argument. He is thoroughly 
 in earnest in his advocacy of labor interests and of sufficient 
 stamina to stand by his cause regardless of personal considera- 
 tions or hostile opposition. 
 
 Frank N. Graves, Vice-Chairman, was one of the pioneers in 
 the formation of the State Federation of Labor having signed 
 the call for the first meeting at which the Federation was or- 
 ganized. He has been an active member and has served as gen- 
 eral Secretary the past four years. He is a worthy successor to 
 Walton Peteet and of the right caliber to make a good record on 
 the Board. He is well posted on the labor question and has the 
 ability and command of language to make good use of his knowl- 
 edge. He is quick, active, alert and has the courage to tackle 
 any issue or proposition that confronts him. He is a printer and 
 member of the Typographical Union. 
 
 H. G. Wagner, Secretary of the Board, is a practicing attorney 
 
81 
 
 of good repute and Statewide acquaintance. Although he has • 
 not been in railway service for a number of years, he has kept 
 up his membership in the Brotherhood of Kailway Trainmen and 
 is an earnest and efficient worker in that organization. Cool, 
 conservative, of sound judgment, deliberate in action, yet per- 
 sistent, steadfast in holding to a position he believes to be 
 right, with the ability to, at all times, give intelligent expres- 
 sion to his convictions, makes him a safe and trustworthy repre- 
 sentative of organized labor. 
 
 C. D. Johnson, Treasurer of the Joint Board, represents the 
 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and is now serving his 
 "third term. He has been an active factor in the legislative move- 
 'ment in Texas for a number of years and always a hard worker. 
 He has held many offices of trust and responsibility in the B. of 
 L. E., and is now the salaried Chairman for the Gulf, Colorado 
 and Santa Pe Railroad. He is essentially a practical man, 
 overflowing with good, hard, common sense and has the happy 
 faculty of placing a point or proposition before any one in such 
 a plain, handy manner that it is instantly understood. He is 
 cool, conservative, firm and as Treasurer a hard, close-listed 
 financier. 
 
 H. G. Cox, of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, although still 
 a young man, has been in the railway service thirteen years. 
 He is deeply interested in the progress of the Railway Clerks 
 and works earnestly and persistently to promote their welfare. 
 He is a keen student of the labor question and a strong but con- 
 servative advocate of organized labor. His policy is to be fair 
 and impartial to the public, to the railroad corporations and to 
 the employes. 
 
 G. T. Johnson of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, the 
 latest addition to the Joint Board, is a resident of Hillsboro, but 
 belongs to Lodge 86 of the Carmen at Waco, Texas. He has been 
 an active member of his organization for eighteen years and has 
 been general Chairman of its board of adjustment on the Mis- 
 souri, Kansas and Texas Railroad for the past five years. He has 
 gained plenty experience in active service and is possessed of 
 sufficient native intelligence and good judgment to profit by 
 and make good use of what he has learned. He will make a use- 
 ful member of the Board. 
 
82 
 
 LIST OF LABOR LAWS ON THE STATUTES OF TEXAS. 
 
 In the Constitution we have the following provisions: 
 
 The Legislature shall not pass any local or special law regu- 
 lating labor — that is, all such laws must be general, applying 
 everywhere in the State to all persons coming within their pro- 
 visions. 
 
 Exempting persons engaged in agricultural and mechanics] 
 pursuits from occupation tax. 
 
 Exempting from taxation two hundred and fifty dollars worth 
 of household furniture in each family. 
 
 No current wages for personal services shall ever be subject 
 to garnishment. 
 
 Commanding the Legislature to pass laws to protect laborers 
 and artisans against failure .f contractors and sub-contractors 
 on public works and holding those for whose benefit the work 
 is done responsible for the payment of wages. 
 
 Providing for a Mechanics' Lien Law. 
 
 To protect from forced sale a certain portion of the personal 
 property of all heads of families and of unmarried adults, male 
 and female. 
 
 Defining a homestead and exempting the same from forced 
 sale for any debt but failure to pay purchase money. 
 
 AU of these constitutional commands have been enacted into 
 law. 
 
 LAWS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE. 
 
 1879. 
 Declaring that nine hours shall constitute a day's work in 
 the different State departments. 
 A pernicious conspiracy law. 
 
 1885. 
 Prohibiting sailors from foreign vessels working on wharves 
 or levees bej ond the end of the vessel's tackle. 
 
 1887. 
 Providing that all persons in the employ of a railroad com- 
 pany shall be entitled to thirty days' notice before their wages 
 can be reduced. 
 
83 
 
 Providing against intimidation of employes by threats or 
 violence. 
 
 1889. 
 
 To widen the scope of the Mechanics' Lien Law. 
 
 For the protection of railway employes in the collection of 
 wages in amount less than fifty dollars. 
 
 1891. 
 
 Fellow Servant Law. 
 
 Bond Law — for conductors, agents, etc. 
 
 1893. 
 
 Fellow Servant Law to supercede law of 1891 which was found 
 defective. 
 
 Prohibiting the employment of non-residents for police duty, 
 commonly called the "Anti-Pinberton Bill." 
 
 Declaring the first Monday in September (Labor Day) a legal 
 holiday. 
 
 1895. 
 
 Voluntary Arbitration Law. 
 
 Permitting trade unions to take out charters and protecting 
 their labels, trade marks, emblems, etc. 
 
 Amendment to Trust Law enacted at this session exempting 
 labor organizations and repealing the pernicious conspiracy law 
 of 1879. 
 
 Amendment improving Mechanics' Lien Law. 
 
 1897. 
 
 Extending the benefits of the Mechanics' Lien Law, 
 
 Exempting the proceeds of the sale of the homestead from 
 attachment for six months after such sale. 
 
 Fellow Srvant Law to supercede the law of 1893 which was 
 found defective by the courts. This law is now in effect. 
 
 1899. 
 
 Legalizing trades unions and making it clear that the new 
 Trust Law passed at this session did not apply to labor or- 
 ganizations. 
 
 1900. 
 
 To regulate the running of double headers, giving the Rail- 
 road Commission jurisdiction. 
 
 1901. 
 
 Anti-Blacklist Law. ( No account. ) 
 
 Interlocking Railroad Crossings Law. 
 
 Prohibiting the payment of wages in script. 
 
i84 
 
 ' .-' ~ 1903. 
 
 ' Child Labor Law. 
 
 Hours of rest for railroad employes. 
 
 Against coercion and blacklisting for refusal to trade at com- 
 pany store or commissary. 
 
 Requiring two outlets to underground mines. 
 
 Street Car Vestibule Law. 
 
 1905. 
 
 Assumed Risk Law.- 
 
 Derail and Switch, Light Law. 
 
 MakiDg it unlawful to pay employes in store orders or mer- 
 chandise scrip. 
 
 Taxing out of existence the "ten-per-cent-a-month" money 
 sharks. 
 
 1907. 
 
 Mine Inspection Law. 
 
 Electric Headlight Law. 
 
 Full Train Crew Law. (Declared unconstitutional.) 
 
 Anti-Blacklist Law. 
 
 Employes' Contract Law. 
 
 Amended Hours of Rest Law. 
 
 Eight Hour Law for Railroad Telegraphers. 
 
 Barbers' License and Inspection Law. 
 
 Extension of benefits of Uniform Text-Book Law. 
 
 Amendments to Anti-Free Pass Law. 
 
 Limiting the granting of Injunctions. ^ 
 
 1909. 
 
 Creating the office of Labor Commissioner. 
 
 Experience Law, for Conductors and Engineers. 
 
 Full Train Crew Law. (Re-enacted). 
 
 Safety Appliance Law. 
 
 Automatic Ash-Pan Law. 
 
 Requiring the erection of sheds over repair tracks. 
 
 Amendment to. Mine Inspection Law. • 
 
 Amendment to Plumbers Law. 
 
 Amendment to Anti-Blacklist Law. 
 
 Amendment to Hours of Rest Law. 
 
 Amendment to Mechanics' Lien Law. 
 
 Prohibiting railroads from sending ears and engines out of 
 the State for overhauling and repairs.