A Letter from D. Everett of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers to F. Takano, Aug 13, 1894
Cleveland O., Aug.. 13, 1894
Mr. F. Takano,
126 Gold St.,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Dear Sir:--
Your very kind and interesting letter of August 11th received and contents noted. Mr.P. M. Arthur, our Grand Chief, instructed me to make a suitable reply to your all important question. You can very readily see, that as we know nothing of the conditions and circumstances which surround the laboring man in Japan, it would not seem wise on our part to say what was best for you to do. But you may feel assured that we are in hearty sympathy with any honorable movement, having in view the elevation of labor, whether it be in America or Japan. From what we have seen of your Country at the late Worlds Fair, and what we read in History and the daily Press, it is evident that your Country stands for civilization; and of all the races of her kind she stands at the head of the column in the great march of modern improvement. We have been thirty-one years in building our organization. We have been conservative in our views, keeping in mind the great fact that the employer has equal rights with that of the employed, and by a method of this description of honest and fair dealing on both sides of the question, we have been enabled to raise the standard of our profession to that degree of excellence that meet the approval of all intelligent citizens of our land; and if in the process of time you could effect a revolution in your Country in the cause of labor, from our standpoint, we know of no better plan to adopt, than that of educating your people to honor and respect the laborer who creates the wealth not only of Japan, but of every country in the whole world. Your letter has a significant meaning. It is full of intense interest, especially so coming from a native Japanese, who is interested in the toilers of his native land. It shows what we call a Christian spirit; it points to better thoughts and a nobler idea of life, in what we used to say, Far off Japan. But now she seems to be our next door beigbor[neighbor] only a few miles away. You know your Country better than any American; you know what she needs. All we can wish is may you succeed in effecting something that will be a blessing to the laboring man in Japan.
We cheerfully send you a copy of our constitutions and Bylaws.
Very Respectfully,
D. Everett.
T. G. R.
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