The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-10

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plete in itself, and that the motion to
adopt as a whole was supert1uous, and It's
adoption or rejection by the convention
could neither add to nor take from the
declarations previously made.
I'm my judgment the latter position IS
the correct one, but [ have not been called
upon to render decision upon the ques-
ton, and to satisfy those who have enter
tanned doubts in the matter, l ask that
you clearly define the position you intend
to hold along political lines. Whether the
declarations made at the Denver conven-
ton are approved or disapproyed by you,
the self-evldent truth confronts US that
wage-workers cannot hope to be free in
the shops, mines and factories while
trudging in party slavery to the polls.
We cannot close our eyes and thus con-
ceal the glazing effects in our Govern
mental treatment of industrial labor, nor
will we be permitted to much longer neg
lect our duty to the peoples interest and
10 allow to go on unchecked and unchanged
q system of distribution in the value OF
Iabor's production which had its greatest
achievement during the last decade &C
cording TO the late census. in the phenom-
email growth of wealth, pauperism and
crime.
1--WE are compelled to admit. as we have
long recognized, that the denial OF that
liberty of action which permits men and
women to organize for mutual aid and
protection comes largely from corporations
engaged in operating plants of pubic
character and the franchises of which they
obtained from the people The railroad,
telegraph and telephone corporations in a
National sense, and the street railway,
electric plant and water works corpora
tons in municipal way, are more re-
sponsible for the curtailment of liberty on
the part of the employees than is all the
manufacturing and producing capital in
the country. To destroy this species OF
tyranny and oppression ard to restore and
maintain for employees the greatest indi-
vidual liberty consistent with public good
will necessitate the Matchmaking Of rail-
roads, telegraphs and telephones, and the
municipal ownership OF street railways,
electric light, gas and water plants. The
people interests can be better subserved
by employing public servants than they
can bv the people themselves remaining
servants and serfs to individuals and cor
porations of the character named; besides,
the profits of operation should accrue to
the people rather than 20 individuals.
LAS an organization we may decide to
leave politics alone but unfortunately for
this organization and its members politics
will not let US alone, hence we are COM
PEELED not from sentimental but from a
purely business standpoint TO consider
and act politically in such manner and
along such lines as will yield practical re-
suits to the trade union movement in its
efforts to ameliorate the wage workers
condition in life. We may not be agreed
as to the scope of political work needed,
and we may differ as to the methods en-
ployed in political reform work, but re-
gardless of our differences in opinion as to
either scope or methods, we all recognize
the necessity OF doing something and
doing it il manner that will insure the
hearty cooperation of all our forces. The
ideal state of society, or form of Govern
ment, aimed at by State socialists, philo-
sophical anarchists, Popplists, single
takers and others should not he permitted
TO stand in the way of Immediate and
practical efforts, because the ideal state of
society hoped for can only be reached, if
ever it is reached, by an educational evo-
lutionary process, which means too great
q delay to suit the masses of our wage
workers, who are asking for relief from
the ills of to-day, rather than agitating for
reform that will secure the comfort and
happiness of coming generations.
According to the most reliable Stats
tics obtainable there are fully twenty-three
millions of persons employed, or should
be, at gainful occupations in this country,
and in view of the fact that about one
tenth of that number are members of
organized labor and only small portion
of the latter in the American Federation
of Labor, il would be a useless waste Of
time and effort for you to attempt politi-
cal reform work along independent party
lines. While disagreeing over different
isms. we all agree that reforms are needed,
and it should be our purpose at this time
TO act only on matters of moment upon
which all are in hearty accord, and if this
is done it Will be an easy matter to form a
plan OF action-ooth political and CO.
operative-that will succeed in taking
from our Federal courts powers which
have lately been arrogated by and not dele
gated to them; to agree upon method
for shortening the hours of labor, by legis-
lation, to eight per day, or less, thus en-
HANGING the value of work and wages At
this time it is not indepe nde1t party, but
independent voting that will accomplish
benefcent and speedy results. By CO.
operating in the support of men and
measures favorable to labor interests you
would soon have all parties striving to Sc
cure the votes of organized labor. By this
means the Matchmaking of the means of
transportation and communication should
be accomplished, and the municipal
ownership of water, heat, light and power
plants be assured.
On the recent issue of Government bonds
President Mcbride talked some vigorous
English. He said:
1.-THE greatest crime of the nineteenth
century, and the most remarkable ever
perpetrated upon our people, was that COM
mitted by the present National admins
tration in adding to the bonded indebted
ness of our country during time of peace.
The attempt to retain gold reserve of
500, 100000 by contract such as was made
with the Belmont Morgan syndicate, was
farc1cal to say the least but farce only