Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-11-03
LABOR PAPER CONDEMNS
pR ATTACK ON STOKES.
Action Of the Trenton Rubber Workers
Said to Be cowardiy and In
-- .usarrahtad

oldest labor paper in New Jersey, it
having been founded in 1876, has come
out most vigorously in its denunciation
Of the attack upon ex-senator Stokes
made by the local rubber workers and
later Endorsed by the Central Labor
union.
Under the caption IA Blot Upon La
Dor" the Labor Standard severely ar
raigns the Central Labor union Of Mer-
Ger county and the Allied Building
Trades council of Philadelphia for al
lowing itself Ito become the channel
through which can flow the partisan
literature OF the Democratic party"
AS to Stokes.
After declaring that IA certain well
| known organizer of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor has thoroughly circu-
lated among the labor men of the state,
even going SO far-as to approach prom
lnent trades unionists with offers of re-
enumeration for their services in cir
culating and exploiting the literature.
such remuneration being far in excess
of the regular salary received by the
workers mentioned" the Labor Stand
ard proceeds to say:
Now we must turn to another in
stance Of almost identical nature. Pri-
or to the rubber workers strike in the
city of Trenton last winter Edward
Casper Stokes, the present Republican
! candidate for governor. held the posi-
| ton of treasurer of the United and
Globe Rubber company of Trenton.
| Some time previous to the strike be-
| ing declared he resigned that position,
| and his sole interest in the company
was that of u very small stakeholder.
| Shortly after the strike was declared a
committee consisting of Reuben For
| ker, editor of the Trades Union Advo-
| cate of Trenton; Henry j. Gottlob of
| Newark, vice president of the State
Federation of Labor; Edward j. Fal-
cey, member of the executive board of
the same body, and Frank Hutchins,
first vice president of the National
brotherhood of Operative POtters, was
sent to interview Mr.. Stokes and solicit
Intervention in behalf of the men If
possible. Mr.. Stokes declared his en-
tire sympathy with the wishes of the
committee and even went SO far as to
intercede, as they had requested, not
only once, but two or three times.
Ellis efforts at mediation met with
no success, however, and he reported
the futility of his advances to the COM
mittee. The committee was thorough
ly satisfied with Mr.. Stokes work in
their behalf and so reported to the
central body, and even now are willing
to go on record In defense of MI.
Stokes attitude in the matter. Regard
less of the entirely fair statement of
the committee, the rubber workers two
weeks ago introduced a set of far
fetched resolutions in the Mercer
County Central Labor union denuncia-
tory of Mr.. Stokes for what they al
legged to be his unfair attitude during
the strike. We do not know what
methods were used to carry this
through the central body, but the reso-
buttons received the Endorsement of
that body. At the next weeks meeting
a communication was received from
Candidate Stokes protesting against
being condemned without a hearing,
emphasizing his stand during tile trou-
bles Of last winter and expressing a
desire that the central body defer ac-
ton until he could be heard In his own
defense. Seemingly utterly lost to ev-
cry sense of common fairness, the EN-
trail Labor union turned down the
communication without a hearing, thus
placing itself on record as n central
body whose principles were along the
line Of arbitrary action rather than
consistent fairness and reason.
'"The matter has now been taken up
by the Democratic party through its
workers and is being exploited
throughout the length and breadth of
the state.
1.-THE Labor Standard does not be-
lieve in unions as such going into poi
tiles, but, believing that twice armed
is he who hath his quarrel just thinks
that labor demeans itself when it
drags its fair name into the mud OF
partisanism and leaves 1t almost Il
f~oregone conclusion to the observing
public that the fine italian hand of
some political boss controls its every
action.
what Leaders Say.
ga Labor Standard reporter has in
terviewed during the past few days Il
number Of men prominent in the labor
world upon the principles involved in
the action taken by the two central
bodies mentioned above and will quote
them herewith:
Richard Pattison, president of the
Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers
International association: 4 believe
that the action taken by the Mercer
County Central Labor union II the
methods used by the Allied Building
Trades council of Phila 1elphia are en-
tirely foreign to the principles of or
ganized labor. The labor movepent. if
such methods are followed, will sim
ply deteriorate into a cog in the wheel
of thp noliticaI machinery of Darti-