The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-07-23
Labor Planks in all Political
Parties Carefully Summar-
lied and Given to Labor
World Readers Without
Prejudice.
It Only Takes a Glance to
Know Who is the Real
Friend Of Labor Working
men VIII Vote for Men Who
Stands for their Principles.

justice which will promote industrial
peace through the observance of the
principles OF voluntary arbitration We
favor the enactment of legislation
looking to the improvement of condi-
tions for wage-earners, the abolition
of child labor, the suppression of
sweatshops and OF convict labor in
competition with free labor, and the
exclusion from American shores of
We favor the shorter work day and
foreign pauper labor.
a days labor in government service
that eight hours should constitute a
days labor in factories, workshops and
mines.
AS means Of placing all public
questions directly under the control Of
the people, we demand that the legal
provisions be made under which the
people may exercise the initiative, ref
erendum and proportion representa-
ton and direct vote for all public Of
ficers with the right Of recall.
A Key to the Party Platforms.
The real reform parties, it can be
seen, have come out squarely In favor
Of labor. They have taken the same
broad. ground that Lincoln took in
1865. The action Of the old parties in
trimming the labor planks Is explained
by the following confidential letter
which was sent out prior to the con-
ventions of both of the old parties:
National Association of Manufacturers
of the United States of America:
General offices, ITO Broadway, (Maid-
en- Lane and Cortlandt Street.)
New York, June Is, 1904.
Confidential.
Dear Strive should like first to re-
call your generous and essential serv-
ice Of last winter: for I assure you
positively that our. fight Tor free: in
Ednstr1al; Il i ,cendtti ions .before he rious
been succes.f1 zaasistance
off All our friends everywhere.
There Is now a service of vital con-
sequence that you can do for the
cause. AS you know, the Democratic
national convention meets in st. Louis
on July 6. It is evident that devotees
of Bryan anti-injunctionism and of
Hearst eight-hourism-to coin the
words-will seek to- cause the reaffir-
nation of the anti-injunction plank
Of the last two platforms, and, pos
sibly, additional labor plans-for eight
hours and almost ny kind Of social
istic legislation may be endorsed. In
fact, 1t is not safe 10 assume that
these propositions will be kept out Of
the platform, except by the most dip
lomatic and resourceful and persistent
efforts which you or your association,
as an association and as individuals,
in common with all Of our friends
everywhere, can make. You have a
right to make these efforts; and we
ask you, little more earnestly than
we have ever asked anything Of you
| before, to make them. -.
Parry Don't Want Politics.
! This labor question is industrial, not
political. In your opinion, as well as
ours, of course, no party has any busi-
ness, whether from the standpoint OF
patriotism or of mere politics, to seek
to make any such demagogic appeals
ask you to believe that the whole
country feels so nearly as we do upon
the question, and the public men Of
both parties are given to feel SO near
ly as we do upon the question that YOU
|
collectively and individually, addressed
to any or all Of the delegates to st
Louis with whom you are acquainted
or can get in touch. whether on the
resolution committee or not, whether
from your state or not, whether known
to be friendly to our cause or not
would have the right eject:
Thes planks will not be left out, un.
less we make the effort. Please dt
everything on earth that you can
PERFECTLY SECRETLY, withou
any publicity: of any kind, simply scor'
ing with each and every influentia
person whom you can think of having
anything to say about the matter. AND
please advise me what you have done
and are doing, in order that L ma,
cooperate with you as effectively a:
possible. Yours most truly.
MARSHALL CUSHING, Secretary