The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-08-25
IRoNsIDE DEFENDS HIMSELF.


Tells About So-Called Throwdown OF
Socialist Wing of Labor.
Editor Barre Daily Times: Dear Sir
So much has been said lately relative
TO the attitude Of the socialist wing
during the past convention OF the Ner-
mont state branch Of the American
federation Of labor, and the so-called at
tempt to capture said convention BY the
said wing that III fairness to all TN
biased people it might be for the hest
interests If all to explain the truth
and nothing but the truth. I'm my year
ly report, which dealt with the position
the various candidates for governor had
adopted relative to the prominent labor
measures, the Vermont state branch had
instructed me to place before them. and
acting in accordance with the express
sions contained ia their replies. | mem
toned the fact that it WAS up to the
union men of Vermont on election day
TO choose whether Fletcher y. Proctor,
arch enemy Of labor in Vermont, Per-
eival w. Clement, labor skinner and Of
flee seeker, J.. w. Hanson, Prohibition
ist, or Timothy Sullivan, union quarry
man, member of the Vermont state
branch and class conscious workingman,
should represent them in the highest POI
sition Of honor the state can bestow on
her nohlest SON.
The representatives Of the press soon
heralded the news abroad, backed BY a
vote of the convention. that the So
cialists were endeayoring to get endorse
ment for the socialist candidate. Let
me say that such a statement is entire
ly misleading, as neither Mt this par
ticular time or any other time during
the convention did any socialist wing
cndeayor TO run things. on behalf of
this or that candidate. III partizan poll
itics were introduced, and / deny any
such partizanship outside supporting the
to all questions asked by the state
branch, which the others by their hos
tility and negative answers were not
entitled to. and which can be well prov
en- by their actions in the field Of in
dustry, our legislative records, and the
answers on file with the Vermont state
branch.
Backed By such records and replies and
ably seconded in a communication from
Mayor James II. Burke of Burlington,
wherein he stated that as Proctor and
Clement did not stand for the things
he and ] stood for as members Of or
gsnized labor, he considered there was
no difference between them in their re-
lation thereto, / e., the general welfare
OF the wage earners Do you wonder
then at human being having said data
in his possession and Furthermore sup
posed to express the plain unvarnished
truth, embodying such truths and senti-
ments in reports to the organization
that paid and employed himf If said
organization did not want to hear the
truth, they employed the wrong man.
] was not paid to misrepresent any par
ticular candidate and have yet to learn
that any statements made by me are
erroneous or false.
In all fairness to the various unions
of Bellows Falls it IS only but fair to
say that these bodies waited until the
various candidates had replied to the
questions sent out BY the state branch.
On these being published in the Yer
mont Union Signal, these unions voted
70 support the only candidate who stood
shoulder to shoulder with themselves.
What else were they to do and be true
to the class they belong tor This does
not mean by long chalk that they
endeayored to get the state convention
TO endorse sullivan, and those who mis-
construe the action of these unions 20
read that way are very far from the
idea propagated hy the union men Of
Bellows Falls, and which AZ ! have al
ready stated was carried ont with the
only purpose Of supporting at the polls
those that supported them.
In relation 70 the question of publish
ing certain resolutions in the Vermont
Union Signal and aimed directly at that
paper and its management, Just one
word have never up till this time
seen either a labor paper or the daily
press except il be in Russia) put the
censorship on any article that was fit
and proper To be placed ia print. When
the time arrives in Vermont when only
one side Of a story can be told, and the
responsibility OF suppression shelved
QUITO labor convention, then ! say
progress ceases and the reign Of tyranny
begins. The Rutland trades and labor
council own the Signal. and when they
claim the Vermont state branch shall
dictate what shall and shall not appear
il their paper, then again | say the
absurdity Of the situation must stink
in every honest mans nostrils. All
shades Of opinion must be listened to in
our labor press to make it a success.
Give the radical show with the CON
seryative. but for Gods sake don't chop
of one and give the other the whole
show. "What Is good for the geese is
good for the gandcr,n especially round
Vermont at election time.
no say the Socialists tried 70 control
the convention Il an entire falsehood
10 say The Socialists tried to control
tho policy of the labor unions in Yer
mont is falsehood. Verify we ask all
class conscious workingnen to join the
trade union OF their class and inasmueh
as we believe Il is necessary to adopt
political action for the emancipation OF
the wage earners, we ask them 20 Join
the political party Of their class. Don't
drag politics into your unions % into
politics. Pay for your own politics
elect men from your own ranks, and
when you do you won't be taunted with
the cry oi partizan politician OF such like
catcry but will be ont on the firing line,
face TO face with the enemy. Yours
for labor,
Alexander Ironside
Barre, Vt.