Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-03
APPEAL BY GOMPERS
Wants Action on the Eight Hour
Bill.
SPEAKS WITH FRANKNESS
Says Patience Of Laboring Men is Elk
hausted.
DENIES MAKING ANY THREATS
President of Federation Heard by the
House Committee on Labor
This Morning.
DENIES MAKING ANY THREATS

President Gompers of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor today made what he ex-
pressed the hope would be his last appeal
for congressional action on the eight-hour
BILL He talked to the House committee on
labor with great frankness and earnestness.
Year after year, he said, the argument and
printed record had piled up. All that could
possibly be said for and against the ques-
ton had been said and repeated. The pres
ent Gardner bill was practically the same
the eight-hour bill which had passed the
House two Congresses ago. The laboring
people of the country were earnest in their
desire for the legislation; patience was ex-
hausted, and 1t was earnestly hoped that
the present session of Congress would not
adjourn without action.
1T Is not pleasant" declared Mr.. Com
pers, Ito be compelled to continually call
attention to the Impotence of the working
people of our country at the dilatory meth
DDS employed; to the negligence and the In
Qlnerence or some members or parties re-
garding the interests Of labor, and the hos
tility manifested by men who have the
tongue of glibness and kindly expression for
labor. but when anything tangible is pro-
posed meet it with Indifference and hostility.
Right to Exercise Choice.
Some men have said that indulg
Ing in threats because we have expressed
our dissatisfaction regarding the affairs of
labor. We have been held up to scorn and
contempt before several committees of Con-
gress because we have dared to say our pa
thence has been tested to the limit. 1t has
been construed that we have threatened
representatives in Congress and senators
with our displeasure, and that we would
try to displace them with other men repre-
sent1ng the people in Congress.
For heavens sake when has 1t become a
N a ,nrtn t1At,
to express his preference for one congress-
man over another? I imagine 1t is not so
grave an offense for the workingmen to ex-
ercise their sovereign political power
granted them with all other citizens. in the
furtherance of their interests or of the prn-
ciples in which they believe, or In the pro-
lection OF the rights to which they are en-
titled"
Representative Haskins' Query.
At this point Representative Haskins of
Vermont, member of the committee in
terrupted to ask: Would 1t not be better
for the labor organizations of the country to
quietly exercise their rights of suffrage as
all other people do, rather than to send out
letters threatening members who are acting
under oath of office, in order to induce them
to conform to their particular wishes in the
enactment of certain legislation"
Il think the question is scarcely a fair
one, replied Mr.. Gompers. 1T leaves the
iHPi SsoioH tiiIlL Tie HOfklflS people
done thing which they had neither the
lawful nor moral right to do. And deny
that the working people have done any
thing of the sort
After again reviewing the desired ieffect
OF the proposed legislation and expressing
the belief that all that necessary had
been said, Mr.. Gompers closed with the
statement that he did not think Congress
should adjourn without action.
II urge it, he said. land l trust that the
members of the committee may see the
wisdom of action
Prior to this declaration of desires Mr..
Gompers reviewed the questions PROFOUND
ed by the labor committee of the last Con-
gress to the Secretary of the Department
of Commerce and Labor and the answers to
the same. All of these question were in
capable of answer. he said, and were pre-
pared by the opponents to the legislation
expressly for the purpose of delaying ac-
ton.