Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-11-13
URGES LABOR
TO USE BALLOT
Only Efficient Weapon to
Gain Recognition
Says Gompers

Minneapolis, Nov. 12-The feature OF
the opening session here today of the
twenty annual convention of the
American Federation of Labor was the
exhaustive annual report of President
Samuel Gompers, in which he detailed
the progress of the labor movement
throughout the country. laying special
stress on the advent of unionism into
the political arena and recommending
that the course be strictly adhered
to. A strong plea was made for the
employment of American labor on the
Panama canal. He said:
Much interest has been aroused
regarding the active campaign inaugu-
rated and carried on by the American
Federation of Labor in the recent
past. Labor's opponents assumed to
regard our actions as an unwarranted
invasion of their domain, that the
working people have no right to exer-
else their sovereign power Of citizen
ship to punish politically those who
are hostile or Indifferent to our rights
and interests, or to stand in advocacy
of those who have proven themselves
tically supported the measures we
deem requisite to secure the enactment
OF laws having for their purpose the
abolition Of inequalities and injustice
and the. protection and promotion OF
those rights to which labor is 30
justly entitled They accuse us ct
threatening" congressman with our
political ill will, as though people OF
other interests do not advocate AMI
support the election Of those who favor
those interests, and threaten with polit-
ical defeat those who are opposed tc
them. Evidently, 1t is not understood
tnat the ballot in itself is the weapon
with which the constitution has invest
ed the citizens, not only to threaten,
but to carry that threat into execu-
ton
Labor impatient at Delays.
I'VE are not unmindful of the fact
that laws in the interest of labor
Lave been enacted, but these have
been fragmentary in character and O:
insufficient Importance. When we
contemplate the alacrity with which
our congresses respond to the de-
mands of special interests, by the
prompt granting of charters, fran
chises. immunities, special privileges
and special and class legislation. that
are winged into enactment by iegis.
lative flights, while any measure in
the interests of the toiling masses
progresses as If with a leaden heel:
that particularly in recent years slow
er progr ,ss has been made than here
tofore; that the toilers' appeals ami
petitions are treated with indifference
and contempt, it is not surprising that
the men OF labor throughout our coun-
try have become impatient and have
manifested that Impotence
The American Federation of Labor
has often declared and often en-
phasized that as our efforts are CEN
tered against all forms of Industrial
slavery and economic wrong, we must
ALSO direct our utmost energies to re-
move all forms Of political servitude
and party slavery, to the end that the
working people may act as a unit at
the polls of every election"
Denied Right Of Boycott.
Concerning the Pearre anti-injunc-
President Gompers said:
Zone of it's provisions forbids inter-
ference by the courts to prevent the
carrying out Of agreements to do law
full acts Such have often been en-
Joined upon the pretext that they be-
come illegal and amounted to con-
spiracies. merely because men, having
met together, agreed to do those law
full acts. Thus men have been en-
Joined as 'boycotters' from warning thu,
public as to the inferior quality of
goods, and from asking the public nor