The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-23
FEDERATION WILL
ENTER POLITICS
Mr.. Gompers Is Preparing Reply
to President Speech of
Wednesday.
Admits Plan of Federation to
Take Direct Part in Political
Campaigns.
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, March 23:-The pres
ident has put organized labor on
the defensive by his forceful speech to
it's leaders at the White House on
Wednesday,, and added an important
chapter to the literature of the labor
question.
A man of less courage would have
hesitated before frankly criticizing and
condemning labor's pet legislative and
administrative hobbies. Not so Presi-
dent Roosevelt. With as much cour-
age and force as he displayed before
the organized labor leaders of Chicago
last year, he dissected the dema nds
presented him by Samuel Gompers, and
Federation Of Labor, and sent those
gentlemen out of his presence feeling
that they could expect no help from
that quarter.
Federation Will Reply.
Mr.. Gompers says today that the
American Federation will at once un-
dertake to submit certain specifica-
tions in support of the charges made in
the formal address submitted to the
president. The matter is in the hands
of a committee of three OF which Mr..
Gompers is the chairman.
1t is believed here that it is highly
be done, and that labor "make good, "
else there is danger that the general
public, which usually sides with the
president, will begin to feel that labor 8
demands are not always as sound as
labor leaders say they are.
There probably is not another public
man in the country, or very few OF
them, at any rate, who would have
felt brave enough to invite the criti
cism which the president invited thru
his speech to the Gompers committee
and that committee thoroly understands
that it must busy itself at once with
submitting data that will correct the
public impression the presidents speech
has undoubtedly already made IN many
quarters. = ...-. ST
Federation in Politics. 4--.s h.
The federation lea ders, representing
Gomper's address the president did no
notice in the Wednesday speech. Mr.
Gompers today admits that 1t is reall,
the intention Of the American Fedora
ton to go into politics, and try to Sc
cure the election Of governors, stat
and national legislators, and even presl
dents, who will do the things that labo
thinks should be done. Of course, tn
federation will try to defeat all cand
dates who will not do these things.
The federation leaders representa-
as they do every branch of organize
labor turnout the United States, say
only the Brotherhood of -Locomotiv
ers, say they have made their last pie
for what they believe to be justice, an
fair dealing, and declare that it 1T
again denied, they will cease pleading
and make a fight at the polls.
They claim that they have gone IT
peatedly to the national conventions c
the republican party, and urged tn
A. nj
forms on behalf of labor; that thes
blanks have been adopted, and th
promises made have been as repeated
broken.
"Candidates Responsible
Conventions are to be ignored in tt
future. and the candidates are to t
held to personal responsibility for tt
failure of their party to enact such LEI
islation as organized labor believe
ought to be enacted.
To accomplish this, these men sa
there will be no separate political o
ganization. This, they believe, wou
result in a weakening Of their strengt
and loss of votes where votes wou
the great parties are to be subjected
the same test, and the labor vote ca
for that candidate, regardless Of his p
litical utilization. who has proved hi
self the friend of organized labor.
Pointing to the fact that within the
organization there are 100000 vot
these labor leaders claim they hold t
balance of power, and can make and u
make presidents. and members of CO
gress, and that the time has come VIII
thew should exercise the power tn
hold for the upbuilding Of the cause
labor, and the amelioration of the wo1
fngman s condition.
Labor Defeated Grosvenor.
The defeat of General Grosvenor
Ohio, for denomination to congress
the people of his district is cited
these labor leaders as one of their V
tories. They declare General Gros'
nor, as member Of the house, and a:
member of the committee on rules.
have been most unfriendly to labor, a
they point to his defeat as the forerl
ner Of similar victories in the futu
Mr.. Littlefeld of Maine is another m
they claim to have marked for slau.
ter.
Some of these labor leaders intima1
today that the next few days wo7
determine whether war was to be was
like General Grosvenor, is a member
triumphs of the past, it was claim
that the defeat of Speaker Cannon
few years ago, when that veteran Y
retired for one term, was due entir
to the labor vote; It can be stated W
positiveness that the record of ev
man in congress- on pending legislat
advocated by organized labor is to
scrutinized henceforth, to the end
the necessary information may be
sued the labor organizations in his
tricts to guide them in their voting
On Trail Of Congressman.
To put the situation plainly orc
will go out that every candidate for
sixtieth congress who has not voted
organized labor believes he should h
voted, must be defeated.
President Gompers of the Ameri
federation, when asked today about
statements Just made In this art
would not deny that they were t
He thinks that the tin1ehas now c
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