Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-18
REGARDED AS A VICTORY
That Was But the Beginning, He As
serts, of a Great Contest.
TELLS BOYS HOW IT HAPPENED"
President Of American Federation OF
Labor and Others Address Audi
ence in Typographical Temple.


president of the American Federation OF
Labor, at Typographical Temple last even
ing The event afforded Mr.. GOmpers an
opportunity of telling the boys how it all
happened" up in Maine.
The audience manifested the deepest in
terest. and at frequent intervals the shout
ing was so tumultuous that it was hushed
only after Mr.. Gompers had raised his hand
for silence.
II was of the nature of a love feast for
the champions of labor. Rejoicing in each
others exploits they recounted the events OF
the fight in Representative Littlefeld's dis
trct. where. they declared, great victory
for their cause had been won.
In fact, they said, the battle was but
begun At the next session of Congress
they predicted there would be many more
representatives who would be more favor
ably disposed toward the petitions of labor
when they are presented for their consid-
Grafton.
When Mr.. Gompers entered the hall with
the members OF the executive committee
of the American Federation of Labor and
others who had worked with him in Maine
die was greeted with applause which did not
Subside for some minutes.
President Feeney Presides.
The meeting was presided over by James
Feeney president of the Bookbinders I'm
ion. who, in his opening address, said: 1T
arranged at the first to hold recep-
ton for Mr.. Gompers for his work In Rep
resentative Littlefeld's district. We said
at the time If Mr.. Gompers reduced the
majority one-half We would consider it a
great victory. If the election had been held
in II western town Littlefield would have
been defeated. They sent the biggest men
into the district The work of labor is
not so much to get into politics but to
elect the men upon whom We can depend.
The policy of standing by your friends and
opposing your enemies Is ours We have
friends in both parties and we must stand
by them. Every labor union should ask
how a candidate stands toward organized
tabor We have two Sans with us tonight
and they were both in the Maine fight They
are Sam Gompers and Sam DeNedry. take
pleasure in introducing the latter Sam
Mr.. DeNedrey, who is connected with the
printers union. then walked to the front of
the platform and said; "A good general can
always fight we'll when he has good SOL
diers. A good soldier can always fight we'll
when he has a good general. We had both.
II was an elegant hght-that up In Maine.
We enjoyed II more than the other fellow.
The question has been asked did the card
men vote for labor. 1 say they did The
wiley old man from Danville and the
shrewd Taft were there fighting against us,
but we killed Littlefield politically. He will
last only two years more. One beauty about
this fight was that there was no short
range Stuff about it. We stood upon mans
front door step and told him what was the
matter. We told him Of the work of organ
lied labor, ana II the democratic canQlQate
had had red blood in his veins would
have won the fight. We went in clean. We
out clean. They said that In Bath.
Me. before our meetings were held there
that we should not bring Gompers in. as he
Elight be offered personal violence. but
one of the party said. We will bring him.
for perhaps a good beating will do Sam
good
Introduced Mr.. Gompers.
Mr. Feeney then introduced Mr.. Gompers
Of ba pia of Iah nd he
president of the American Federation
walked to the front of the platform he re-
ceived great ovation. He said, in part:
Il would be less than human II 1 did not
appreciate the reception you have accorded
me When l reached Washington Wednes-
day | was tired out. Since ! arrived in
Washington l have been trying to get
spell to stand up and say Hello!'
Il have written story of Maine as I
it, 1t will be published In the Ameri-
can Federationist In that article you will
see 1t well as l know how to express my
thoughts on paper. l want to convey to you
that though l was at the front. the execu
tive council and men l requested to come in
and help me were doing great part of the
work. More than all. had the hearts and
hopes of American workmen to urge me on
I'm the fight
Il shall not attempt to relate causes
which led up to this movement. 1t is a
tale of sorrow. You know how this system
OF Injunction arose and how Ii was carried
from one federal judge to another. We
asked for relief. We asked prominent men
In Congress. We stood for labor, but were
fighting for freedom Can you imagine a
man who. Congressman, can stand
upon public rostrum and say.yeu and
stood for a bill in Congress that legalized
murder? 'F''' i--.
Ask for Equal Rights. ...
I'VE ask that workmen We have eauai
rights before law as all citizens of the COM
mon country. The Injunction process is
made to apply to US and to no others in the
United States.
Not only Mr.. Littlefeld but sweet Uncle
Joe was there. He declared We stood for
the licensing of criminal conduct. They
knew it was untrue. We have been urged
TO go into "a political party and conquer the
world: but we know what the world means
We decided to start with members OF Con-
gress They were the most impudent body
to deal with when help to labor was
asked 1t was then our conventions of labor
urged us on.
AT meeting of the American Federation
of Labor the matter was brought up and
acted upon. This gave birth to this move
ment for labor
..Uncle Joe has the adaptabilty to make
YOU think he is a jolly good fellow. He
makes fellow feel good He makes out he
is Just a plain workingman-one or the
boys One may ask how did he become
millionaire never could as workinsman.
will not critcise the President other than
this | have great admiration for President
Roosevelt as the man. / hold that the right
OF petition is "a right guaranteed to him and
neither the President nor Congress can take
IL away l do not believe he took it know
ingly from us: When we threatened to go
in they all thought 1t bluff. We
would make those misrepresentation OF
the people know that We had rights they
must protect They regarded us as threat
ening them Why do we send congressman?
Because there too many OF US to go
ourselves.
Represents the Masses.
organized labor is the only force i'll So
ciety that represents the masses. Yes. we
threaten one trust or another as We would
one coward or another. The makeup OF our
country Is founded on threats. and the
founders of the nation put In our hand the
weapon to enforce the threat. We did not
enter Maine with any distrust OF the state
We knew 1t was an uphill fight when we en-
tered into Littlefeds district. II we had
not gone they would have said we were
AFRAID. We went, and / want to pay my
respects to those who went with me. 1t
was a clean fight. The fight was carried on
fairly. There was not one word OF BIAS
phemy or any word that would reflect upon
nur country r charged Eiffiafiald wit n