Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-06
IN LABOR CIRCLES

i s4Ss
| The Carriage and Wagon workers OF
Washington. who are now on strike for an
increase in their wage scale, seem to be
confident OF success. While they recognize
| that the contest may extend over a period
Of several weeks. they feel certain that all
the money they desire win be readily Sc
cured to finance the contest. Mr.. John H.
| Brinkman. an experienced labor leader and
labor editor has been placed at the head
of the strike committee. in whose ability and
| foresight the members of the local have the
utmost confidence. When Mr.. Brinkman
was seen at the strike headquarters this
morning he made the following statement:
| I'VE were very much surprised to read in
/ the public press of yesterday the statement
| that this union was financially embarrassed
| and was compelled to seek such aid as we
| could get from the various organizations of
| Washington in order to maintain the fight.
stated On the floor of the Central Labor
| Union last Monday night that we desired
| money. not for immediate use, but Tor Iu-
| ture use in the event that the strike became
| protracted: and that If the contest was
brought to close earlier than we antici-
pated We would turn back the money adj
vanced by the various organizations at once.
1t is our plan to so provide funds for the
| maintenance of the strike that 1t can be
! carried through the entire summer. From
| assessments alone ieVleU upon WOFhul6
members We realize more than $275 per
week. A telegram from headquarters at
/ Chicago this morning informs US that 500
! is on the way to Washington, and that an
| assessment will be levied at once upon the
entire membership for the Washington local
| THE central body has put up close upon
a half thousand dollars while the Balti-
more local has come forward with half its
/ treasure, amounting to several hundred dol
| lars. We have every assurance from the
/ officials of the American Federation OF La
| Dor that they will do as they did in the last
! contest four years ago-support the carriage
! makers both morally and financially. We
are not losing any sleep over the situation
but, al the same time, we are not In the
/ least relaxing our efforts in every direction
! to secure the sinews of war and extend this
/ fight through the entire summer. Tomor-
! row night we will have great meeting, at
| which the entire membership of the central
! body viii be present. including Secretary
| Frank Morrison of the American Federation
of Labor. Many speeches will be made by
| all the prominent labor leaders of the Dis
| trlct. and if YOU think the carriage makers
| are getting weak Just attend that meeting.
| I'VE will win this fight because po
| sition is SO lust and SO equitable that the en-
| tire labor fraternity of Washington has rail-
| ried to our support
| President Samuel Gompers of the Ameri-
| can Federation of Labor sounded the shib-
| boleth of the organized trades untonists of
! this country when he said to a Star re-
| porter:
I'VE (meaning organized Labor will re-
| ceive just treatment at the hands of Con-
| gress we will know the reason why
The two principal measures now pending
| in Congress upon which favorable action
is demanded by the labor hosts is the bill
restricting the granting of injunctions by
the courts and the proposed eight-hour
act 1t is said the failure to enact these
measures into laws will mean increased
activity among the workingmen of the land
to punish at the polls those responsible for
the failure of the legislation mentioned,
either by active opposition to it on the floor
OF the House or Senate, or by inactivity or
neglect
Speaking editorially in the American Fed
erationist President Gompers expresses the
opinion that If the interest manifested by
the working people in the political stand re-
Gently taken by the American Federation
of Labor and Its affiliated unions continues
10 grow many of those who feel cock-sure
of their political safety may find the day
aIler the coming congressional elections
that they have been relegated to that poIiti
cal oblivion they so well merit on account
OF their Indifference or hostility toward
iapor and the interests of the people gem
orally"
Continuing, Mr. Gompers saws that so,oa
OF the replies received to the communica-
ton asking views on 'Labor's Bill of
grievances assumed position of auster-
ny. as II 70 declare that IL they favored leg
islation which would accord the toiIers or
our country their rights under the Con-
stltution, such action would be betrayal
or their legislative honor In few "a ses
the answers contained the remark that
iapor should proceed on It's Quiet way,,
without threatening congressman with its
political ill-Wtu "N-A IS
Pray. when has 1t become wrong to ra-
quest OF demand from congressman that
they AFFORD relief TO those who feel bur
uenea or TO ask for the repeal of wrongful
IesIsldtoh! asks Mr.. Gompers. "Of course
, - act as INDICATED conveys an Implied
threat which is ma ma
ne made by those who have Interests ~
serve and principles to advance AS mat
Ter or fact, the right of sovereign citizen
sI,p-the pallot-is in Its very essence not
oniy threat, but the means to enforce
the threat to defeat those who oppose nd
eject those who are favorably disposed to
iurther the interests of the citizen Labor
in this action is entirely within its lawful
ana moral rights, and is entirely Justified
IN the exercise of its political as well as IFS
economic powers.
That the toilers will exercise their rights
ana privilege and power more decidedly In
the future than they have in the past.
many OF those now in the halls of Congress
VIII learn to their dismay and discontinue
10 our fellow workers and friends We urge
that they act intelIigentiy unitedIy ana
practically TO accomplish the purposes they
. nave set for themselyes-the enactment OF
their lawful demands Wherever opportu-
nifty affords let labor secure the election of
intelligent, faithful honest earnest trade
unionists with clear. unblemished. paid-up
union cards in their possession
Wherever possible let labor elect its
own men, but wisdom and foresight forbid
the nomination OF labor man In a hope-
less district, particularly when that action
may result in the election of man who
is known and persistent opponent to the
cause of labor, of justice and right Let us
stand by our friends. our true friends not
those who simply mouth their pretended
friendship now, and whose past course has
given their pretensions the lie. Let us adj
minister a singing defeat to all men or
parties who are indifferent negligent or
hostile"
Replying to Prof. J. Lawrence Laughlin's
recent scathing arraignment of trades
unions, President Gompers denies that they
nave sought to stimulate antagonistic