The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-04-07
LABOR MAY Be FORCED
TO CO into POLITICS
Gompers Says Labor Will Be
Heard in Coming
Elections
President Will Investigate the
Eight-Hour Day Law
Violations.

" dSlllHS ION, April fine threat OF
the American Federation of Labor to
go into politics as an organization and
vote against the candidates Of the Re-
publican party Is regarded seriously
by the president at least.
Frank Morrison, secretary Of the fed
GRAFTON, today received a letter from
President Roosevelt, In which the chief
executive stated plainly that he would
order an investigation Of every COM
plant that the eight hour law was be-
ing broken by government depart
ments.
He put 1t up to Gompers and Nor
rison to make the complaints and SUBJ
init their evidence. This the officials
say they will do. Samuel Gompers,
president Of the American Federation
| of Labor, made this statement today
| regarding the attitude Of organized
labor:
"Organized labor has petitioned con-
gress time and time again to give
consideration Of our requests for an
enactment of our measures into law,
but our appeals have fallen on deaf
ears, and we will hold the party in
power responsible for the failure to
listen to our grievances. The men,
Or1al we presented to the president,
the speaker and Senator Frye was not
drawn hastily. It was considered by
| the executive council with great care
and elaboration. It was prepared in
| the rough, written and rewritten and
toned down until it contained only
| the essence Of our grievance and con-
! crete form.
why, last summer as president of
the American Federation of Labor, l
wrote to Representative Cannon-not
then reelected to the office Of speaker
"a letter. I respectfully urged that
In the appointment of a labor com.
| m1ttee he would appoint on that COM
mlttee men known to be in sympathy
with the needs of labor, men who
would advocate legislation that had
ben endorsed by labor organizations.
! MY letter was acknowledged by Rep
resentative Cannon's secretary, who
stated he would call Mr.. Cannons at
tention to it on his return to the cap
1tal. I wrote the secretary and said
l considered the matter Of such grave
Importance that the letter ought to be
forwarded to Mr.. Cannon without de-
lay wherever he might be. receiyed
no acknowledgement that my letter
had ben forwarded to Mr.. Cannon.
when the committee on labor was
appointed, with one or two exceptions
1t was composed Of men whose records
were anything but favorable to the
legislation we were asking for. AND
up to this time our grievances have
been ignored.
rs 1t any wonder then that labor
feels that the party in power is un-
friendly and antagonistic to our in
terests? There is but one thing left fol
us to do and that is to appeal direct
to the conscience Of the people and
that is what we shall do. We so stat
ed in our petition. We know the peo-
pie are with us in this fight for right
and pustice. Labor is a slow NOV
ing body; the men who toll and buil6
up the wealth Of the country have
patiently borne injustice for years,
and have each succeeding campaign
given their suffrages to those who
have claimed to be advocates of leg.
islation to tighten the burdens of la.
Dor, but when called upon to kee1
faith with us we have been met with
excuses and promises of doing some.
thing later on.
Il say now that kind of talk anc
promises won't go. I want action, bu1
I am afraid we will get no action
judging by our experience. of Wednes.
day. However, we have votes and this
coming campaign we will know how
to cast them"