Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-04-26
A VIGOROUS T
l1ie Labor Leaders Memorabilia the
ReDubIiCanS.

Republicans.
The memorial of the labor organiza-
tons of the country to President Roose-
welt, Speaker Cannon and the presiding
officer Of the senate for remedial legis-
lation and relief from conditions about
which organized labor complains is one
of the greatest political events of this
generation. In effect it declares that if
no relief is granted the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor will discard it's non
political garb and will enter upon the
nonpartisan plan Of uniting the votes
of all it's members against those poll
ticians Of all parties who have refused
or neglected to vote for the legislation
labor demands and who have voted
for such legislation as the repeal of
the eight hour bill in Panama. 1t will
also mass all it's voters for those candi-
dates Of either party who have proved
friendly.
The plan to be followed is to ques-
ton those candidates whose position
On labor legislation has not been dis
closed and combine the labor vote on
those who pledge themselves ~favorably,
That will be a pretty tough proposition
for many Republican candidates, who
rely upon the Manufacturers asso.
citation for campaign funds, for the
written pledges Of candidates viii
be published, and their usual plan of
promising everything to everybody
will hardly answer.
There was q test vote taken in the
house Of representatives on Jan. 2G
which will be found recorded on page
1892 of the Congressional Record OF
the present session Of congress on the
question of repeating the application OF
the eight hour law to alien labor EN-,
ployed on the isthmian canal. The Re
publicans voted unanimously for the
repeal and the Democrats solidly
against the extension of the hours OF
work. That vote is one of the questions
raised in the memorial Of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor.
The Republican managers reported
special rule, to be adopted without de
bate, to force this repeal of the eigh'
hour law as an amendment to the VI
gent deficiency bill, and the labor sidt
of this outrageous action was wei
stated by Mr.. Underwood of Alabama
who said:
"You are depriving the great labor
ing vote of the United States of tho
opportunity to come before the APP
propriate committee and give their evi
dence as to why this proposition should
not be adopted and why it is detrimen
tai to the labor conditions of this coun
try if they desire to do so, and | cal
say to you know they do desire to dc
so. * * * You say that this relates t.
alien labor. One might be led to be
lieve that you did not know anythin!
about the principles on which the con
tentions for the eight hour law arr
founded when you state that PROPOSE
ton. Is not the alien laborer the com
petitor of American labor as any othe.
American laborer? If you want t
keep IN the standards Of American la
borer. must you not keep up the stand
ard of his competitors? If you pull
down the standard of the competito
Of American labor and open the fiel(
for his competitor down must come thu
standard of American labor with it O
necessity"
And John Sharp Williams, the Dem
ocratic leader. said:
81 said some time ago that the tim'
would come when Il more drop Woult
overflow the cup of your insolence ant
your triumph. This is about the drol
that will do it. You talk about bein:
peculiarly the party representing Amer
lean labor within the American Union
I notice you always represent 1T IL
such a manner as that the American
capitalist may collect the returns, ant
stab American labor under the fifth I'll
you stab it, and this is one of thu
chances you have had lately, and yo'
are stabbing now"
SO here Is q concrete case where tn
Republican leaders refused to ALLOW
the representatives of organized labo
to even be heard in their own behal
on n OF the most important question!
that labor is interested in. 10 memo
rialize q Republican congress or presi
dent is only time thrown away by thu
labor people. For at least ten year:
organized labor has been begging thu
dominant party to pass an anti-injunc
ton bill and other legislation, but {
deaf a has been turned to their re
quest, although just before an election
the house once or twice passed q bill
knowing it would be allowed to lapse
in the senate.
With this record of the Republican:
1t is no wonder that the labor leader!
have at last decided upon more siren
uOus action that will produce results.
A Trust
That bridge trust in Ohio that thu