Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-04-12
IGNORE ORGANIZED LABOR.
Republican Leaders Refuse to Allow
Peoples Representatives
a Hearing.

The memorial Of the labor organi.
cations Of the country to President
Roosevelt, Speaker Cannon and the
presiding officer of the senate, for
remedial legislation and relief from
conditions about which organized la
Dor complains is one of the greatest
political events of this generation. In
effect it declares that, if no relief is
granted, the American Federation of
Labor will discard its non-political
garb and will enter upon the nom
partisan plan of uniting the votes of
all its members against those politi-
clans of all parties VINO have refused
or neglected to vote for the legisla-
ton labor demands and who have
voted for such legislation as the re-
peal of the eight-hour bill in Panama
1t will also mass all its voters for
those candidates of either party who
have proved friendly.
The plan to be followed is to ques'
tion those candidates whose position
on labor legislation has not been dis
closed and combine the labor vote on
those who pledge themselves favor
ably. That will be a pretty tough
proposition for many Republican can
didates who rely upon the Manufac-
turers' association for campaign funds
for the written pledges of candidates
will be published and their usual plar
of promising everything to everybody
will hardly answer.
There was a test vote taken in thu
house of representatives on Januar!
26, which will be found recorded OF
page 1892 of the congressional rec
ord of the present session of congress
on the question of repeating the ap
plication of the eight-hour law t
alien labor employed on the isthmial
canal. The Republicans voted unan
mously for the repeal, and the Demo
Gratis solidly against the extension Q
the hours of work. That vote is on
of the questions raised in the meme
rial of the American Federation c
Labor.
: The Republican managers reporte
/. a special rule, to be adopted withou
i debate, to force this repeal of tn
= eight-hour law as an amendment t
the urgent deficiency bill, and the |;
Dor side of this outrageous action wa
we'll stated by Mr.. Underwood, of Ala
bama, who said:
"You are %depriving the great Ii
boring vote of the United States
the opportunity to come before tt
appropriate committee and give the
: evidence as to why this propositic
should not be adopted and why it
detrimental to the labor conditions
this country, If they desire to do S
and l can say to you, | know thu
do desire to do so. You say that tn
relates to ;.lien labor. One might
led to believe that you did not kno
anything about the principles {
which the contentious for the eigh
hour law are founded when you sta
that proposition. Is not the alien
borer the competitor of American
Dor as any other American laborer?
you want to keep up the standards
American labor, must you not Ike
up the standard of his competitor
If you pull down the standard of t
= competitor of American labor a
open the field for his competitor, doN
W must come the standard of Americ
IT. labor with it of necessity"
it And Mr.. John Sharpe Williams, t
'st Democratic leader. said:
by II said some time ago that the ii
re would come when n more dr.
e. would overflow the drop of your
ay science and your triumph. This
about the drop that will do it. Y
w talk about being peculiarly the pal
representing American labor will
ed the American union. | notice y
always represent it in such a mann
as that the American capitalist m
to collect the returns, and whence
us there is a chance for you to ST
ty. American labor under the fifth
,ct you stab it, and this is one Of
in chances you have had lately, and
of are stabbing now"
nd So here is a concrete case VIII
I'm the Republican leaders refused to
Ter low the representatives of organi
IA labor to even be heard in their o
ed, behalf on one of the most import
he questions that labor is interested
ng To memorabilia a Republican C
ct. gress or president is only time thro
nd away by the labor people. For
IN least ten years organized labor
by been begging the dominant party
hit. pass an anti-injunction bill and OF
legislation, but a deaf ear has b
18th turned to their request, although ]
on before an election the house once
ne, twice passed a bill, knowing it VIC
his be allowed to lapse in the senate.
ath With this record of the Republics
ow It is no wonder that the labor leac
ion have at last decided upon more str
Jon uous action that will produce rest
al