The Colorado statesman., 1906-03-24
LABOR MEMORIAL
Presented to President, Senate and
House.

Washington. - President Gomners
If the American Federation of Labor
and the executive council of thar or
ganization, with about 100 representa-
ives of trades unions, were received by
Speaker Cannon in the House lobby
Wednesday. They presented a document
concerning pending labor legislation.
which later was presented to Senator
Frye and President Roosevelt. The
document expresses the opinion that
he eight-hour law is ineffective and in
sufficient, and deplores the govern
ment's attitude towards the law as af-
fecting work on the Panama canal. 1t
complains that the workingmen have
not been protected against convict la
Dor, and that appeals for relief from
undesirable immigration have been
without result.
Recognizing the danger of Chinese
immigration" says the letter, "and re-
sponsive to the demands of the people,
Congress years ago enacted an effect
i've Chinese exclusion law; yet de-
spite the experience of the people of
our own country, as we'll as those of
other countries, the present law is
hagrantly violated, and now, by act of
Congress, it is seriously proposed to in
validate that law and reverse the pol
ICY"
The document concludes: "The
beneficent writ of injunction intended
to protect property rights, has, as used
in labor disputes, been perverted so as
to attack and destroy personal free
dom and in manner to hold that the
employer has some property rights in
the labor of the worltingmen.
.tA Of nht ntfNit hn oil 1inf
which labor has sought, it is seriously
threatened with statutory authority for
existing judicial usurpation. The COM
mittee on labor in the House of Repre-
sentatives in the past Congresses has
been so organized as to make ineffect-
ual any attempt labor has made for
redress. This being the fact in the
last Congress, labor requested the
speaker to appoint on the committee
of labor members who from their eX-
perience, knowledge and sympathy
would render in this Congress such
service as the committee was origin
ally designed to perform. Not only
was labor's request ignored, but the
hostile makeup of the committee was
accentuated.
Recently the President issued an
order forbidding any and all govern
ment employees, upon the pain OF in
stant dismissal from the government
service, to petition Congress for any
redress of grievance for any I'M
provement of their condition. Thus
the constitutional right of citizens
to petition must be surrendered to
the government employe in order that
he may obtain or retain his employ
ment
I'VE present these grievances to
your attention because we have long,
patiently and in vain waited for re
dress There is no. aaT matter of
which we have complained but for
which we have in an honorable and
lawful manner submitted remedies.
The remedies for these grievances
proposed by labor are in line with fun
damental law and with the progress
and development made necessary. by
changed industrial conditions.
Labor now appeals to you, and we
trust that it may not be in vain. But
if. perchance, you may not heed us, we
shall appeal to the conscience and the
support of our fellow citizens
The memorial is signed by Presi
dent Gompers and the executive com
mittee of the American Federation OF
Labor.