Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-16
Labor Leaders and Federal Positions

Labor Leaders and Federal Positions.
To the Editor Of The Star:
In Mondays Evening Star appeared an
article from the pen of one of Washing
TONS best known citizens, Mr.. Simon
Wolf, in which that gentleman takes me
to task on account of a report of what
was said during an address before the
Bakers and Confectioners' Union at Ma
sonic Temple last Saturday evening. In
reply to his comment l want to say that
I am not responsible for the manner in
which the average newspaper writer
makes one appear in print" and 1 want
to- deny that 1 ever questioned the 10y
atty Of the late F. p. Sargent to the labor
movement. for two reasonS-firSt, / had
no occasion to. and, second, / never be-
lieve in attacking the dead. The point I
was trying to lead up to in my address
was to call attention to policy that has
been pursued for years in city, state and
national affairs of taking men who have
climbed up on the backs of labor Often
times from obscurity) and appointing
man will admit that the late F. P. Sar
gent was a valuable man as chief or
president of the Brotherhood of LocomO-
tive Fireman's Union. and the article he
wrote in defense of his men when he was
enjoined by the court from exercising his
rights, which was published in the North
American Review for May. 1888 written
after the memorable railway strike OF the
organization of which he was at the
head, showed he was the right man in the
right place but when he was induced to
lay aside the duties as leader of his
ganization to accept political job-a job
where the duties connected Herewith are
fixed by statute law, his duties therefore
being merely perfunctory|I contended
that In accepting such position it did
not help the rank and file Of his organ
ization In the least. 1t took him away
from the men who needed his services
most and gave those who are not friendly
to labor unions an opportunity to say
that the average labor leader is "out for
office"
tried to impress upon those present the
necessity of trade organizations and to
study we'll the questions which confront
the wage-earnerS today and to discourage
the practice of labor leaders accepting
political appointments. for the labor ques-
ton will never be settled or make any
progress If it has to depend upon the eff
forts of "officeholders'' of non-legisla-
tive character. There are too many men
who at one time were very active in the
labor movement who become dormant
when they connect with the public crib.
On account of that very fact IT is about
time that union men stop throwing up
their hats and yelling every time one of
their leaders is appointed to an office
which will benefit the individual and no
one else. Let the union men scan closely
the record of the men who are now APP
pealing to labor for support and find out
If they are sincere or merely talking to
hold their jobs or trying to connect with
one.
There is an old saving that history re-
peats itself. The same stale trick of
throwing a few political jobs to labor
leaders was practiced two thousand years
ago. a French historian tells us that
years ago the bakers and sailors of Rome
had strong trade unions. and whenever
there was a demand for a shorter work
day an increased wage their leaders
were made senator's and knights. This
seemed to tickle the fancy of the workers
to such extent that they went on toll
ing in the same old way. forgetting all
about their grievances. while their leaders
were pretending to be noblemen and were
trying to buy pedigrees.
Workingmen will have q recognize this
plainest fact iii history that no class of
people was ever benefited by the few WHO
rise out of ii, for all great questions must
be settled by the masses of the people and
not by few.
In conclusion let me say that inasmuch
as Mr.. Wolf uphoids the point I was try
ing to make when he said that Mr. Sar-
gents bureau had absolutely no voice in
the matter of labor legislation" l have
nothing more to say on the subject.
F. G. ROBERTS