Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-18
GOMPERS URGES
PLANK FAVORED
BY FEDERATION
COVERS THE VITAL POINTS IN
FIGHT OF UNIONS
INJUNCTION AND EleHT-HouH
LAW ISSUES INCLUDED
Great Laor Leader Makes Impressive
Plea for Adoption of Resolution
Embodying Ideals of His
Followers
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
CHICAGO, June 17.-When the sub
committee of thirteen Of the resolutions
committee began business at 10 o'clock
the doors Of their assembly room were
thrown open temporarily for the pur-
pose of granting a Commute hearing
to representatives of the American
Federation of Labor and to those OF
the Illinois Manufacturers association.
President Samuel Gompers and Vice
Presidents Kesfe and Duncan appeared
for the Federation and at the begin
ming of the hearing Mr.. Gompers sug-
gested the following as a plank in the
platform, saying that it contained an
embodiment Of the Federation's views:
THE Republican party is in accord
With the great emancipation, Abraham
Lincoln, when he declared that labor
is prior to and independent of capital.
Capital is only the fruit of labor and
would never have existed if labor had
not existed first.
Labor is the superior of capital and
deserves much more consideration.
Through Lincoln's wise and humane
policy the shackles were stricken from
the limbs of 100000 chattel slaves
1.-THE Republican party has been the
staunch defender of property and
property rights, yet holds and declares
that personal rights and human liberty
must of necessity be entitled to the
first and highest consideration.
New Laws Demanded
Recognizing the new conditions
arising from our marvellous Industrial
development, our people and our ma
ton realize the fact that the wheels
of industry and commerce of our time
require that new law and new con-
cepts Of law must be enacted to con-
form to modern industry and commerce
and advance freedom in line Herewith.
1--WE therefore pledge the Republi
can party to the enactment of law
by congress, guaranteeing to the wage
Garner, agriculturists and horticulture
lists of our country the right of or
ganized effort to the end that such as
sociations or the members thereof shall
not be regarded as illegal combina-
tons in restraint of trade.
I'VE pledge ourselves to the enact
ment of law to prohibit the issu-
ance of injunctions in cases arising out
of labor disputes. when such injunc-
tons would not apply when no labor
disputes existed; and, that in no case
shall an injunction be issued when
there exists a remedy by the ordinary
process of law; and which act shall
provide that in the procedure for the
punishment of contempt of court the
party cited for contempt shall, when
such contempt was not committed in
the actual presence of the court, be
entitled to a trial by jury.
Elght-Hour Law
I'VE pledge the Republican party to
the enactment of an act extending the
existing eight-hour day to all govern
ment employees and to all workers,
whether employed by contractors or
sub-contractors doing work for or on
behalf of the federal government.
I'VE pledge the Republican party to
~ fa1n Nf I1T INrr
far as the federal jurisdiction extends,
for general employers liability act,
for injury to body or loss of life of
employees.
I'VE pledge the Republican party to
the enactment of law to the extent
of federal jurisdiction granting wo-
mems suffrage and to submit a consti-
tutional amendment for ratification to
the states for the absolute suffrage of
women, coequal with men.
I'VE pledge the Republican party to
the enactment of a law creating a de-
partment of labor, separate from any
existing department, with a secretary
at its head having a seat in the presi-
dents cabinet.
I'VE pledge the Republican party to
the enactment of law for the creation
of federal bureau of mines and min
ing, preferably under the proposed de-
partment of labor, and the appropria-
vesttgate the cause of mine disasters,
so that laws and regulations may be
reached and enacted which will prevent
the terrible manning and loss of life in
the mines.
Postal Savings Bank
1--WE pledge the Republican party to
the enactment of a law for the estab-
lishment of United States government
postal savings banks.'
nv (1nnnarS followed ha NJ
the planks he presented with an argu-
ment which was extended from time to
time by the committee, ten and five
minutes at a time, until half an hour
had been consumed. He described the
labor movement, its high ideals and
patriotism and true American spirit
held by men of labor organizations.
1--WE don't want to eat an employer
as an appetizer for breakfast or as
dessert for dinner" he calculated, "but
we want fair treatment and we are go
ing to have 1t.
eve are not anarchists or destroyers
of property. l do not believe there is
IN existence in this country force and
power that is such a conserVator of
peace as the American labor movement.
"But you might just as well destroy
the organization of labor as to prevent
their normal activities. l ask you to
compare the influences which this
movement is exerting in the United
States with the revolutionary move
ments that are going on in foreign
countries. If you outlaw our movement
and make 1t impossible and destroy the
incentive for men to belong to labor
organizations, you will have TO deal
with that"
A lively colloquy resulted when Mr..
Gompers took up the record of injunc-
lions.
He disputed the statement made yes
terday to the full committee by Mr..
Emory, representing the National Man
ufacturers' association, to the effect
that eighteen injunctions on labor was
the federal record for fifteen years.
Mr.. Gompers charged that Mr.. Emory
knew this to be a Misrepresentation.
Emory, who was present, strenuously
objected. Emory took occasion to re-
peat his points of yesterday.
Mr.. Vancleave, who heads the Manu-
facturers' association, and Smith of
the Illinois association, called attention
TO the previous failures of labor to ac-
complish results on election day, and
urged the committee to look at the
question without fear.