Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-10-13
FROM LABOR
Kind of Letters Unions Are Send
ing Mr.. Gompers.
DIsTRusT PARTY OF BRYAN.

DISTRUST PARTY OF BRYAN.
Camden Central Labor Union Holds
the Democracy Responsible For DE-
piorabIs Condition of Workers In the
Southern States.
At the regular semimonthly meeting
Of the Camden On. j. Central Labor
union held Aug. 10, 1908. a communica-
tlon from national headquarters was
received In which the work Of the ma
tional convention of the dominant par
ties was set forth and commented
upon. The letter closed with an ap-
peal to stand faithfully by our
friends; oppose and defeat our enc
miles," Accompanying this communi-
cation was request for contribu-
ton to help make 1t possible to wage
a successful campaign for the estab-
fishing Of labor's rights. The matter
was disposed Of by the secretary being
instructed to forward to the national
office the following letter:
Camden. N. j.. Aug. Is. 1903.
Samuel Gompers. Esq, President OF the
American Federation Of Labor:
Dear Sir and Brother-We beg to ac-
knowledge the receipt Of an address Is
sued by the executive council Of the
American Federation Of Labor under date
Of Aug. I. Accompanying this Is an APP
peal for funds to carry out the political
programme Set forth In the address. In
which you call upon the workers Of our
common country to stand faithfully by
our friends. We hereby return to you
both documents not that We do not think
the wagcworkers should stand by their
friends and defeat their enemies. but
for the reason that We fail to agree with
you as to who are our friends and
who are our enemies. You claim 10 be-
lcve the Democratic party to be friendly
to labor because at.its last national oon-
vention 1t promised to do certain things
II elected. For this reason you ask the
trades unionists Of the country to do the
utmost to elect Its candidates and to fur
nish means for carrying on Its campaign.
The Central Labor union Of Camden
believe they have sufficient intelligence to
designate who arc the friends Of labor
In any party's promises made just prior
to election when we have the record Of
that party to guide and direct us. We
refuse to believe that any political party
that has a continuous record for permit
ting the most degrading forms Of labor
to exist In states where Its jurisdiction
Is complete can or will reverse Itself
when 1t comes into possession Of the ma
tional government. Labor has found the
Democratic party faithless and tyrannical
In state government BY what legerdemain
are we to believe II will do better when
II has still greater power to oppressf In
the southern states where Bryan Democ-
racy has been in the saddle for years and
where 1t dominates every ONCE from
the highest to the lowest. are the places
to get the partys record In its relation to
the working class Let US judge II by
what II has done and IL now doing In
places where 1t Is In power. and not by
any promises 1t may make to gain our
votes The rule Of the Democratic party
In the south has produced conditions that
rival the worst In the world. In the fac
tories over which they have legislative
control We find wages the lowest. the
hours the longest and child labor the
severest. Only under Democratic rule do
we find peonage and convict labor farmed
out by the state. with thousands Of men
and boys working with ball and chain.
sentenced there by Democratic Official
upon a trumped up charge OF vagrancy.
Nowhere in this broad land do you find
the misery Of the worker so hopeless or
his poverty 80 degrading as you do In
states ruled by the Democratic party.
Mr.. Gompers, how can you ask the
working class to support any party with
such damnable record? Are you so
piqued because the Republican national
convention handed you lemon that IN
order to defeat Its candidates you would
foist into power u political party that for
the past fifty years has never had the
manhood to raise Its voice In protest
against any injustice or indignity suffered
by the working class7 The rule of the
Democratic party whenever in power has
been most tyrannous and degrading TO
labor. Upon what line Of reason should
the working class help q party that has
never missed an opportunity to Cypress 1t?
William Jennings Bryan. as the stand
ard bearer you ask us to support, has
nevor done anything to merit our votes.
There has never yet occurred crime to
labor Of sufficient magnitude to induce
him to protest.
Mr.. Gompers. the working class cannot
trust a man to be high In power who Is
not brave enough to assert his belief In
ties who furnish the sinews Of war to
carry on his campaign. At no time has
Mr.. Bryan squarely faced the enemy OF
the working class and denounced their
crimes. He has beheld tho tragedies that
ha, O befallen labor with stony eyes and
muzzled jaw.
When Packingtown struck against re-
duction of wages to $50 from T.D per
week no Democratic politician raised his
yhok kha tVSD NJ Ia 90
has suffered In the last few years for the
sake of principle would stir the heart OF
Washington monument II 1t had one, yet
throughout It all Bryan. who stands as
the champion of labor because he needs
our support, has been as silent AZ the
tomb.
II labor's friends are to be found In the
Democratic party. labor would have no
problem to solve and nothing to complain
Of in states controlled by the Democratic
party. The fact that the worst blows
labor is today receiving come from DEM
ocratic Alabama and by persons high up
party Is conclusive proof that the work.
Ing class has nothing to gain by support
ing the party or its candidates.
Free press and free speech the bulwark
of the workers path to q better condition.
have time and again been attacked. and
never once has any prominent Democratic
paper or party leader raised voice to
protest Our friends are they who stand
by US continuously and are ever willing
TO fight our battles. Whenever trades
unionism Is attacked 1t Is not the Demo-
cratic party or press that comes to our
assistance. but the party and press OF
our class. IL labor owes any allegiance
to political party It Is certainly to a
party composed Of and guided solely by
our class and not to one In which labor
cxploters congregate and labor's enemies
control, however much they may promise
In order to secure our support. 1t Is time
for labor to awaken to the necessity OF
political action. but In doing 30 let 1t take
no backward step or make any false
moves. Respectfully yours.
CAMDEN CENTRAL LABOR UNION.
r. NJ. Hartman, President.
w. T. LORING. Secretary.
The sending Of this letter was au-
thorIxed by an almost unanimous vote.
There was one dissenting voice and
two members not voting. - Camden