The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-05-11
EMPLOYERS TURN TO POLITICS
ASSOCIATION or MlNUF4CTUR-
ERS WILL FIGHT GOMPERS

The National Association. Of Manufac.
turers, which has now S,OOO'members rep.
resenting a combined capital Of ti5, QUO, 900,
Is TO hold lis thirteenth annual conven-
ton at the Waldorf Astoria beginning
next Monday, The meeting is looked
upon as the most importance IN The history
Of the association.
According Ia President James w. Van
Cieave Of 81. Louis, who was at the Waldorf
Astoria yesterday arranging plans for the
convention, the association has decided
to 90 into politics and combat the efforts
made in that direction by Samuel Gomrers.
Mr.. Van Cleave intimated that the action
Of President Roosevelt In trying to force
through Congress legislation to suit the
labor vote was largely behind this decision,
It Is the feeling that this has aroused among
the members Of the association that bids
fair TO make the meeting next week so
important. or the 5000 members moro
than one-half have signitied their intention
Of being present, and action is TO he taken
which will show in unequiyocal terms
the attitude Of the association toward this
legislation and just what its members
propose to do in the approaching campaign.
Mr.. Van Cleaye said that he did not Ok
poet that the three m easuIe' which have
stirred up the association The Hepburn
bill, the an%i-injunCtiOn hill and the eight
hour day measure would ass but that
the situation presented IN these measures
and in their advocacy by a President who
had on many occasions denounced class
legislation WAS one which com PEELED the
business msu Of this country TO take All in
forest In the polite al situation such AZ
they had never taken before.
'lf,' he said, in getting actively into
politics we find ourselves compelled tempo
rarily to oppose public men whom we
favored under different conditions aud
whom we still respect. then so much the
worse for those men. As this Is a year in
which a PIe sident and Congress are 10 be
! elected there Ia 4 powerful Incentive for
dem agogues, social d~isturboTs and self
seekers Of all sorts TO use threats 10 brighten
the party leaders and the party candidates
OF each Of the two great organizations into
doing their bidding. An unusually large
number Of issues touching the rels uons OF
labor and capital and involving the vel
fare Of all our industries are before US, and
already some Of our party chieftaps and
Presidential aspirants are beginning to
make concessions 10 these selfish interests,
hANNllBNS lhNOlNu w NOlHN NNh lAlNAAAiiAk
but misguided persons in high places are
being made to push legislation through
the present session Of Congress which, II
enacted, will raise class distinctions and
create a favored order in this community,
Employers must fight this class legislation
and fight IL now. They must fight II not
because ii grants special favors TO the labor
trust but because we are against the grant
ing Of special favors 20 any particular in
tnraaN or ~ aUNy alanaant Of the manila tim =
Mr.. Van Cleave said that the public and
Presidential candidates had an exaggerated
notion Of organized labor's voting strength
and that IL did not amount to more than
500, 1000 votes, And. he said, there 10 no
man living, not even Gompers, that can
control those votes
The labor trust az Mr.. Van Cleave
put i, was well organized for the campaign
and had large funds.
Encouraged by its success for years
past in frightening cowardly and trucking
politicians he went on 10 say. the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor, right at this
moment. 10 swinging it's club over the law
makers in Congress and the leaders and
Presidential candidates in the endeavor to
force them to do its bidding, and has an
nounoed that il proposes to list every candi-
date who is ar enemy to organized labor
from the President down.
TO Offset these forces, 10 strengthen the
hands of honest and courageous lawmakers
who are defying the threats OF the labor
trust and who are legislating for the entire
American people, TO see that these men are
not slaughtered At the primaries a. well
as at the polls by the labor trust, and also
10 retire from Congress at the end OF their
present tern, thaGe tTrksteis anu towards /
who have surrendered TO the labor trust il
ia now necessary that the manufacturers
OF this nation go into politics, We are
compelled TO do this in our own defence
and in defence OF the community. The
business men Of the country have got TO
think in this campaign and II Ia up to them
to see that no d~emagogue is elected. II
two demagogles are no.7inatedithen God
help the country
President VansClsave said that the
association intended 10 maintain its I'M
yielding opposition to the boycott. the
closed shop and other principles Of the
labor trust The injunction granted by
the Supreme Court in the Bucks Stove and
Iron case. he said. had already been treated
contemptuousfy by the labor leaders.
AT the convention Of the United Mine
Workers, presided over by John Mitchell,
n resolution was adopted declaring this
boycott still in force and imposing a fine
Of IS on every member who disregarded
t.. Mr.. Mitchell had been served per-
sonaIly with a copy Of this injunction.
And vet we hnd President Roosevelt naming
Mitchell recently "A one Of the five or sly
greatest men in this country, along with
Andrew Carnegie and Grover Cleveland.
Think OF III Suppose Hartman or James
j. Hill had violated an order Of the Su-
preme Courts? What would have hap
Dened 10 them?
The situation is known TO the employers
OF the country and il IL known 70 the mass
Of organized labor. deprived in many To-
calitles OF the chance TO earn a livelihood.
The remedy lies with the American people.
Ii is our purpose 10 make the Truth OF this
whole situation widely known. 20 cham
pion the cause Of the independent work.
and the employers alike against
the aggressions OF this trust
"In the light Of the recent legislation at
Washington, even after the Supreme Court
has declared the boycott illegal. IL becomes
evident that 10 do this the employers must
systematically and extensively participate
in national politics, especially in the APP
preaching Presidential campaign, The
attempt OF Mr.. Roosevelt TO get this legis-
lation ia nothing more or less than a sop
to the 90. called labor vote
MIR. Van Cleave said that over 10000
business men had sent protests 10 Congress
against this legislation IN the last two days;
that all that was needed to bring back
prosperity was confidence. and that a few
labor union leaders were doing their best
10 DELAY lis rettUn. s@WS are on the up grade
again. he said, aand unless something
now unforeseen intervenes the country
ought TO be once more enjoying a fair de-
gree Of prosperity before the end Of 1902
Mr.. Van Cleave said that he did not he.
that Mr., Bryan If nominated could
ever hi elected.
Personally he said. Il believe Mr.. Taft
Ia a safe man, but he ia in bad ma