The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-06-17
REVOLUTION SAYS C0MPERS
IF LABOR IS TURNED DOWN
Battle Over Anti-Injunction Plank
RACES in Chicago Today.

| loss of life suffered by employees. u
James Van Cleve, president OF
the National Association of Manu-
facturers is preparing to use des.
perate means to defeat the anti
injunction plank. He insists that
!, this plank will turn all others who
have money invested in this coun.
try against the republican party,
and is busy with the telephone and
telegraph lining up big commercial
organizations, urging them to bring
influence to bear on delegates from
their respective localities.
Gompers is equally busy on the
other side, and there is little doubt
but that the battle for recognition
of labor's demands for what labor
considers just protection will be
an event which will give the con-
vention it's place in history.
The plank would provide that in
functions cannot be issued without
hearing, and would pledge the
party to change the law in such
way as to prevent the issuance of
summary orders by federal judges
in strike cases.
In presenting the plank Gompers
said revolution would be the result
in this country If labor unions are
destroyed or if they are treated on
the same plane as criminal trust"
monopolies. He said:
1--WE don't want to eat the en-
plOyer as an appetizer before
breakfast, nor as dessert after, but
We want fair treatment and are 60
ing to get 1t. We are not anarch-
lists nor destroyers Of property. We
do not represent that idea. We
are as loyal to the institutions of
America as anybody, but we want
to retain the right to organize and
take steps to meet encrouchments
and oppression by capital"
Wade Ellis, Ohio, asked Gompers
IL 1t were true there had been only
% injunctions against labor in the
last five years.
II deny that" said Gompers.
"The man who made that state
ment knows 1t Is untrue"
81 made that statement" an
nounced T. A. Emery, general
counsel Of the National Manufac.
turers' association.
An exciting scene was here pre-
vented by the action Of Chairman
Hopkins, OF the resolutions COM
mittee, who told Gompers to pro-
coed. Gompers then produced a
document from the records of the
house of representatives, including
23 injunction cases. explaining that
they were selected from hundreds.
Emery then asked the committee
to examine the injunction cases re-
ferred to by GOmpers. He said:
"Some are cases Of injunctions
issued for the purpose of restrain
ing men from parading In mining
camps to prevent others from go
Ing to work"
This ended the public hearing
and the committee went into exc
cutive session.
The plank demands law to ex-
tend federal jurisdiction; to grant
woman's suffrage; to submit a con-
stitutional amendment to the states
for ratification providing for abso-
lutte suffrage of women equal to
that Of men; law creating de-
partment of labor separate from
any existing department, with a
secretary at the head holding a
seat in the cabinet; a law creating
a federal bureau of mines and min
ing. preferably under the proposed
department of labor; law appro-
priating sufficient funds for investi-
CATION of causes of great dis
asters for the purpose of recon-
mending laws and regulations pre-
venting loss OF life in mines, and
laws establishing United States
government savings bank.