The Washington herald., 1908-08-05
LETTER BY GOMPERS
Document Was Read Before
Central Labor Union.
HIS ATTITUDE IS EXPLAINED
Position of the Labor Leader ReIa-
tive 10 the Candidates and Plat
forms Of the Republican and Dem
Ocratie Parties Fully Explained.
Refers TO Personal Attacks

The following letter, which was read at
the meeting Of the Central Labor Union
on Monday night. fully explains the at
utude OF Samuel Gompers. president Of
the American Federation Of Labor, with
reference TO candidates and platforms Of
the Republican and Democratic parties
Washington. D. c.. July 81. ls1s
1ir- John Brinkuan. Delegate Csntral Labor Union.
~ SlNth street ncrtEues-. Washington. D C.
Dear ST and Bruther- Yos,r fsvor q the s5th
Instant 90 hand and contents noted IN connection
ihcreNltll. permit me % say that the executive
CT q Tie American Federatso1 of Labor has con
stalty pursued the course 0utliued b. the American
Fcderari1n of Labor. and emphatically declared -
several c1urcntous. and also IN exact PURSUANCE
the Conference held by the reITescufatiFe worEmeu
as legislation ASKED for az the hands cf the Congress
lust closed and also about the action q the erecs
I've council IN laying labor's grievances and rights
olforc the conventions az the Republican and Demo
cratic parties az Chicago and Denver respectively.
NOnPartfsun Standpoint.
he executive ooacl approached the political par
ties. not as Republicans nor as Democrats but from
nouparrisan standpoint We aimed % represent
the best interests e the working people Of our cun
ry and s1feguard not oulv Their rl-hts and lter-
ues. but the rights and hbeTues q all cur people
Il Is c0mm1n kuowleig- wiki what disdAin and con-
tenpt our Suggestions were treated by the Repub-
hcan convention. L is equally vel known that q
cordial and sympathetic spirit Vas manifested b.
The Democrztic convention % Dcurer
A the executive council meeting the report q
the legislative committee upon the failure = Con
sTess % enact leesl1-iun a remedial character
vas submitted. fully c0sids1gd and approved. You
VIII find tie rsrr- Of the legislative committee PUB
iis1e1 IN the AusIs- Issue q the American Fe5ers-
t1oris-. The entire matter q l-sc-sscd q The posi-
ton 10 which the working people cf our country
r. Naa ~ rH.n HsHH Haa
Tr1cessas and tie decisions q the Supreme Ccrsrr
declaring that The labor examinations cone under
the provisions a the sherman au5i-;r1st law vas
gone over
IT. the Ausu=e s-se q the American Fese-zri'nist
have elItoriaIly eD1eavC-cd % frankly and inuar-
uaiy So forth not 5niy me situs-iou ~ which the
workers of olr -771-rJ md Themselves The treat
rCeut ar-crled % Labor b both the Rerrshcz1 ard
Der71czltlc parties but The aaticr which IL my
-lcsueIf i1c u0-E7rs u our country sho5ld take
A-u readily realize That as u-rsiEeu- q TIE
American Fedsratidl q Izb1- and as ey5Itc- q tire
american Fcds-ricuisr. undertook 70 express not
merely 17T personal views. t-- tle o1cal Vows Of
r1ar Cd5-C
For years there has never bee1 q b1uarsse orEari-
za-iou q the WORKING people r-eatiuz % consider
t1e subjects herein referred 90. but a. Vhi-h the
deep sl1fe- indignation aEll--- t1e -r1Ss I1.zstice
trcll which lahor suffered hHs been declared az
ta-sc1 and denounced ard re-isf deuluced a. the
lands q the lau-u-Hzl1z uorFr. Nrr --ea- cp-
17-ru-i-y has T-ess--eI i-se-E one of the great
political parties has than iFuarcd uracl-aI1y
71--i-1l party has made lzbcrs cu--elti1n f1r -.s-
--cc and nights rs u the L1-rtg. loving rla--5-
t-iss of the u-lssss g -ie American people faf
% APPRECIATE tie tTlusCr1d1-- I-1-0r-aucr n the
present Situation ard fail % reform thcir duty l-
the I-Cuisss. they VII have ll-e bat Themselves
20 blame
Should IS b zecessary 81 tH- rear future 20 CON
u--1lcatc 4i-l fel TE0rEe-s In a u1-e general
specific and dvtaiieG m1rner- tza- uiu l. done
f1r me present. I csa D.. advise labor uhat is
e7u7syet in TIE cD-l1E q my ieldirg cditc-ial e
ne August issue Of the Amc-lcal Feie-aii1ris-.
fct1 parties have sTosel- tdooe- between them
The Washington Pos q ges-e-dav contains
st1rer1cr- gE-sUs-i-E fT1u f-c mana -CIeLr ~ ne
her-nlc1n -1upnign tlat tEcJ u-lp1le o. establish
--Eauiz-i labor thar they are gong % create "a
re--e-l0- against t7ou.7ers IN t1s labor uoTsue1--
MAT they are song % attack me % every POS
s-h-e. and that they Win l-su7--ste movement for
u,F rrtlreu5u- f-r-u the r--ss1cy of the American
fe1s-1ti11 q Lahc-.
The Labor Bureaus.
Of cou-zs- 7 do r-- wish yos or zzy ore else f-r
moment TO imagine thar anyone Who uzy di-er ron
ths po,s--ss -asd d5uu b. o-Ezuize5 Labor q adyC-
Gated b. uyscf. Is therefor ether d.s-1o1rsble
O. dishcne. a-t -o1 can readily realize what Is i'm
plisd b. the estshiishEsuc o. the SCALED labor
bureaus. ard what thsy VIII ain 70 accomplish As
7 -ske u. they VII make * r7l1- % diserclIt
arr-hnE uis-L any ether authorized ren7ceeura-
tive q the labor movement Uay say OF dO-to thruw
odI-u1 uTUl ever aC-. 20 create s-sIicc-l and
destroy C1uld-I-e- 1-u VII have noticed that some
q those who have heen 0u-ras-s from the labor
movement, and who have been expelled from labor
CrEzuIzl;i1uz are 1cv Socd eact-zh 90 be Quoted
ezteuso against tbe labor E11vCueu- as against ny
self
IN 50 far as they u,av attack ne rrzouzliy OF
o1icla-lv. II matters L--le- ard u far they
nay encompass nv refire1eu- fr0r3 aff-iaI life In
the labor movement IS os lesser c1sl1Hrce--hat Is
fa- the labor movement and -s future are con-
s--nei- There is 10 f.0S-llal earth which I hold
IL hiFhcr eEai-a-iol THAI Gn rlc presidency e
The American Federation Z Lsb-r. ard Z I ar 70
50 down hecausa da-r % carry 20 their I0gicll
conclusion the dc-lar1tiCus and instructions q CIR
erez- increment e 7 am % he o-s-isry DESTROYED
because dare in the face q Icze-fuI corporate
and cuteurtlhe uTUCsitio-. then az lease I shall
have the satisfa-ti-1 of having e1dcar1-ed faith
fully protec- and advancc the rights q my fellow
WORKERS and mv feoT--ifize1s. as vel es being al
peace with ny own cocs-e1c.
I have written az greater length than 7 intended
Eieu beginning this letter. bu- y1ur question. as
vel The s1hiec- involved has led 20 the e1-
preston q thoughts uppern0st IN my Mid az this
time
Under any and All ci-c11ns.znces I sincerely hope
fer The c1-oTeraticn cf al fellow -vr1rksrs %
stand b. the bona hde t-ade-niou rno=e-nert TO be
true the best interests. rights. and freedom q
our feIlow-vorSe-s ard - present. solid u.halanx
20 al ocr Antagonists upon any and al fields of
h-rrsn s--irit-.
VITA kndezr regards and bcS wishes I an.
f-ltaruaIly you-s.
fsizuedl SAMUEL GOMPERs.
President A--erscan Feierztion q Labor.