The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-09-18
His Effort to Throw" the Trade
Union Vote to Bryan Doing
Infinite Harm.
THAT BUSINESS CONFERENCE.
The Labor Press and Leaders Of
Country Unmask President of the
Federation as a Democrat and
Free Trader Fighting to De-
feat the Best Friends of
the Workingman.


wage workers and the public in
general to know how strongly the po-
litical course of President GOmpers,
of the American Federation of Labor,
is being opposed by the labor press
and trade union leaders of the coun-
try. Since the fact has become known
that President Gompers has had a
real business" conference with Mr..
Mack, manager Of the Bryan cam
paign, the opposition of organized
labor to President Gompers' effort to
throw" the trade union vote over to
Bryan is still all the stronger. There
no longer remains any doubt that
President Gompers has arranged with
the Democratic party to try to force
the labor vote to Bryan, and that de-
spite the fact that he, Gompers, is at
the head of trade union organiza-
ton of a non-political nature, ne is,
as an official of that trade union, using
his time, paid for by the union,
and the union machinery in further
ing the success Of partisan political
party. In doing this he is going con-
trary to all precedent, either in this
country or in England. He is DEM
ocrat and a free trader and as such
has put himself on record las fighting
| to defeat the best friends American
| labor ever had in the history of the
Nation.
While many of the labor papers re-
main non-commital on the question,
most of the important ones oppose
the policy of President Gompers. Of
course the out and out Democratic
papers will lean toward Bryan.
| The Toledo Union Leader has
strongly opposed the Gompers slogan
to reward your friends and punish
your enemies" 1t declares that the
policy is ineffective and is likely to do
more damage to the unions than
| good. The Leader has consistently
stood for direct action through a
Labor party or the Socialist party and
is at present delivering hammer blows
for the legislative ticket Of the Social
list party, which was endorsed by ref
erendum vote of the local unions.
The Akron People rips the anti
injunction pretenses of the Democratic
party into tatters, and points out to
Gompers the utter absurdity of plac-
ing any reliance in a party that de-
clares in. favor of restricting injunc-
tons in one plank and follows it up
with declaration that 1T is the func-
ton of the courts to interpret the laws
which the people create"
The GAINESVILLE Labor Journal con-
cludes that labor is confronted by far
greater questions than injunctions,
and that 'the labor vote has never been
delivered or deliverable by any man or
set Of men,"
The Brewers Journal, of Cincinnati,
ridicules the growing tameness of
Bryan, declaring that he is no more
feared, and calls upon the working
people to stand by workingmen in the
coming election, something Gompers
will not do.
The Switchmcn's Journal, printed at
Buffalo, opposes Gompers.
The Bakers Journal, published in
phatically protests against having our
international organization classed with
those who work and vote for tne sue.
cess of the Democratic ticket"
The Stove Mounters' Journal, of De.
triot, dismisses the subject with the
conclusion "These are the times the
workingmen find themselves close to
the hearts Of the Republican and
Democratic parties. After election
tneir usual position will be assumed
again"
The Pueblo (Colo.) Union Label
Bulletin remarks that BRO. Gompers
expresses himself as highly pleased
with the Democratic labor program,
but from this distance we fail to see
anything to get particularly enthusi-
astic about. We are presented with
the same old alternative Of choosing
the lesser Of tive evils, with mighty
little choice in the matter"
The Piano and Organ Workers
Official Journal, printed in Chicago,
edited by Secretary Dold, formerly
President of the Chicago Federation of
Labor, says in part, speaking Of
Gompers' action urging union people
to support Bryan and the Democratic
party:
Gas an excuse for his unusual, un-
constitutional and heretofore unheard
of procedure he offers the labor plank
recently adopted by the Democrats at
their Denver convention.
"We deem 1t to be our duty to enter
a most emphatic protest against this,
a most wanton disregard for we'll
established trades union law and eth
les.
1.-THE constitution of the A. F. of l..
forbids participation in party politics.
president Gompers must and does