The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-06-25
ORGANIZED IABOR'S.
CHICAGO DEMANDS
Plea of President Gompers and Other Leaders for
Anti-1njunction and Other Labor P1anks are
Fruit1ess

At the hearing before the Plat
form committee on Thursday
President Gompers and Vice
Presidents Duncan and Keefe pre-
scented the following as plank in
the platform and delivered labor's
ultlmatum to the Republican
party:
"The Republican party is in ac-
cord with the great emancipation,
Abraham Lincoln, when he de.
clared that labor is prior to and
independent of capital. CAPITAL
is the only fruit of labor, and
could never have existed if labor
had not first existed. Labor is
the superior of capital aud de-
serves much more consideration. !,
Through his wise and humane
policy the shackles were stricken
from the limbs 100000 chattel
slaves.
'The Republican party has been
the staunch defender of property
and property rights, yet holds and
declares that personals rights and
human liberty are and must of
necessity be entitled to the first
and highest consideration. Recog
nlzlng the new conditions arising
from our marvellous industrial de-
velopment, our people and our
nation, realize the fact that the
wheels of industry and commerce
OF our time require that new law
and new concepts of law must be
enacted to conform to modern in
dustry and commerce and advance
free dom in line Herewith.
s'We therefore pledge the Re
publican party to the enactment of
q law by Congress guaranteeing to
the wage .earners, agricult urist and
horticulturists of our country the
right Of organized effort, to the
end that such associations or their
members shall not be regarded as
illegal combinations in restrainst
of trade.
eve pledge ourselves to the en-
actment of a law to prohibit the
issuance of injunctions in cases
arising out of labor disputes ex-
listed, and that in no case shall an
injunction be issued when there
exists a remedy by the ordinary
process Of law, and which act shall |
provide that in the procedure for
the punishment of contempt of
court the party cited for contempt
shall, when such contempt was not
in the actual presence
of the court, be entitled to trial
by jury.
owe pledge the Republican
party to the enactment of an
extending the existing
eight hour law to all Government
employees and to all workers,
whether employed by contractors
or subcontractors doing work tor
or on behalf of the Federal Govern
ment.
eve pledge the Republican
party to the enactment of a law
by Congress-, as far as the Federal
jurisdiction extends, for a general
employers liability act for in.
jury to body or loss of life of en-
employees.
"We pledge the Republican
party to the enactment of law to
the extent of Federal jurisdiction
granting women's suffrage and to
submit Constitutional amend
ment for ratification to the States
for the absolute suffrage of women
equal with men.
"We pledge the Republican party
to the enactment of law creating
department of labor, separate
from any existing department.,
with secretary at its head having
seat in the Presidents Cabinet.
eve pledge the Republican
party to the enactment of law for
the creation of a Federal bureau Of
mines and mining, preferably I'M
der the proposed department of
labor, and that the appropriation
of sufficient funds to thoroughly
investigate the cause of mine dis
aSterS, so that the laws and reeu-
latlons may be recommended and
enacted which will prevent the
terrible maiming and lost of life in
the mines
eve pledge the Republican
party to the enactment of a law
for the establishment of United
States Government postal savings
banks''
Gompers argued every point in