The Washington times., 1908-08-27
Labor to Direct Aggressive
Campaign Against the
Speaker.
OUTLOOK PLEASES
FEDERATION MEN
Leaders Declare Union Bodies
Generally Indorse Program
and Promise Funds.
Bv 7. C. WELLIvER.

Something Of the character Of the
campaign organized labor will make
this year may be gathered from the
announcement made yesterday, that
President Samuel Gompers, OF the
American Federation OF Labor viii de-
liver the grafton on Labor Day. Septem-
ber 2, in Danville, III.
DanviHe is the home Of Speaker Can
non-"genial Uncle joe" said Mr.. Com
pers with flne irony in his tones, IN
speaking OF the appointment. Labor is
planning a great fight against the
( Speaker, and is going to invade the rural
. precincts OF his district as well as the
towns.
do you feel that you have any real
chauce to defeat the Speaker was
asked Of Mr.. Gompers.
II am always hopeful; this year am
confident" replied the head Of the or
ganizatiOn which claims 100000 mem
bers.
Labor has in mind to make trouble
entirely outside its own organized
ranks, however Mr.. Compers is leaving
IN a day or two for Fort Worth. Tex,
to address what he described as 1.-The
greatest convention of farmers ever
held" This is the Farmers National
known viii plead with the farmers 10
stand with organized labor. His two
addresses at Danville and Fort Worth,
are TO be the keynotes of labor's cam
paign with the two classes Of people 70
whom they viii be addressed. They will
be given the very widest circulation
possible.
Keeps Program to Self
NJ oady has been able to discover, W
to this time. to what program Mr.. Com
pers is most devoted: whether 10 elect
ing Mr.. Bryan, or to defeating his pet
enemies In the House Of Representa-
gives. He was invited. many months
ago. TO deliver the Labor Day address
at Davenport. in the Second Iowa dis
trict. This district is represented by
a. r. Dawson, who has been selected
to be whip Of the House, under the
Cannon organization, next session, pro-
Vided he is reelected. Mr.. Dawson does
not stand strong with the labor leaders,
and his afhliation with the House orga-
nization is the reason Mr. Gompers
did not promise 10 speak at Davenport
he wrote a tentative letter indicating
that he was pleased with the invitation,
and If engagements should be such as
20 permit, he would be glad later TO
accept
It developed that the DanvilIe meet
ing, which is TO be made a great rally
of labor and rural forces interested in
the labor propaganda, came up later,
and MIR. GOmperS accepted the DanVille
date. Meanwhile, the Davenport people
had assumed that he would be with
them and they have advertised the
meeting there. The MISUNDERSTANDING
has been explained away, and the DaV-
enpUrt organizations may get Mr.. Com
perS later In the campaign. He said IL
was quite possible he would make some
speeches in Iowa during the fall.
Confidence at Headquarters.
It is an open secret among people
familiar with doings around the head
quarters Of the American Federation in
Ghis city, that the most remarkable
confidence prevails there. In the last
Few weeks returns have been coming
IN from the appeal of labor to its ad-
herents throughout the country This
appeal was sent out August 1, and Sec
getary Frank Morrison talked about the
returns from 1t today with much frank
ness.
we have in the American Fedora
ton" he said, about 2000,0 members
Then there are the four great railroad
OTders-the engineers, dremen, cOnduC-
tors, and trainmen-WhiCh are not affil-
lated with US; also the plasterers and
in al any time; they have had the mat
ter up at recent meetings. We calcu-
late that there are from three 10 three
and cne-half million members of or
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