Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-09-17
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 Democrat and
Free Trader Fighting to De-
feat the Best Friends of
the Workingman.

1t will be exceedingly interesting to
wage workers and the public In
general to know how strongly the POI
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
real business" conference with Mr..
Mack, manager of the Bryan cam
paign, the opposition of organized
labor to President Gompers' effort to
throw tae 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 AZ
the head of trade union organiza"
ton of non-poltical 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 Il partisan political
party. In doing this he Is going con
trary to all precedent, either In TINS
country or in England. He Is Dem
ocrat and free trader and as such
has at himself on record as iignting
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 mas
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 n
Labor party or the Socialist party and
is at present delivering hammer blows
for the legislative ticket Of the Social
lst party, which was endorsed by ref
erendum vote of the local unions.
The Akron People rips the apti
injunction pretenses of the Democratic
party into tatters, and points out t.
Gompers the utter absurdity of plac
ing any reliance in party that de
clares in favor of restricting inJunc
tons In one plank and follows 1t III
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 IA
greater questions than injunctions
and that 1.-THE labor vote has never beer
delivered or deliverable by any man o.
set of men,"
The Brewers Journal, of Cincinnati
ridicules the growing tameness o
Bryan, declaring that he is no NOR
feared, and calls upon the working
people to stand by workingmen In thu
coming election, something Gomper
will not do.
The Switchmcn's Journal, printed a
Buffalo, opposes Gompers.
rhe Bakers Journal, published II
Chicago, in behalf of its readers ZEN
phatically protests against having on
international organization classcd witt
those who work and vote for tne sue
cess of the Democratic ticket
The Stove Mounters Journal, of De
triot, dismisses the subject with III
conclusion These are the times tn
workingmen find themselves close f
the hearts of the Republican ant
Democratic parties. After election
taelr usual position will be assume,
again"
The Pueblo (Colo) Union Labe
Bulletin remarks that BRO. Gomper
expresses himself as highly please
: with the Democratic labor program
but from this distance we fail to Sc
[ anything to get particularly enthus
astic about. We are presented wit
| the same old alternative OF choosin
2 the lesser of two evils, vita might
} little choice in the matter
The Piano and Organ Workers
+ Official Journal, printed in Chicago
edited by Secretary Dold, formerl
I President of the Chicago Federation
Labor, says in part, speaking
Gompers' action urging union peopl
9 to support Bryan and the Democrat
= party:
"As an excuse for his unusual, III
constitutional and heretofore unhear
e of procedure he offers the labor plan
7 recently adopted by the Democrats {
taeir Denver convention.
1--WE deem it to be our duty to ent'
n most emphatic protest against thi
4 n most wanton disregard for wei
D established trades union law and etI
les.
e The constitution of the A. +. of
Y forbids participation in party polite