The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-09-10
Labor Day Celebration Becomes a
Political Pow. WOW With Well
Known Speakers Present
MCGEE DEFENDS REPUBLICANS
John A. Awkward, Democratic Candidate
fer Governor Makes Vigorous De-
Tense of Democratic Platform
Thousands Cheer Speakers

For the first time in the history of
organized labor in Kenosha, Labor Day
was given over to a political celebra-
ton Monday and thousands Of laborers
from Racine and Kenosha county who
attended the Labor Day celebration at
Central Park got their fill Of politics.
The picnic was given under the aus
picis Of the Kenosha Trades and Labor
Council and the state committees of all
the political parties had been asked to
send speakers. All the parties with
the exception of the Prohibition party
accepted the invitation. Democracy
sent her biggest gun in the person of
John A. Awkward of Madison, the Dem
ocratic candidate for governor, the Re
publican committee sent G. A. A. Nc
Gee of Milwaukee, and the Social Dem
Ocrats were represented in the political
debate by w. A. Jacobs of Racine the
Social Democratic nominee for member
of congress in the first congressional
district.
political question from the standpoint
of their party in brilliant manner
The interest in the day however, was
centered in the speeches made by G.
A. MCGEE and Candidate Awkward.
Mr.. MCGEE had no set speech, but
spoke of the principles Of the Repubi
can party. He praised the laboring
men for the victories they had won and
declared that the condition Of the labor
ing men in America today was one Of
the biggest recommendations for the
party which had been in power for so
many years. He spoke of the advance
ment that the laborers had made in this
country in the past twenty years and
compared their present condition to the
condition of laborers in other countries.
He spoke of the Republican party as
the friend Of the laboring man and
pointed out the work that had been
done by the party to better the condi-
tions of the laborer and his employer
as WE'LL He spoke of Roosevelt, Taft
and LaFollette and the mention of the
names brought repeated cheers from the
vast crowd present. He declared in no
uncertain words that there would be no
knitting of Taft among the so-called
"Half Breeds of Wisconsin, but that
every man of them was ready to take
the field and support the nominee
of the Republican party. He spoke at
length on the Republican platform and
declared that il offered more for the
laboring man than any other platform
that had ever been written. He de-
clared that it was the purpose Of the
Republican party to carry out the
"Square Deal policy to the letter and
that the laboring man was assured of
having his every right fully protected
under a Republican administration. He
spoke of the policies Of the Republican
party in regard to tariff reform and of
special legislation that had been mark
ed out for the benefit of the laboring
men, He spoke of eight hour laws and
the protection of men in all classes
of labor with right regulation of work
ing hours. z
In closing Mr.. MCGEE paid high
tribute to the dignity of labor and the
things that had been accomplished by
organization.
Mr.. Awkward addressed the opening
portion of his remarks to the laboring
men of the two counties and then pre-
sented the Democratic policies. He
was frequently interrupted by applause.
In opening his address Mr.. Awkward
said:
CT address you as fellow workmen,
because am one of your number. I
have done and am doing my full share
of honest toll. The lawyer and the
business man who works honestly for
the support Of himself and family and
the improvement of society and his fell
low men have very much in common.
But I am of still closer kin. My
father was q cooper by trade. Tn those
days there were no labor unions. The
necessity for the labor of each laborer
or tradesman was matched off against
the needs OF others and twelve or four
teen hours of arduons labor per day
barely suficed for the meagre support
Of my father and his family. Unable to
stand over burdening exacGions of his
trade he turned to railroading and foT
more than forty-three years served as
a section foreman at Black Earth in
this state.
AT the age Of IL years, was doing
a man s full work with him as an ordi-
nary day section laborer This work
continued for three years. We worked
from $3.50 in the morning until at
night and carried our dinner with us.