The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-11-03
LABOR LEADERS
ASSA|L GOMPERS,
Resent His Attempt to Deliver
Their Vote.
HIGH A. F. OF [. OFFICIALS.
First and Sixth Vice Presidents of the.
Organization critieise Their Chief
For Promise to Hand Over Vote to
Bryan - Gompers' Appeal Thrown
Under Table.


For Promise to Hand Over Vote to
Bryan Gompers' Appeal Thrown
Under Table.
my purpose In coming to Washing
ton was to arrange with Mr. Gompers
for perfect cooperation between the
organization under him and the or
ganization at my disposal" That is
what Chairman Mack of the Demo
cratic committee said in August. He
had arranged with Mr.. Gompers to de-
| liver the labor vote.
But Mr.. Gompers has found it harder
to perform than it was to promise. His
activity in the interests Of Bryan and
his calm assumption that THE organi-
cation under him''-"his" men-would
vote as he tells 1t to have created dis
sension In the ranks Of labor.
DissensIon Begins Early.
This dissension began to show itself
almost Immediately after Mr. Mack
and Mr.. Gompers had reached an
agreement about "their" organizations,
| The first protest came from the West
ern Federation Of Miners, That fed
Grafton sent to all labor unions cir
cular protesting against Mr.. Gompers'
plan to deliver" their votes.
/ sGompers has heard" the circular
said, "the censure that has come from
| all quarters and is up In arms to rebel
against the limitations that have been
made by many who question the course
| he has taken In an attempt to swing
/ the labor vote to the Democratic party
i It Is apparent that Gompers has heard
the rumbling in the ranks Of organized
| labor. and men who are neither rene
gades nor outcasts In the movement
have voiced their sentiments In no I'M
certain terms In opposition to the man
whose political declarations have
raised the suspicion that the American
Federation Of Labor is to be made an
annex Of the Democratic party In the
pending campaign"
Vice President Duncan.
Chief among those who object to
Mr.. Gompers' assumption of power to
| deliver the labor vote to Bryan are
| two high officials Of the federation
one of them next in command 20 Com
pers himself. They are James Dun
can. first vice president of the Ameri-
| can Federation of Labor, and Daniel
]. Keefe, sixth vice president.
| Vice President Duncan, who is presi-
dent Of the Granite Cutters union
SAYS: 1.-THE labor movement OF our
country is now, as heretofore, indie
pendent of parties The labor move
ment admonishes each organized work
er to cast his vote on election day IN
strict accordance with his conscience
as to what would be the best for the
whole people"
Wire President Keefe.
Vice President Keefe, who Is a mem
Der of the federation's executive coun-
ell and president of the Longshore-
mems union, expressly repudiates Mr.
Gompers' bargain to deliver" the la
Dor vote and says: 1.-The American
Federation of Labor is not committed
to any political party, nor has any
candidate for president been Endorsed
by the executive council. Personally
l am going to vote for William II,
Taft because as secretary of war he
did more to enforce laws in favor OF
organized labor than any of his prede-
cessors."
Mr.. Gompers has undoubtedly sue
ceeded admirably In one thing. He
has affronted the conservative mem
bers of trades unions, who believe
that each has a right to vote for him
self and that coercion Of any kind
must not be exercised to influence any
mans vote.
Resolution Under Table.
This attitude was well demonstrated
by the Hotel and Restaurant Mems IN
ion when 1t substituted a motion to ia
BILE Gompers' appeal for money fol-
Bryan with a contemptuous resolution
to throw 1t under the table," which
was done.
Three Union Presidents For Taft.
T. L. Lewis, president of the United
Mine Workers of America, takes direct
issue with Mr.. Gompers on the Ques-
ton of commanding the union labor
men to vote for Bryan. President
| Lewis, In a circular TO members of his
union, says: ".The United Mine Work
| ers did not elect me international pres
| ident to influence your political pref
erences or how you should cast your
vote on election day From what
know of our members you are fully
competent to decide for yourselves how
you will vote on election day"
James L. Feeney, president of the
Elevator Constructors National union
has declared for Taft
T. ]. Dolan, president of the Steam
Shovelers' union, has also declared fol
Mr.. Taft.
Printers President Protests.
Norman E. McPhail, president Of the
Typographical union, says. 'The vote
of organized labor will not and cannot
be delivered to any one party by any
one man or set of men,"
Union labor all over the country re
sents bitterly the attempt of one mar
to destroy the principles of the organi
cation, hazarding its existence-as thai
of the Knights of Labor was first haZ
arded and then ruined-by forcing Il
into politics.
Organized labor men can be trusted
to deliver their own votes.
Our Language ls So Explicit
The tradesman had rendered his bill
waited month and then wrote:
"Please, sir, want my bill"
Back came the bill with these words
Certainly; here 1t is
The bill was returned, and In q
month the tradesman again wrote:
Kindly send me the amount of my
bill"
And the answer came promptly and
politely:
/ Certainly; 1t is $1O426."
The third month the tradesman agail
wrote:
"Will you send me q check for the
amount of my bill?"
The answer came. with blank. un-
signed check:
Certainly; here is the check. have
kept the amount of your bill"
The fourth month the tradesman
wrote:
Il want my bill paid"
And the answer came back, $50
10 l."
Then the tradesman gave it up.-La-
| lies Home Journal.
4