The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-08-01
tAB0B's ATTITUDE N
POI. POLITICS !! IS DEFINED
President Gompers Tells Why Hs
Will support Candidacy
Of Bryan.
REMINDS UNION MEN
or REPUBLICAN, APATHY
,Ridic,lles Flank Of the Republican,
Platform Which Taffies on
- Z, = +. ! Injunction.

p; : 4Aj jN4Vt1OA. -
President Samuel Gompers OF the.
American Federation, OF Labor, in e.
5000 word editorial which will appear
in the August number Of the Federa
tionist, the offocial organ Of the FEEDER
alton, sounds the first blast Of the
conflict which the executive council
Of the Federation intend to wage In.
the coming political campaign.
/ Much. Of the first instalment Is his
tory. Mr.. Gempers reproduces planks
which he submitted to the Republican
convention at Chicago, and then quotes
the plank which that party adopted
on the subjects involved. 1nzcon1ment-
ing upon the results obtained Mr..
Gompers says ..,.-. -
":At a glance the plank adopted will
be seen to be, a fiimsy, tricky evasion
Of the issue 1t, is an Endorsement OF
the very abuse against which labor
justly protests. and would, II enacted
by congress-, give statutory authority
for th& issuance of injunctions in la
Dor disputes, an authority which does
not now exist. It is pro- Injunction.
not an. .antl-ipjunction declaration.
1T lis worse. than meaningless and
evasive', as the capitalist corporations
press has designated it,. 1t: would
make more acute the wrongs, by which
the toilers are forced to bear the un-
Just, judicial burden Of Injunction dis
examinations. y: !. :. e.
''~-.~ Labor 10 Insulted. - q .ss
i. Take that part Of the plank de-;
claring that the Republican party will
uphold the authority and Integrity Of
THE courts, il. a *gratuitous,. indefensible
and covert insult, not only to the men
Of labor, but to the courts themselves.
It implies that the integrity and legal
authority Of the courts d, have been
questioned. It was adopted to appease
the corporation niagnates and corpor-s
alton lawyers who demanded that the
Repl lbliean convention adopt such q
Edec1arati tipn. IS.
NJ THE same sort OF Influences which
dem the her::fiacorporation Of this
declaration in regard to the courts
fashioned the. declarations and attitude
Of: the chambers Of commerce. and
boards oftradet Of New York and else
where during the revolution for Amer
lean Independence when they assured
King George Of their loyalty to the
British crown and their sunalterahle
opposition to American Independence.
1t !. were better that the Republican
convention had entirely ignored the
question than to have attempted to
foist such a plank upon the people.
Labor asked the Republican conven-
tion to, in essence( declare for the en-
actment of. law recognizing human
rights and human freedom. It wholly
intolerable, unjust and un-Americans
situation. No relief was either de-.
clared or promised
Labor asked the Republican con-.
vention for bread and It gave stone. !"
The planks adopted at the Denver
convention are reproduced. and IN
commenting upon his victory Mr..
Gompers says 49, zzzzys
I'VE believe that the whole mass of
the workers Of the country will re-
spond in hearty sympathy with the
Democratic party in the coming cam
paien asa result OF its action In the
labor planks. OF the platform. They
will be of practical benefit to the
workers. = z5s,sf5 rs.
I'VE have no hesitation In urging
the workers and our friends through
out the country to support the party
in this campaign which has shown its
sympathy with our wrongs and Its de-
sire to remedy them and to see that
the rights OF the people ara restored.
We; say this not necessarily be-
cause 1t Is the Democratic party which
has done this, We would urge the
workers to support any party which
has incorporated our demands into its
platform and promised to work for
their fulhllment. ,ss s 81 sss8s5s rs
"a deliberate attempt IL being made
by the opposition press to make It.
appear that 'Gompers has promised to
deliver the labor vote to the Demo
cratic party s. 81 IS
'.Such statement is SO absurd a.
hardly to need refutation We recqE
nize the absolute right OF every Sctti-
zen to cast his vote for any candidate
and with any party that he pleeses.
Far be It from US to attempt to coerce3
the votes Of the workers, nor ara We
30 asinine as to promise to deliver
the labor vote s, s.s F;z B.
Only q Plsa to the Wori<srs.
We earnestly ask the workers and.
their friends to make the. choice witch
Ii an accordance with their best inter
ests. We ask them TO remember their
mora obligation to cast their votes:
for those who will protect and defend
their rights. II they fall to do 30.
they will have to reckon With even
4. worse condition OF affairs than nov
obtains. 8
q teel that We s.su,eed not do more
thsm stat thes acts above outlined.
Ths Wotkers and their friends have
had expertsnee In the: rsst yter of
what the party now In power 8 cSp DO.
4ndss ends to The very feeltpx
of outrage and Ind iEnati0n which.
pSonpts the dAcisi1 81 sof brkers:
81 use stsssr q s!tteet|