The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-09-08
ATTACKS BRYAN
and HASKELL
Hearst Says They Are Not
Friends Of Labor.
SPEAKSAT DAVENPORT, IA.

DeCIdFeS bryan SaileQ WOFkIn9men
"Public Beggars" While a Member
Of Congress and Crticises Him for
His Appointment Of. Committee
Observation-Disclosures Change of Front
on Part of Mr.. Gompers.
Davenport, Ia, Sept. S.-William r.
Hearst delivered an address in this
city at a Labor day celebration. Mr..
Hearst said in part:
II intend to talk politics, because
we are all talking politics at this time,
but do not intend to make political
speech or a partisan speech.
when I first urged labor unions to
go into politics Mr.. Gompers disagreed
with me and declared that labor uni
ons ought to keep out of politics.
"Now Mr.. Gompers agrees with me
that labor unions ought to go into pol
itics, but don't agree with him on
the way labor unions ought to go into
politics and inasmuch as he was
wrong and was right before maybe
he is wrong now and I am right now.
"Mr. Gompers thinks that the right
way is for all labor unions to lay their
votes in his basket like a lot of good,
dutiful political hens and for him to
then take his basket to market and
peddle the contents to the Republican
party or to the Democratic party.
"The objections to this plan are
many and they are conclusive.
"First, you cannot afford to repose
SO much in any man or in any set of
men. There is a distinct danger that
the contents of the basket would be
peddled more for the benefit of the
owner of the basket than for the adj
vantage of the honest, trustful layers
of the votes. There would be competi-
ton for the contents of the basket of
a kind that would debauch or destroy
your organization without benefiting
the humber members.
Disrupted by Discussions.
Second, you would never be har-
monious In your ideas of how the
votes should be delivered. You would
be divided by differences of opinion;
you would be disrupted by dissen-
lions.
'Third, you have tried out the old
parties time and time again and found
them wanting every time, and it would
be absurt for for you to waste your
time and your opportunities persisting
in policy that has continually proved
failure.
IF any one tells you that the Demo-
cratic party is new party with a new
attitude toward workingmen I stand
ready to prove that it is the same old
party with the same old deceitful at
t1tude toward workingmen.
when, years ago, workingmen
were in Washington arguing for what
they honestly believed to be for the
best interests of themselves and their
families and their fellow citizens gen.
orally Mr.. Bryan called them public
beggars.' He did not show spirit in
sympathy with American labor or in
harmony with American ideas.
"And when Mr.. Bryan the other
day appointed a treasurer of the Dem
ocratic fund, this man Haskell, men,
Der of secret citizens alliance, hos
tile to labor in mean and cowardly
way, he did not show in that either
a spirit in sympathy with American Ia
Dor or in accordance with American
fair play"
Mr.. Hearst then went into details
concerning his charges against Mr..
Haskell, quoting from a resolution
Mr.. Hearst said was introduced by
Mr.. Haskell before a meeting Of an
alliance to bear out his assertions.