Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-07
HEARST CITES BRYAN
"PubIic Beggars" Epithet Ap-
piled to Workmen, He Says.
AFFIDAVITS IN EVIDENCE
Hostility to Labor. He Declares
Shown by Haskell Appointment.
TREASURER ENEMY OF UNIONS
In Labor Day Speech at Davenport,
Iowa, Hearst Takes Gompers
to Task for Political Policy.

DAVENPORT. Iowa. September T.
William r. Hearst delivered an address
in this city at a Labor day celebration.
when. years ago" said Hearst. work
ingmen were in Washington arguing for
what they honestly believed to be for the
best interest of themselves and their
families and their felow-citizeps. general
~. and Mr.. BRYAN called them public
beggars.' he did not show a spirit in SYM
pathy with American labor or in har-
mony with American ideas
and when Mr.. Bryan, the other day
appointed as treasurer of the democratic
campaign fund this man Haskell, a mem
Der of a secret citizens alliance hostile
to labor. in mean and cowardly way.
he did not show in that either a spirit in
sympathy with American labor or in &C
cordance with American fair play
Hearst then went into details concern
ing his charges against Haskell. Hearst,
to bear out his assertion. quoted from a
resolution he said had been introduced
by Haskell before a meeting of an ALL
ance.
Hearst Produces Afhdavits.
He also detailed the incident in which
Hearst said Bryan termed workingmen
public beggars'' and manufacturers
robbers" Concerning the latter charge
against Bryan, Hearst read affidavits
from James Campbell of Pittsburg and
Charles Bryant Of Anderson, Ind
Hearst said in part:
II intend to talk politics. because We
are all thinking politics at this time.
But I do not intend to make political
speech or a partisan speech.
7 f3yct "a hnr nj IN
into politics, Mr.. Gompers disagreed with
me and declared that labor unions ought
to keep out of politics. Now Mr.. Com
pers agrees with. me that labor unions
ought to go into politics.
But 1 don't agree with him on the
way labor unions ought to 60 into poll
tics. And inasmuch as he was wrong
and 1 was right before. maybe he is
wrong now and l 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 then
to 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 con-
vincing and conclusive.
Reasons Why Not.
First, you cannot afford to repose so
much power with any man or any set Of
men. There is distinct danger that the
contents Of the basket would be peddled
more for the benefit of the owner of the
basket than for the advantage Of the
honest. trustful layers of the votes. There
would be competition for the contents of
the basket of a kind that would debauch
and destroy your organization without
benefiting the humber members
Second. you would never be harmon
ious IN your ideas of how the votes should
be delivered. You would be divided by
differences Of opinion. You would be dis
rupted by dissensions.
Third, you would get little or no re-
suit from such system. For the men
elected would be primarily democrats or
republicans. They would be your friends
before election but would forget all about
you after election.
Fourth, you have tried out the old
parties time and time again and found
absurd for you to waste your time and
your opportunities persisting In policy
that has continually proved a failure.
If any one tells you the democratic
party is a new party with new attitude
toward workingmen, 1 stand ready to
prove that it is the same old democratic
party with the same old deceitful attitude
toward workingmen.''
Under perfect weather conditions 5000
workmen paraded previous to the tri-city
celebration at Suburban Island Park, par
ticipated in by labor unions Of Davenport,
and of Rock Island and Moline, Ill.
Thomas L. Hisgen, independence party
candidate for President, occupied a car
riage in the parade.
Hearst and Hisgen were the principal
speakers at the picnic in the afternoon.