The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-20
GOMPERS IS REELECTED
 PRESIDENT
A. F. of l.. Convention Gives Him Unanimous Vote
 Amid Wild Applause John Mitchell Chosen Vice President and Both Speak Fearlessly.
Especial from United Press }

Toronto. Nov. 20-The A. F. of l.. convention by unanimous vote. to-day reelected Samuel Gompers for pres ident. The applause lasted for several minutes. the delegates stand ing and waving their arms wildly. "who is all rlght?" yelled the dele gates. "GompersT" came afoar of re- sponse-
 .swho is all wrong?" was then de- manded. Wright" shouted the dele gates Wright is the district justice who excoriated Gompers- Morrison and Mitchell in passing seatence upon them
 President Gompers replied feeiingly. declaring that he appreciated the pres ent support more than in the p7st- Tt means that the principles for which I and my followers stand have the endorsement of the men and women in the labor world" he declared T want to drive home just what our convic- tion for contempt of court means I claration that the injunction did not apply to us three defendants alone but to two million laborers of America It virtually declared that two million people have been denied the right of free speech and free press.
 T want to say this to you boys. It doesn't make any difference where may be. if I have life and sanity I am
 
 the men and women of labor. When ever in the past it has been sought to stifle the voices of the leaders of any cause by placing them behind prison powerful. simply because the public has always had a clearer conception of the cause for which they suffered.
 The voice of labor will not be stified- justice. the same old cry for liberty and the fight continues to go on If Mitchell. Morrison and I were to lay ourselves crawling before the court and plead for mercy it would not change the situation There would be others who would also debase them selves. We would not go to it. With becoming respect for the court and with dignity and self-reliance we will go on protesting against the sentence will do my best boys"
 At the conclusion of the speech bass drum was brought into play and the demonstration was begun A simi- lar outbreak greeted the election of John Mitchell as second vice-president-
 The special committee appointed to outline Q crusade against the United States Steel Corporation in opposition to its "open shop policy. reported to- day in favor of a meeting of the heads of all the affiliated bodies in Pittsburg Dec 23
 Mitchell said he recognized the con- vcntion's action was not so much a
 
 cause for which he stood He read from the Federal constitution regard ing the right to free speech and a free press
 'T wonder if the people who drafted this document didn't regard free speech and press as of vital import ance to their freedom. conscience and the right to worship God as men see fit If the courts of the United States would attempt to strike these rights. the governmen would not last long enough for the people to march on to Washington
 Designing and selfish men may inn pugn our motives but declare a man is not a criminal but a patriot who defends the fundamental law of his government Through the whole history of labor's struggles we have sought to change the law but to-day we seek no change. to-day labor stands on the fundamental law and protests against a violation of this law. If this were a question that concerned only the defendants. we would not take up time But when it is a ques- ton that involves the rights and lib critics of this great body that has so honored us, it becomes quite another matter"
 St. Louis was chosen for the 1910 convention Delegate Walker moved that in case the officers of the A F. of L.. are in jail at the time of hold ing the convention. the executive coun- cil be empowered to select Was hing ton The motion was declared out of order. being in contravention of the