The Washington herald., 1909-10-13
UNION MEN MARCH
In CHIEFS HONOR
One of the Largest Process
siOns Seen in Capital.
REVIEWED BY MR.. GOMPERS
President American Federation Of
Labor Witnesses Remarkable Dem
onstration I'm His HOnOr-LRbOr
Bodies, with 10000 Men In Line,
Pass Before Their Leader.

a giant outpcuring or ldDOrlteS lnal
typihed the solidarity OF unionism was
witnessed IN Washington last night It
was an unexampled tribute to President
Samuel Gompers. Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. a tribute which affected
him deeply as he bowed and smiled upon
his cohorts
Never has Washington seen such a
splendid labor parade. The marchers
swept onward as conquering army. It
was OF such great proportions that it
could easily have carried any citadel. IL
on warfare bent. There were. approx
mately. 1900 men IN line. who took forty
FIVE minutes To- pass a given point.
Pennsylvania avenue was one mighty
crowd. and one mighty roar from the
Capitol dome 20 the Treasury. Fifteenth
street-that narrow little artery between
larger boulevards Of traffic-strove vainly
I'm the congestion which threatened when
the marchers ricocheted into IT, It
seemed a ravine-Hke strip through which
the procession had to push its way by
main force.
The start and Finish.
The start was at the Peace Monument
and the terminus was az Convention Hall.
where President Gompers added the glow
OF his eloquence 10 a festive night.
The parade got in motion almost as
soon as Mr. Gompers emerged from the
stone arches Of the Union Station and
was rushed to the ST James Hotel He
VAS in the arms OF a stern and deter
mined bodyguard composed of such union
fighters as sam De Nedrey. John B. Col
poys. Charles Smith. and others. They
torestalled any demonstration either at
The station or at the hotel Mrs. Com
pcrs and Miss Gompers weer hurried in
size 20 greet friends. including Mrs. Eva
MacoDnald and others.
Beaming and expansive as he rarely
has been, the head of the labor forces in
America put in a solid twenty minutes
telling friends how glad he was to get
back home He was delighted beyond
measure 20 be back in Washington and
while Europe was an excellent place
wei. he said. there is no place like home.
Mrs. Gompers says the initials II. S.
a. have taken on new significance 10 her
since this trip he reiterated. 1T means
more than it ever did before
Mr.. Gompers felt Ike waving an Ameri
can flag with wild-eyed strenuosity. and
he didn't care who knew II. When the
drums beat outside. showing that the line
NJ parade was formed. he danced and
laughed like a boy.
The carriages rolled up promptly al 7
O clock. and Mr.. Gompers and his family.
accompanied by John B. ColpOys. presi-
dent Of the Central Labor Union OF this
city. entered one reserved for them. In
three other carriages Secretary Frank
Morrison and officers or the American
Federation OF Labor and International
delegates were seated.
Central Labor Union.
The delegates from Central Labor
Union swung into line at Third street and
Pennsylvania avenue At us O'Clock. They
were preceded by a platoon Of police.
Caldwelrs Band. and the assistant mar
shals, sam De Nedrey. Luke Ludlow.
Charles T. Smith. and Delegate Garland,
OF Pennsylvania, who is collector OF the
port at Pittsburg Grand Marshal James
J. McCracken was at the head
The first aid to the grand marshal was
James +. McHugh: the second aid. S.
Edward Beach third, Daniel Connors:
fourth. A. F. Broacker.
When the band broke out with Dixie"
and the word went echoing down the
Avenue that the innumerable deIepation