The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-07
.LABORERS FORM TWO MILE PARADE THROUGH STREETS Speakers Urge Union Men to Be Aggressive In De-
 mandlng Rights
LENNON SAYS EDUCATION
 IS NOW ALL-IMPORIANl
Following Parade Great Crowd Was Carried to Fair Grounds Where Speaking and Athletic
 Games We're Conducted.

Labor Day was a big day in Birming- ham. It was full of big parades, big ideas and big dinners Thousands Of people lined the streets and filled all the places of amusements. The grand parade was two miles long, and was received with cheering all along the line.
 When the center of interest was transferred to the Fair grounds labor listened to some of it's best orators, and the climax of the day came when John L. Lennon. the noted orator of the National Labor league made a spir- ited plea for education-more intelli- gence among the masses. He hoped to see the day when any tailor would be fit material for a congressman
 The working man captured the town. The homes of the districts were empty. Every arrangement had been made by the committees and there was not hitch in the proceedings. After march ing through the principal streets the parade disbanded and packed street cars carried the crowd to the Fair grounds where the speaking began at 1880 and the fun did not cease until late last night.
 Several thousand gathered in the grand stand and listened intently to the speakers. William Fl. Winn, presi- dent of the Birmingham Trades Coun- ell, presided. Since the last Labor Day." he said, Tabor has received and given many hard licks, but has come out victorious. We now have many more labor unions and the member ship in the district Is largely increased.' He then introduced Rev. R. A. Wifi son who. invoked divine blessing.
 Ben Davis. attorney for the Alabama Federation of Labor, was the first speaker. While he said he did not be- lieve in inimical prejudices and thought the unions should never mistreat any one "it Is time to demand that the man who gets up and tells us he is our friend must be our friend every day in the year.
 We cannot help but follow the uns-
 written law of self-preservation and 1t Is our duty to remember the man that don't remember us."
 Refers to Miners Union. Referring to the miners union he said: T came out here troubled be- cause the next largest organization in the world has been absolutely abolish ed in this district by organized capital There Is no question or doubt about this fact and we might as well face it.
 These things ought to wake you up
 Find your rights and stand on them. You are now only getting IT per cent
 of what you produce. We want less
 hours and more pay. The fact Is we need more Debs to lead us.
 MT. Davis urged that the rarmer and the laboring man send goods back
 which have not the union label. Tt
 is just a demonstration of honesty and stamp of fair labor, that's all."
 He also took a jab at the "damna- ble convict system of Alabama" We need man like Hoke Smith to dema nd mines," he said. 'I tell you there are men being brutally killed over there every day" In closing he exhorted them to remember that every man js his brothers keeper. and that all shourd stand together to help the weak.
 c. S. Barrett, president of the Farmers
 union, was called on but he made only
 few remarks and introduced R. A. WILL
 son of Mississippi to speak for the farm
 CTS. MT. Wilson declared that the farm
 CTS are just beginning to see the value of cooperation. His address was a plea
 for harmony and the golden rule I've are here as one, farmers, machinists, tailors, and not one here wants
 to fight anything except the corporations,
 which are trying to pull us down. We are here to go after them, and by all the power that's in us, we'll get emp He thought that the recent spirit of better days. Tn the end when history is written you will find that the trades and farmers unions occupy a great place in the solution of economical problems Miss Annie Fitzgerald, president of the Woman's International Labor league, made very interesting talk, urging that the women must realize that they have a part to perform, that they hold the purchasing power of the home and that in demanding the union label they have an equal opportunity for welding inf1u- ence asAthe men with their ballots. Lennon Draws Conclusions. John l.. Lennon, treasurer of the In- ternational American Federation of Labor, spoke of the opportunities of life, the revolutionary processes of progress which are going on, drawing the conclu- sion that wherever the struggle has been thickest the toilers have been successful He drew a parallel of the Children of Israel on strike against the industrial op- pression of their taskmasters.
 ''There is nothing in the labor move- ment that is fundamental to it that we
 need be ashamed of,' he said, "the most 1 law-abiding, peaceable. progressive peo- | pie in any city are trades unionists. No man who becomes interested in the pro- | gross and welfare of his fellowman but | betters himself"
 Mr. Lennon spoke of the good work of the trades unions in saving children from the sweat shop, the prison, the mill and l the mine, and urged the importance of keeping the children In the playground | and the school house.
 Among the things which the labor | unions should do but failed to do, he conadered innportaut tha proper eu-