Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-10
Mr.. Williams. Letter.
"orange. n. ]. Sept. 9.


His letter follows:
Mr.. WiIliams's Letter.
Orange, n. J., Sept 9, 1910
Henry T.. Hilfers seems to be sur
fering from an exaggerated ego. His
recent reply to the letter of Woodrow
Wilson on labor bears evidence of that
malady He has evidently had his ear
to the ground. He has been impressed
by the acclaim with which the utter
ances OF the Strenuous One have been
received. and he would emulate him.
But we cannot all be fortunate and
great. Some are born to it. A few
achieve it honorably. and others have
II thrust upon them. Mr.. Hilfers
would add fourth method, by moun5-
ing a ladder constructed of the per-
sonal pronoun IT. and wrest great
ness from its fastening, but his reach
falls short; his support falls fiat, and
his aerial ascension meets with col
lapse.
Look over Mr.. Hilfers effort. Note
the prevalence of the pronoun ST." OBJ
serve how persistently 1t crops out. and
then decide whether he is actuatad
by other impulses
State Federation of Labor adopted
resolution with reference to Woodrow
Wilson. That resolution has been fair
ly met by Mr.. Wilson in a letter widely
published The convention has ad-
journed. It's delegates have dispersed.
By what authority does Mr.. Hilfers
become the mouthpiece now of the
New Jersey Federation of Labor? By
ur11o hn n a
views? Has the executive board of the
New Jersey State Federation of Labor
reconvened and authorized him to issue
statement in the personal pronoun I
and sign himself secretary of the New
Jersey State Federation of Labor?
"TOne Not Free from Malice"
"A man mindful of the limitations of
his office and the requirements of a
fair deal would long hesitate before
breaking into print under such cir
cumstances. He would feel, however
great the emergency there were such
things as the proprieties to consider.
He would feel, unless obsessed by the
belief in his own unusual fitness and
ability, that personal views should not
be exploited nor vindictiveness be per-
mitted to run riot. And even if not in
niceties, unless wholly biased, he would
not presume to make response in the
name of labor except In spirit that
would be fair and in a tone that would
be free from malice.
Mr.. Hilfers has done neither He
sets himself up as q Judge of what
labor needs. He puts his great mental
attainments at work. He compares
the latest utterances OF Woodrow Will
son on labor with previous alleged ut
terance1 that have not been authenti-
Gated. He refuses to be convinced that
the signed statement OF Woodrow Will
son, couched in calm. sober and friend
ly lGrguage. emanates from friend OF
labor. He sees nothing to change his
previous conviction that a statement
Of certaia alleged utterances, generally
believed to be the work of malice, and
thoroughly and publicly repudiated, is
the standard by which Woodrow Will
sor should be measured.
Mind Closed to Reason
Against such bias it is useless to
contend. 1t depicts a mind closed to
reason, and nourished by unfalrness.
Such champion does not advance
lap1r's interests. He is an obstacle
to it's progress.
Read Mr. Hilfers's statement,
clothed in the garb of personal belief.
and marked by evidence of bias and
prejudice. Then read the following ex-
tract from Woodrow Wilson's letter,
and say who is the better friend OF
labor
II have always been the warm
friend of organized labor. 1t is in
INV 0DiniOn NOT only rerfeetlv Iepit-