United labor bulletin., 1910-07-21
sARrempsas NOT sEcEoeRs.
Jere L. Sullivan In Letter to G. A
Spencer Gives Lie to Secession
Stories.

C. A. Spencer, who has just finished
his term as organizer of the Trades and
Labor Assembly, is in receipt of the fol-
lowing letter from Jere L. Sullivan, sec
retary-treasurer of the Hotel and Res
taurant Employees International ALI
ance and Bartenders' International
League OF America, which is self-explan-
atory:
To the Organizers of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Greeting.
Dear Sir and ro.:-Pardon me for in
truding during the sultry period, but the
following item credited to the Labor
Compendium of st. Louis, Mo-, has been
going the rounds of the labor press, and
I desire to inform you that there is alb
solutely nothing to it. The item reads:
"Bartenders throughout the country
have decided to pull away from the in
ternational, which includes all hotel and
restaurant help. and form strictly Bar
tenders international organization"
Just how long this item has been trav-
cling / am not prepared to say, but am
quite satisfied that whoever started 1t
on its rounds had mission to perform
the results of which would be unfavor-
able to our international union About
every so often some one with a segrega-
tion bug and a friendly editor to give
them space. manages to shoot this inter
national to smithereens; at least on
paper they accomplish that much-desired
purpose, but we just keep on going the
same as We have for years, securing the
cooperation of the real labor editors and
their fellow union builders, the organ
izers of the American Federation of La
bor. and as a result OF our combined ef-
forts We are able to keep our shibboleth
flying and the words thereon stand out
as clear as they ever did. and read
WATCH Us GROW" And brother, We
are doing exactly what our shibboleth
calls for-GROWING-and doing it with
the cooperation of the men who think
and work for labor's cause.-The organ
izers and the labor editors as well as
the active trade union members who are
making union labor's cause their life
work.
When anyone asserts that the bar
tenders throughout the country have de-
cided to pull away from this interna-
tional union they are talking through
their last years straw hat; in fact are
giving publicity to something that is SO
come; with all of its speed wouldn't
catch up to il for several decades to
come, II ever. There are not so many
International unions In this broad land
that can point to a record OF fifty
charters issued since the New Year
bells tolled of the entrance OF 1910. It's
easy to make a statement but we are
ready TO lay the consignment right down
in front OF you-to in fact deliver the
real yard wide and all wool goods. Look
over this list We call It Our Roll Of
Honor"
Then follows the names OF the so
cities and the names of the organizers
who handled the work. Then Mr.. Sulli-
van continues:
Now. brother. does that list of newly
chartered locals listen like We had un-
dergone an operation. that segregation
lists had gotten into our camp and dis
membered our international union, or
that secessionists had secured sufficient
following to herald forth that our Blue
Button Boys were leaving the Old Home
and had thrown old friends overheard?
know what you reply will be; 1t will
conclude with an emphatic NO: and you
will probably say with us, that those
who print such items ought to be little
more careful, for innocent as the item
may appear to some. yet 1t might work
irreparable injury. We have always
patted ourselves on the back over the
fact that we are always on the job. con-
sequenuy such rumors do not get much
of start before we head them of and
show that they are unfounded. Put this
down as an unassailable truth, that in
stead OF the bartenders leaving this in
ternational union they are tecoming
members thereof. and are showing by
that action that they recognize that our
International union is an organization
really worth while.