The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-05
ORGANIZED LABOR
SENATOR'S THEME
IN NEWPORT NEWS
Both Martin and Swanson
Speak As Frinds OF
Workingrnen
BOTH GIVEN GREAT
OVATION BY CROWD
Child Labor Denounced and
Eight Hour and Liability
Laws Endorsed by
Speakers

Especial to The Richmond VirginIan.)
NEWPORT NEWS. VA. Sept A.
With United States Senators Thomas
s. Martin and Claude n Swanson as
the attraction, the laboring people
OF the Virginia Peninsula celebrated
Labor Day at Buckro~ Beach
The crowd Was the largest which
has bafsn present on such an occasion
In years and the Two senators re-
o4sived a genuine ovation on ali sides.
Following luncheon at the BQckroe
hotel the visitors were escorted TO
the right wing Of the hotel porch
where. at 2:2o O'Clock. speaking was
begun.
Rev. Herman q. Stevens. pastor or
the second Baptist church. OF Dam
Vile. delivered an able address on
Child Labor In the Southern Cotton
Mills He said there are over forty
thousand boys and girls employed ia
the cotton mills. and told OF the un-
healthy conditions under which they
had to work. saying that the child OF
tho cotton mill never made a healthy
man or woman. He also referred to
the lack OF schooling they get.
Mr. Stevens Is a believer In COM
pulsory education and free school
books. He said the negroes were
, giving their children a better educa-
ton than the parents of the whites
employed in the cotton mills
Swanson ON Organized Labor.
Senator Swanson was next intro
duced. He launched into a discus
sion OF the advantages OF organized
labor. He said he had always work
ed for measures favorable to labor
ing men and in one thousand votes
| cast by him on the subject as. Cover
nor, congressman and senator, no one
had ever questioned his position. He
| declared that the resolution passed by
the State Federation OF Labor, COM
mendtng his course as friend OF
labor. was the most priced common
| dation he had ever received for any
| public service.
The senator then took up and de-
| Tended his record as governor. con-
I gresham and senator. He said he
| had been instrumental In getting the
| State board of health, the labor bu-
| reau and free circulating libraries
| for Virginia. He had seen the high
schools OF the State grow from n
| to los during the time he was COVER
| nor.
In closing Senator Swanson sale
that no was most grateful to the
lAboring nlsn Of Virginia for tireil
L \
| found the laboring men and thell
organizations the most grateful peo-
Pile to deal with.
/ Senator Martin Speaks.
/ Mr.. John r.. Eskey. Of Newport News
spoke for an hour on the 'Industria
Side of Life" his address being al
able one.
Senator Thomas S. Martin CLOSED
the speech making. He said he did
not intend to discuss politics, ant
spoke for only about ten minutes OF
Labor and the Honor We Owe It
He had the most profound contemp
for an idler. he said. The idler Il
no good to any community. He Is {
nuisance and unworthy OF being toll
Grated. The laboring man Is an hono
and all people should honor him.
Senator Martin said he came t.
honor the day set aside for payini
tribute to the great cause of labor II
declared himself Il firm believer II
the eight-hour law. He thought th'
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