United labor bulletin., 1911-01-12
G0MPERS GETS
MANY PROTESTS
President Of A. F. of |. Rebuked By
All Glasses for What He
Did Not Say.
Samuel Gompers, in American Fsdera-

(Samuei Gompers, in American Federn-
tionist.)
In the course of an address, before the
st. Louis Trades and Labor Council ~
ot' LOUIS, on the evening Of November
~ during the sessions of the annual
convention of the American Feder.tion
OF Labor, we alluded to the difficulties Of
organizing the negro labor of the South.
recalling to the minds of those present
the present unpreparedness of the COT
ored people as whole for fully exercis-
ing and enjoying the possibilities exIst-
ing IN trade unionism. Among the news-
paper representatives present. one re
porter, and one only, possessed sufi5e.
IentIy the faculty of perverted INGENUITY
to enable him to construe our words a.
the text of an article proclaiminu to the
world that "Gompers reads the neoro
out OF the organized labor novementp
But one St Louis newspaper published
TINS beat'-and beat it certainly was,
IN point OF pure fiction without even any
OF the common foundations of reseu1-
oiance to fact that often support half
truths appearing in the sensational press.
This piece of news" however, was
seized upon by representative Of the
| Associated Press, perhaps in the person
of an unscupulous reporter himself. and
sent out over the country.
The next day. at the convention. on
the earliest opportunity. Immediately AZ
ter a special order of business had heen
disposed of, we rose and made the fol-
lowing statement, which was at once
given to the press:
Last evening attended banquet
rendered to the delegates by the st.
Louis Trades and Labor Council One OF
the morning papers published . state
| ment that does me very grave intus-
/ tice and this labor movement q great
wrong The statement read that had
read the negro out of the labor move
ment-' No greater misstatement could
be made First, I have no power 10 do II,
and If had the power would not do It.
In reviewing the organized labor move
ment abroad and in the United States
called attention to the conditions con
fronting the working people of our time
and incidentally, among several other
things to which referred. called at
tentiOn to the fact that we had with uB .
population of eight million negroes. and
that they are but little more than hnlf
a century from condition Of slavery,
and as a consequence it could not be ex-
pected that, as rule, they would have
the same conception Of their rights and
duties as other men Of labor have In
America Z.
'<Instead OF reading the neero out q
the labor movement my contention and
tie contention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor is to try to bring them into
the organized labor movement of our
! country. We are trying our level best,
and viii continue to do So to organize
| the men and women of toll without re-
gard to their religion, their politics, their
nationality, their sex or their race.
could not permit this entire day to pass
by without thus publicly. in this conven-
ton and in the presence of our visitors
and the representatives of the press,
making this correction"
Federation of Labor duly took consider
alton of the incident, and on November
20 delivered a supplementary report
dealing with it. from which the following
extracts are given:
In view of the very grave misrepre-
sentation by the press of the statement
upon the negro question, made by Presi-
dent Gompers in an address which he de-
livered in this city on the evening OF No
vember IL, and in addition to the refuta-
ton which he made on the floor OF this
convention on the following day. we feel
that it is due to the American Federation
OF Labor and the great cause Of labor
which We represent that We. as your
duly constituted officers, should take
coenizance thereof.
Numerous telegrams and letters.
newspaper clippings and editorials, from
every section of the country. all protest
ing against the declarations which he was
alleged to have made, have been received
by President Gompers, thus demonstrate
ing that the Misrepresentation of his
statement has been given wide publicity.
something which is not only a grave In
justice to him, but a great wrong to our
cause, the organized labor movement Of
the country. which this convention Of
federated labor has the honor to repre-
sent
'It is inconceivable that in view OF
| Of 1rpe
of life devoted to the cause OF the wage
earners, of those who toll that he and
through him the American Federation OF
Labor. should be placed before the world
in the position of declaring that any class
of wage-earners. no matter OF what race.
creed. sex or nationality, should be read
out of the labor movement.
so far from closing the doors Of the
organized labor movement against any
wage Garner. no matter OF what creed. Of
what color. OF what nationality. OF what
calling. of which SEX the American Fed
Grafton or Labor annually exerts Its ef-
forts and spends large sums of money In
spreading the gospel of trade unionism
among all who toll In the endeavor 10
bring them within the benefcent fold Of
the trade union movement every toiler
OF every trade and calling without ~
sDect to color or sex. religion or nation
ality. Reference to the report OF our
secretary from year 10 year, showing the
amounts spent annually In Organization
work. will confirm us In this statement.
| The conventions OF the American
Federation OF Labor have repeatedly -
clared for the organization OF all wags-
earners without regard to claga, raoo,s
creed, religion. sex or politics. This dec
laration Is embodied In some Of tho litsr-
ature which Is kept constantly on hama
at cur headquarters and which II widely
| distributed from year 10 year.
| Tho constitution Of the Americas
| 8. provides that:
Separate charters may be fsa1ed 10
central labor unions. local unions. or fed
eral locaI uuiona COMPOSED oxcIuafvely