The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-14
It Was the Weather Though And Not the
 People
PRESIDENT GOMPERS
 MAKES HIS REPORT
President Declares That Officers of Federation Are Ready to Go to Jail in Defense of
 Labor

Atlanta. November 13.-Labor hosts. gathered here today for the thirty first annual convention of the American Fed eration of Labor. met with a chilly recep- tion. The coldest weather in years made 1t impossible to heat the big convention hall 10 the point of comfort, and with chattering teeth the local speakers pre- faced their addresses of welcome to the visiting delegates with an apology for failing to make good on their allurlng promises of "fowers and sunshine last year at St. Iouis.
 President Goinpers read his annual re- port at the afternoon session, which was given over almost entirely to the reception of the representatives of the executive offices. Ii was in part as follows:
 President Gompers in his report predict cd great changes in American methods of government, particularly with regard to political parties. He gave to the reteren- dum. initiative and the recall the unquali- fed indorsement of organized labor and declared that a real, representative de- mocracy had never been known in the United States because of the general ab- senee of those provisions.
 This standardization of judges he said in defense of his indorsement, this sanctmonious cant about mob rule, some of which was in President Taft's message vetoing the Arizona statehood bill, is mere drivel."
 President Golnpers' report which coy- CTS 60 closely printed pages, and would tlo,, in q paper, says it leaves many subjects un- touched or inadequatey presented. | In the main the report declares for. and says organized labor demands
 Indorses Referendum
 The referendum, the initiative and the recall.
 Passage of the so called anti-inJunction
 bills al the next session of Congress.
 Restriction ol immigration.
 Further restriction of convict labor.
 Legislation to relieve civil service elil-
 ployes from the executive orders prohibit- ing them to petition Congress.
 Uniform laws for protection of life and health in factory buildings.
 A department of labor in the federal government
 Employers liability and workmen's compensation acts throughout the states.
 | Severe arraignment is made of so called scientific management of effici- ciency systems.
 l With it's membership now more than | 1.750,000, the greatest in it's history, and its financial condition excellent, the organization often called the great est altruistic institution of the times l ,,f -nrlr
 Despite all opposition of the most relentless kind the American labor movement grows and thrives; it's be- neticent influence for the common up- I lift of labor and of all our people ex- tends to all fields of useful activity and is becoming more generally recos- nized. The power which labor holds within its grasp is understood by our | opponents perhaps better than many of the tolers The fact is that labors | opponents, like the tories of the past. many of whom are still with us, are afraid to trust the people. with power in the hands of labor and of the people generally comes qulckening sense of responsibility. And though errors are liable to occur they bring experience and an avoidance of recurrence. The errors of encroach- ments of the few or of an autocrat teach them no lessons and are rectified
  fectly safe freedom Is, is a truth not yet fully understood" says the report ''Iabors contentious of many years have become merged, or have rather co -ordinated with those of the progress sive of all parties. The people as a whole irrespective of class. condition, calling for partisan alignment, have declared for free dom in fact, and not merely in name. They are taking affairs political into their own hands They will no longer | tolerate the sale of Legislation to the highest bidder or the granting of fran chises to the richest bribe giver. Un- der the coming regime, assuredly there are to be no more court decrees en- tered as prepared in advance and or dered by the attorney for the stronger party-stronger politically or finun- cially.
 AbOlishes BOssism Tn lieu of the political boss and his machine. we shall have leadership of intelligence, pleading for public jus tice. with adherents proportioned in number to the strength of the argu- ments. The stuffed ballot box, the false count. and the perjured election returns will likewise disappear. With these opportunities, with these stim- ulating Inducements to free thought and action, the cause Of public jus | tlce VIII Dc advanced III all ulrec- tions Labor, acting from the point of enlightened self interest, and yet with full sense of responsibility respect | ing the just rights of all others in society. will manfully and patriotically meet it's enlarged responsibilities.
 'Under the prevailing system of cut and dried platforms and slated nomina- l tions, preceded by fake primaries, the ballot in our hands has not been. in any adequate sense, either a protecting shield | against wrong or a means of redress. ! We may not for some time be entirely rid of the rule of parties. If they be an evil they are sucr as are incident to all governments based on popular suf- | frage I deem 1t unwse, or rather im- polite. to waste our energies now in ef- forts 10 abolish political parties. Per | haps they are institutional in all free gov | ernments But If we can not now de- stroy them. we may, by more assiduous and regular exercise of our privileges and rig hts of citizenship do much in the, way of controlling them. ~ ! Under existing conditions we must oh- tain various measures of legislation at tine hands of dominant parties in legisa- tive bodies. and if party affairs are to