The Washington times., 1911-02-26
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players are amateurs. they played with
the dash and spirit of veterans.
Mr.. West Presides.

Mr.. West Presides.
In calling the meeting to order Mr..
West said he entered into the spirit of
this occasion more willingly and sympa-
thetically than in any movement in
which he had ever taken part. He said
the cause of the clerks was the cause of
the whole city of Washington, the cause
Of the whole people of the country. He
said that the burden of living rested
heavily upon those clerks in the Govern
ment service whose incomes had not
increased with the steadily increasing
cost of food and clothing.
Then the chairman read the letters
from the speakers whose duties kept
them at the Capitol.
Fulton r. Gordon was the first
speaker introduced, and he received an
ovation as he advanced to the front of
the platform. Greater and greater grew
the volume of applause, however, as he
the friends of the clerks have made for
the welfare of the Government en-
ployes.
Letter Campaign.
The speaker first outlined the letter
writing campaign, which he said would
show to Congress that this was a ma
said the newspapers of the country
were the best friends the civil employees
had, and they today would herald to
the people from end to end of the coun-
try the opportunity to unite in moving
Congress to action.
eve have back of us in this fight"
said Mr.. Gordon, "the greatest power
and the greatest weapon of the COM
mon people, a power that even Theo-
dore Roosevelt could not muzZle, even
though he tried-the power of the
ed us loyal support, and you will find
tomorrow that every voter in the
United States will hear about the
troubles that have been inflicted upon
this vast working force of our Gov
ernment. This Is no local anair as
men and women in our town, the bal
ance, 100000, are scattered through
out the entire union.
Planks In Platforms.
Furthermore we propose to have
plank inserted in both national plat
forms at the next Presidential nomt-
nation advocating your cause and the
party that treats this subject lightly
will find we control sufficient num-
ber of votes to swing the election to
the party that is pledged strongest to
our cause. In fact we intend to keep
the voters all over the country post
ed at the time as to which party is
our friend and which party to sup
port: - .ho,,. +,,. r,rv,,. or
gag rule that you have recently read
so much about. Theodore Roosevelt,
the only rich man that we have ever
had in the White House, is-the father
of this order, and President Taft en-
larged on 1t and made 1t even more
severe than Roosevelt. In substance
ANY Government employe stationed
in Washington shall not petition Con-
gress for any legislation whatsoever
without first obtaining permission from
the head of his department, under pain
of suspension. This my friends, is an
tionaI rights. The Constitution says
on this subject that even Congress
shall not pass a law prohibiting the
people from appealing to them for a
redress or wrong
Take the Standard OIL or the Tobacco
trust, which is now on trial before the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
their employees could not petition Con-
gress for any legislation without first
securing their consent. What do you
think our United States Government
would say. They would say It was
unlawful and stop 1t at once and
yet this is just what our Government
Is inflicting on you civil service em-
ployes.
Will Appeal to Voters.
-"I am, therefore, amazed that Presi-
dent Taft, so learned in the law, who
occupied the high position of a Federal
Judge, would deny a number of our