Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-05-15
THE PRESIDENT At HARRISON.
BURG.
Defines Ills Position ru Government
Clerks and Federation of G.abur.

Clerks and Federation Of Labor.
Prs dent Taft made a speech to
several thousand people in Harrison
burg, Pa. Gu Saturday. The speech
vas delivered to the tenth biennial con
ycnton of the Brotherhood Of Rail
road Trainmen. The president was in
troduced BY Governor Tener. II was q
straightforward shoulder talk the
president male, bu, the delegates seem
ed ID like it.
The President kept close to his
text He spoke OF trades unions,
their good and lad points, but be
wound up Ly defining his position in
regard to the utilization with the
American Federation If Labor Of or
ganizatiots Of government clerks.
The question, he said, is most likely to
come up in Congress. 1t presents 4
serious problem, which the president
declared demanded the attention OF the
whole people.
Think, /" said the president. some
persons have gone ID the extreme hold
ing that there ought 10 be no romiina-
lion Of government employees permitted.
| think, however, that in all govern
ments, and I have given some exami
ration to the subject, that government
employees are permitted TO combine
AID have associations for their better
meat, but the proposition now is that
such combinations should bc allowed
10 affiliate with trades union organiGa
iionS made mp OF the employees
81 private employers, and 10 use
the same methods in securing bet
ter terms of employment that are
recognized as lawful and Unsuitable in
the ordinary trades union; in other
words, that il is entirely proper for
combinations of postal employees and
others II combine in an association TO
affiliate with the American Federation
Of Labor and then to holl in reserve. as
an instrument for enforcing their claims
presented TO Congress ior Increased
compensation or tue Gettcrmaut Of
terms in other respects, the b, ycott
ana the strike, which are Instruments
recognized by The American Federation
Of ltbor Al supported anal justified
by it when u.e by the trades unions
affiliated in such federation.
This presents II Sarion' question.
ana one which, ii decided III favor Of
tEr right al government employee 10
sll.kr lnh III: the hoycott Will be fnil
81 danger % the government and tn:
,epnh!ic
Tie government employees Of Fran5a
.as0rtcd to it and took the g"r eminent
by Tie throat The executive was Ell.
lirel, dependent upon these employees
lar its continuance
When those in executive authority
refused 10 asquiesce III The demands
the government employees struck and
then With The helplrssness Of the gov
eminent and the destruction OF all
authority and the choking Of the goc-
eminent activities it was seen that 10
allow government employees to use
such au instrument vas 10 recognize
revolution rs Il lawful mean, OF sccur-
Jog an increase in compensation for one
class. and that a privileged class 1T the
expense OF ali the public.
I 10 not think that reasonable minded
trades nnion men who are fail alive 10
HE necessity iCr ri gorous means 10 eli.
furcr their rights in their controversies
ailh capital and with their employers
will fail 10 see tie broad difference ttat
exists between their case in which they
are contcnding for the better ncnt Of
their livelihood against The naturally
selfish motives Of their employers and
that Of the class OF government en-
plryeeo who are privileged not Only IN
the amount OF their compensation, The
less number Of hours OF their employ
ment and the greater permanecy OF
t.nure and who serve the government
OF all the people the very existence Of
which vii! bc threatened should they
combine together IL quit the govern
ment service all at once and patali2e
the benefit and the equal benefits that
that government is properly supposed
and held to confer upon the people at
large.
IT is likely that this question is &c
ing to be made an issue in Congress
aux it calls for the most earnest cons;c
Grafton
The government employees are 4
class whose work is neCes-
.lry to carry on the government and
upon whose entry into the government
,cnire it is entirely reasonable 10 i'm
pose conditions that .hould moi lie ard
Ought not be imposed upon those who
serve private employers. "