The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-09-04

Orator of the day at the Labor Dayl
Exercises this afternoon In Rand
Park.
The Labor day address this year,
was given this afternoon at Rand Park
! by F. j. Sullivan of Springfield, ILL.,,
general treasurer Of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
and the speaker proved to be a live
electric wire when he got started In
/ his address, which was appropriate
and interesting. 1t is given herewith
| In full
The Laborer Looking Forward.
Slavery was first established for
the English Colonists in 1915 when
they secured twenty negroes, slaves.
from a Dutch man-of-war, and made
| for this Nation question which was
duly considered for two centuries and
settled, and now that free labor may
be reality in America, the common
wealth has set aside this day to dis
cuss vital questions. In 1882 the first
demonstration was made, after at
tempts to organize the workers had
been obstructed for the time interven-
ling from the conclusion of the Civil
War. On June 2Sth, 1894. the congress
3of the United States made Labor Day
a national holiday in the territories
and District of Columbia, and gradual
ly each state followed the example
set by the federal government, and
in consequence now we have demon
STATIONS in virtually every state of
the country on this day. Quite natur-
ally the. day has developed into one
for the discussion Of questions which
effect all of the people rather than
those who originated 1t, the organized
workmen, and beyond the point where
protests alone are considered. In
stead of looking backward and COM
planning, now plans are considered
for the future SO that the conditions
under which men are compelled to toll
may be permanently remedied. We
have learned much from the expert
ences recently suffered by the great
English railroad strike, and should
take heed to the conditions in our
own country, SO as to avoid an expert
ence of that kind The class struggle
is upon us, and has been advocated
by the corporate interests, which own
the American railroads. They have
urged that the Organized Workingman
associate themselves with the en-
ployers and already SO as to urge up
on the federal government the privi-
leges which they plead are necessary
Tor their existence. In contrast comes
the argument from political parties
that the workers should organize
themselves into class groups All of
THIS means that there is a demand for
statesmen rather than politicians and
schemers in this land 1t is expected
That as usual there will be three
classes of speakers espousing labor's
cause today, and the remedy for the
apparent Ills. The statesman would
endeavor for true democracy in his
arguments to remove preiudices;
against the assumed rights of autoc
facy; and for true Interpretation OF
the thoughts Of his people. The politi
clan will be found willing to compro
mise with wrong and twist himsel
INTO position of advantage, regard
less OF the causes that are involved BY
such action. The law-shouter and de
render OF the flag will holler for pa
triotism and regularity and conden
tnose who are opposing his autocratit
views by such phrases as socialist,
outlaw and rebel Both latte
speclments are the ones that caus'
confusion and give rise to fanaticisn
shat hopes. to maintain the advantag,
and privilege that they have secures
py tricks. They are the cause Of al
.he apparent disorder of the day, TO
py their heresies lack of confidence
IS reflected In the people, who's
minds have been tainted by their al
normal tricks. The freaks in societ
IS the result of this and when it is oil
served that the great mass of peopl
are working in competition with eac
other, whereas a small minority ar
cooperating. the phrase used by Lii
ooin the great emancipation can be al
pied, wherein he stated: II beliey
i Inns government cannot endure a
haif slave and half free" It was abo,
sixty years ago that he said this, an
such developments in the Unite
states as the world had never 81
served before has been made sine
81 ihen 1t was admitted that the valu
., the black slave was approximate
s1oV,ooo,0O0. Today we do not kno
what the value OF the white slave
because he has no recognition in IL
oapltaiistic plan. In fact, they appa