United labor bulletin., 1911-01-19
eoMPERs URGES ACTION.
The President Outlines Needed Lesisla-
ton to Central Bodies.

The following communication has been
received by the Denver Trades and La
Dor Assembly from President Samuel
Gompers of the A. F. of l. 1t is self
explanatory:
Washington, d. c., Jan. 8, 1911.
Mr.. j. F. Bedford, Secretary Trades and
Labor Assembly, Box 1872, Denver,
Colo.
Dear Sir and Brother:-In the report
of the president of the A F. of l.. to the
| St Louis convention, reference was
made to police oppression, or what is
commonly known as ''the Third Degree.
The committee on the presidents report,
having this subject under consideration,
made the following report, which was
adopted by the convention:
I'VE endorse what the president says,
speaking as follows: While it is the
very first maxim in criminal law that
every man is presumed innocent of crime
until proven guilty, the police sweat-box
proceedings are based on the idea that
when a man has been arrested the pre-
sumption that he is guilty must amount
almost to a certainty, and that If suffi-
ciently frightened or put in pain he will
tell the truth
1.-The president protests against this
cruelty that has no warrant for its ex-
istence except the brute power of barbar-
| ism and the traditions derived there
| from.
'The exercise of torture, mental or
physical is prohibited alike by law and
by ordinary human feeling. Its practice
on the part of the police is usurpation
that must be stopped.
ITO this end, we recommend to the
State Federations and to city central
bodies that they urge upon the
legislatures of their separate states the
enactment of such law as shall put an
end to this barbarism perpetrated upon
those accused of crime and guard the
rights inherent in humanity and presum-
ably sacred in every citizen"
The report of the president is COM
mended to your careful and thoughtful
consideration, to the end that you may
be fully cognizant of the subject when
taking it up with your representatives in
your respective state legislatures, as the
convention recommended should be done.
Another subject of vital Importance
to the trade union movement of the en-
tire country was also dealt with at con
siderable length in the presidents report
under the head Insurance Laws and
Trade Unions" Upon this matter the
convention directed that the different
State Federations of Labor and city cen
| trail bodies as well as the unions and
the membership within their various jur
isdictions should put forth every effort
to secure the enactment of such legisla
ton as may be necessary to prevent the
interference with the rights of organ
lied labor in the humane work in which
our trade unions are engaged. This is
one of the most vital questions affecting
the organization of labor at this time
You are again urged to read the report
of the president dealing with this sub
ject SO that you may have full informa-
tion thereon and be prepared to intelli
gently take such action as will conform
to the advice and direction of the con
vention thereon.
In further considering the subject of
convict labor it was directed that the va
rious state branches and city central
bodies be advised to continue more Wig
orously than ever the campaign of pub
licity to arouse the trade unionists and
the general public to demand that pris-
oners be employed upon such labor as
will not place their product in competi-
ton with free labor.
The A. F. of l.. will be glad to assist
to the fullest limit of its power in carry
ing out the instructions of the conven-
ton in the above.