The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-03
Socialists Hold Mass Meeting
at Liberty Park and
Discuss Issue.
SPRY AND LEGISLATORS
ARE ALIKE DENOUNCED
Suggestion Is Made That Every
Union Worker Boycott the
State Fair.

Dcnouncine the plan of employing con
Wet labor on any public work as un-
American and unjust to the wOrkmeH
of the state who seek an opportunity tc
make an honest living; dcnouncinG the
Utah legislature that passed the law as
tho tools of the privileged class and de-
bill 1s an able representative of CAPT
talistic interests, the Socialist organiza
ton Of Salt Lake held mass meeting
at Liberty park yesterday afternoon
at which the convict labor question was
ventilated from the Socalistic view
point.
About 500 persons. including a fair
sprinkling of women. listened to the three
addresses given. Alfred Sorensen pre-
sided and introduced II. :. Iund as the
first speaker who began by the dcclara-
right for the worklnemen II was their
duty TO take matters into their own
hands. He reviewed the history of the
agitation started by Socialists In opposi-
on public works and said that it had
only Just begun
Menace to Honest Men.
The use of convicts In public work -
he said. rs a menace 10 the thousands
now out of employment. men whose
credit has been exhausted by their neces-
stiles"
Mr.. Lund told OF an audience which
Governor Spry had given to commit
tee of Socialists. in which they had
and the administration In regard TO the
question of caring for the unemployed
who were unable TO secure work.
Governor Spry had informed them. said
the speaker. that the legislature had
passe the law To provide for public work
for which no appropriation was available
and that so far as the stale assuming
responsibility was concerned his duty
~,sll. 1.,,,
tress existed among the unemployed the
remedy was by petition for the calling
OF an extra session of tho legislature
TO deal with the problem. Mr.. Lund
asserted that there were now several
thousand idle men in Salt Lake who
were seeking work and predicted that
the situation would he serious when win
ter came He asked that every union
gather data bearing on the question.
Wouls Bring State to Time.
LET us make the state come to its
he declared. 'If The state sees
1T 10 work convicts 1t will have to feed
you. and II ii feeds you without asking
you TO work. why I wouldn't kick much
about that"
]. L, Donnelly made brief address.
scoring Governor Spry as the represen
tative Of the capitalists who disreGarded
best way to settle the convict labor prob
lem was To elect n Socialist governor
]. II Walsh talked last and longest.
He began with II roast OF the working
men themselves declaring that II they
had convict labor they had only them
selves to blame. for IT was because they
could not think for themseles or were
afraid to, He followed this with the
statement that no one but fool would
work with a pick and shovel. and de-
ivered long TRADE against the present
system Of wage slavery. He followed
This with the statement that the way
solve the convict labor nrnh1aOD
Tor every union worker to boycott the
state fair, the grounds for which were
now being put In order by conyicts at
cost of SO cents per day per man,
The beginning Of the band concert
forced Mr.. Walsh to discontinue his
speech.