United labor bulletin., 1913-09-06
Eloquent Labor Day Address
at Lakeside
Dawn Of New and Wider Liberty for
Those Who Toll Breaking Over
the World; No Further Fear
Of the Law


Lakeside park Monday by the Hon.
James w. Kelly was pronounced one
of the best ever heard in this city.
Mr.. Kelley was a member of the
American Railway Union during the
stirring times of that organization.
He later studied law and was admitted
to the bar. Following is a full text
of his address:
Fellow Citizens: Nearly everybody
who makes a speech on Labor Day be-
gins by saying that he is n laboring
man. no matter II he never worked a
day in his life. am going to intro
duce an element of novelty by ad-
mitting that i am not n laboring man.
l used to be. but / found the percent
age was SO strong against me that ]
quit the game. Twenty years ago
when ! used to stake my muscle
against days wages. in the game OF
life, the employer had the cards all
marked: so l never won much. !
didn't even quit even. said to my
self II i ever got chance j would
make the game square game. |
would make the men who deal with
labor stop leading the dice. was irl
the A. II. U. strike. ! decided then
that until conditions changed for the
better would never feel comfortable
as a wage Garner. ! knew would
hurt somebody II wore the yoke
much longer. SO | quit. But when that
strike was ended ] registered solemn
vow that for every humiliation put up
on me by the foes OF labor | would.
when my opportunity came. retnliate
an hundred fold. / resolved that l
would never rest until f'hhd fitted my
self to deal blow for blow In equal
conflict, with the arrogant class that
had attempted TO crush out the man
hood and independence OF my youth
Today there IS no trick the enemies OF
labor have that do not know Their
guile and craft is as plain TO me now
as their power and cruelty was terri
hle to me then. But do not fear them
any more. | thought Il would be a
grand fight. this contest with labor's
foes: but ! find their cowardly and
stupid forces are deserving the field
nd the battle already almost won.
Labor Superior to Capital.
A lawyer loves TO cite precedents.
II is customary to use the opinions OF
great thinkers to persuade n bench of
judges and | feel that | ought to cite
precedent here for the position
am taking The language is as fol-
lows:
Labor Is prior TO and Independent
of capital. Capital is only the fruit
OF labor. and could never have ex-
listed II labor had not first existed.
Labor is the superior OF capital and
deserves much the higher considera-
tion. No men living are
more worthy to be trusted than those
who toll up from poverty. none less
inclined TO take or touch aught which
they have not honestly earned. Let
them beware of surrendering a polit-
cal power which they already possess
and which. IL surrendered will surely
be used to close the door OF advance
ment against such as they and to fix
new disabilities upon them till all of
liberty shall be lost
Whose language is this? / pre-
sumo you think 1t comes from some
man whom the unthinking would call
labor agitator.' Not so. II is
from the first message of President
Abraham Lincoln to the United States
congress. delivered more than half
century ago.
The language of President Lincoln
Is extreme. He strikes squarely at
the root OF the evils labor must fear.
But while the language is extreme. 1t
is Justified for the passing years
have proved his conclusions to be just
and true. This precedent, from such
high and disinterested source. is
good enough authority for me to use
as n text today.
No Relax Of Vigilance.
Labor stands today like n mailed
warrior that has fought the good fight
In many battles and sees. In the fu.
ture. other fields of conflict. In Colo
rado, MS elsewhere. there are those
who believe that by some stroke OF
genius-some happy invention OF
paDacea-all the troubles of labor will
be ended. l do not believe this to be
true, or possible. We can attempt. as
best we may, to settle the labor prob
lens of today but no one can settle
the problems of tomorrow except
those who are living tomorrow. In
deed no one OF us can say what to-
morrow's labor problems will be. One
OF the heaviest responsibilities OF