The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-22
In The LABOR WORLD
FIRST LABORER
IN CONGRESS
ELY MOORE, A PRINTER, WAS
FIRST UNION MAN IN CONGRESS
IN 1sa4-sEVENTEEN MEMBERS
WILL SIT IN LOWER HOUSE IN
NEXT SESSION, s

In the sixtl-third congress the trade
unions of the United States will be
represented by seventeen members.
This result has been the outcome of
the policy inaugurated by the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor during the
past three congressional campaigns.
Prior to the time mentioned, men with
paid-up union cards in their pockets
in congress were conspicuous by their
absence, although there have been
union men members of congress prior
to 1906. The first union man to be
elected to congress, however, occurred
q great many years ago-in 1884, in
fact.
Ely Moore, a journeyman printer,
was elected to the twenty fourth con-
| gress, and reelected to the twenty
fifth from New York city. He was a
member of what was then known as
the Typographical Association of New
York, which was organized on June
II, 1881. Moore also was editor OF a
labor paper, but data is not available
as to it's title. The brief biography of
this early union congressman contains
the facts that he was born in New
Jersey and died in Kansas, and that
during the active years ef" his life ne
was an agitator and organizer of labor
unions. Apropos to this subject, Sen
ator Ashurst of Arizona, on Jan. 2,
1912, while discussing the recall of
judges. wove into his address a refer
enCe to Ely Moore; likewise paying
tribute to the valor and high charac-
ter of the men who laid the foundation
for collective action among workmen.
That part of Senator Ashurst's speech
referred to is as follows:
THE struggle for social justice for
the people who perform physical la
Dor has been even greater and more
-zas-Lz1 A. Ta+- ALI,
year 1900 men were severely pun
ished in England for organizing
guilds or labor unions; and the condi-
ton Of the working class was little
better than hat of slaves. It was not
until 1875, in England, that the laws
against trades unions were repealed.
In the early days of u own govern
ment nearly all of the work was per-
formed either by slaves or indentured
servants, and wages amounted to an
average of 81 per day. Heartless
writer's referred to the laboring classes
as the living machines which wealth
possesses. 4.
when Ely Moore, the first member
of a labor union to be elected to the
congress of the United States, was
about to take his seat in the twenty
fourth congress, there was a movement
set on foot to try to prevent his being
0SNkSNR OSAANNAAANAJe ~ NNAb
were heaped upon him by the reac-
tionaries of that day. who believed that
the liberties of the republic were In
danger because a member Of a labor
union had been elected to congress.
But the stubborn courage of Ely Moore,
his superlative e~Ioquence, biting sar-
casm, and wonderfully piercing analy-
sis convinced the nation that no mis-
take had been made in sending a MEM
Der of a labor union to congress, and
so strikingly did this journeyman
printer, this organizer Of labor unions,
this so-calIed 'agitator' and 'dema-
gogue' distinguish himself for patriot
| ism, learning and ability, that he be-
came a confidential adviser of the adj
ministration of Pres. James K. Polk. ]
mention these circumstances so that
those who are supporting this contest
in behalf of a larger human liberty will
not become discouraged. but will be-
come encouraged when they reflect
how much more intensely heated was
the opposition to these reforms in the
days gone by. He is wasting his time
who believes he can stop or stay these
forward movements in their progress,
The movement, especially in behalf OF
| those who perform physical labor, for
a greater share of freedom, for the
right to enjoy a part of the creation of
their hands and of their own toll, will
inevitably live, for it is as broad-based
as the world itself and as deep as hu-
manity.p