Denver labor bulletin., 1915-11-06
TRADES ASSEMBLY OF THE SHELTER CITY
HOLDS MEETING OF INTEREST
Miner Leader Given Great Reception on First Visit
Since Resuming His Work; Many Prominent
Members of Organized Labor Present

trial, and unjust conviction, in Las AMI
mas county.
All Pueblo There.
1T would seem that all Pueblo want
ed to see and hear him, and the stten-
dance was only limited by the capacity
OF the large assembly halls at Third and
Santa Fe avenue. Both rooms OF the
hall were thrown open to the audience
and were filled to overlooking Law
sons address was void of any radical
utterances, indicating that the labor
leader has not been soured by his re-
cent narrowing experience. Only in
semi humorous manner did he refer to
his imprisonment in Trinidad, and but
once. He did not mention the life i'm
prisonment sentence passed upon him
or attempt to arouse any sympathy per
sonaIly. His plea for the cause he rep
resents was tempered with conserva-
tism. He declared that only by a sys-
tematie educational campaign can the
cause of unionism win.
Discusses Rockefeller Plan
Lawson devoted a major share of
his speech to the Rockefeller plan re-
Gently adopted by the Colorado Fuel
and Iron mining camps, eonceding its
good points. but on the whole reiter-
ating his former statements that the
plan cannot succeed. To John D.
Rockefeller, Jr-, he referred as a
very fine man. and stated that he
himself was the first labor official or
representative of the public at large
to break thru the figurative barrier
that has until recently existed between
the Rockefeller private offices at 26
Broadway and the outer world This oc-
CURED last February when Lawson Wis
tied Rockefeller in New York.
AT that time We discussed the plan
recently announced" said Lawson. "We
discussed the issues quite freely. 1 told
Rockefeller that the plan could not sue
ceed then, and l say so now"
Lawson characterized the plan as
substituting "fraternalism for democ-
raey," as offering philanthropy for
justice" He voiced some sarcasm in
pointing out that one of the redeem
able features of the plan was the
concessions that the labor law of the
state are to be enforced by the com
pany." exelaiming that that was one of
the strong points for which the coal
miners for years have been contending.
Strike Was Beneficial
''Altho Lawson admitted the coal
/ miners strike in Colorado was n failure.
as such, yet he contended that the
effect has been beneficial and the time
/ will come, he said, when it will Be
I oh LII -. Il, IL
I vaneement in America as one of the
crowning events. Lawson also paid his
compliments to Frank P. Walsh, chair
man of the federal industrial investiga-
tion commission, and his associates.
In conclusion, Lawson disparaged
militaney in ehampioning the cause of
1 labor. He said the ideal labor organ
/ ization and the kind towards which he
7 is bending his ambition is one in which
[ the laboring contingent as unit will
/ form its own plans and set its own price
for labor, then confer with the man with
capital and agree upon a fixed stipula
tion satisfactory to both parties.
Crimes Do Not Aid Cause.
Union labor never made an advance
by the commission of crimes" said LAW
son. That is the theory We always
have endeavored to instill into the rank
and file of our organization. The
trouble with laboring men is that they
have too much physical courage, but are
lacking in moral courage. That is dem
onstrated even in everyday work. They
are willing to take risks they do not
have to take.
Education and moral courage are the
two great assets of our cause As yet
the laboring man hasn't the moral cour-
age to stand up and demand that his
rights be considered. But new era
is dawning when this condition is pass
ing. and thru these two great assets we
will win
President Toohey of the Andes As
sembly presided. Addresses were also
made by Charles T. Mahoney, formerly
assistant district attorney of Denver
and one of the attorneys for the United
Mine Workers. who made brilliant adj
dress; John ID. White, the noted single
tax orator of Chicago, entertained the
audience; Henry Il. Perham of ST. Louis,
president OF the Order OF Railway Tele-
graphers, on his way to the Frisco con-
vention, gave u very interesting talk
For more than forty years Brother
Perham has been in the labor game and
is an old Colorado boy. having worked
on the various railroads here before be-
coming the head of the telegraphers.