The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-10-26

At mass meeting held under the aus
pices of the Wilson Eight H our league
in Washington, ID. c. on October Is,
President Gompers accepted an invita-
ton to speak He said he was "an
eight hour league from way back" and
recalled the successive eight-hour
gains made by the trade uniou move
ment.
Some how or other, in my life of
Go years. h c said, and of more than
As years of activity in the cause of
labor, justice, freedom and humanity,
have escaped being called a polite
ian until very recently. And recently
/ have been called a partisan Roliti-
clan by no less person than United
States Senator from the great state of
Illinois.
The speaker stated that he had ac-
cepted an invitation by Secretary
Olander of the Illinois State Fedora
tion of Labor and Secretary Nockels
of the Chicago Federation of Labor to
reply to Senator Sherman in Chicago
on Sunday, October 2o.
President Gompers made this refer
ence to the eight-hour movement of
employees in the railroad train SER
vice.
gard to the Adamson law, and then l
want to refer to some other instances
some other facts involved in this cam
paign. | declare here and now, from
my own knowledge, that the railroad
men and their brotherhoods did not
ask for the Adamson law. They had
declared that the time had come that
they would no longer fool and fritz
ter away their time with the quarrel
ing managers who were trying to pro-
long the agony and to fritter away
the confidence of the rank and file
with the leadership in the organiza-
ton. / do not know how often you
travel on the railroads. / have con
siderable travelling to do. and have
found that in nearly every railroad
station there were bulletins. l found
in every dining car bulletins You
found on every bill of fare when you
wanted a cheese sandwich, you found
the arguments of the companies
against the eight-hour day. You found
full-page advertisements in the news
papers every day, and trying to wean
away the respect and the public SYM
pathy from the railroad men in their
demand.
"The railroad men represent the
pOOI. HND represent tic MOTkGIS.
They have not the money to expend
in such a campaign, and they depend
upon the information and the sym
pathy that these men mutually have
for each other and can't you under
stand how it became necessary for
these .ohiefs of the railroad brother
hoeds to tell the railroads., the time
had come when monkeyag must be
stopped. and If you do not give us
the eight-hour day, we will submit
this question to the men most vitally
affected. and they will give YOU that
answer What answer would have
come? ] will tell you very candidly
my opinion ] really do not believe
that the railroad managers and p-
idents would have held out 4S hours
against the united demands of the
railroad men for the eieht-hour day
If the strike had gone on. My judg-
ment is this: sumbit it to your
Judgment for your thoughtful consid-
Grafton.
"The railroads have been demand
ing from the government and govern
mental agencies for years an increase
in freight rate They knew. as they
know now, and as ! am satisfied will
be demonstrated TO them beyond cav
il that the eight-hour workday will
mean not one penny of an increase
caused by operation as per unit.
am willing to trust whatever repu-
tation may have as an economist
upon that statement being demon
strated in the future.
But they were willing that the
public attention of the people should
be invited to that question. and that
they we're supposedly acting undei
duress and that necessity compelled
them to concede, and with flourish
of trumpets declaring that they musi
have increased freight rates. THAI
was the thing.
"The President of the United States
called the representatives of The
brotherhoods into conference and
counselied with them, sympathizee
with them in their great siruRgies
And If there be but one thing that
shall longinely cherish IN my heart
n q the great reverence for the meT
who can feel for his fellow men
He expressed the idea and the thought
and the feeling that the men were Jus
tilted in demanding an eight-houi
workday and he hoped TO prevail up
on them that they might give hin
an opportunity of working out az
agreement, an understanding soms
relations that would nos break ans
ston the commerce Of oi1r country.
Gle then went 70 the railroad ryan
ayers and spoke with ssesll, 4rRuee
with them. and asked them to consid
er the eielit-hour day to grant II, ans
that al other things might be sub
mitted to arbitration lie failed q
that and then Was confronted tiisf
the country was confronted, with t1l