East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-05

pcrS, In Introduction Asks People
to Uphold President,
WASHINGTON. July S.-Ten thou
sand hearers standing in a broiling
sun yesterday saw reference to the
Mexican problem in speech by Pres.
ioent Wilson al, the dedication of the
new home of the American Fedora
tion Of Labor, when he declared pa
tience. candOr and desire to get to-
Cether constitute the solution of all
difficulties.
THE easiest way he said, "and
the way we generally strive for right,
is getting our fighting spirit up, II
You come TO me with your fist douhl-
ed | venture to say mine will double
as quickly as yours; but if We hold
common counsel together-have patti
cree and candor and a desire for CO.
operation We can get together
Advocates Common Counsel,
In a position such as l occupy at
this time" the president said, Il am
not at liberty to think of any one class
or classes of people to the exclusion of
other classes. Hence I am going to
take the liberty OF dedicating this
building to common counsel and COM
mon understanding.
AS the president concluded these
words, Mabel Vernon of Nevada rose
from a chair in the grandstand, and
waving a woman suffrage banner,
shouted:
IF you sincerely want common un-
derstanding, you will get out of COM
mittee the national suffrage amend
ment"
Woman is Suppressed.
Miss Vernon got no further Police
crowded around her and threatened
to eject her from the stand, while the
crowd shouted
shut up" and sit down"
At a world from within the presp
dents party however. she was per-
mitted to remain silent and the presi-
dent smilingly resumed speaking.
Before the confusion quieted, the
president leaned forward. smiling and
remarked, That's one of the things
Wen have to take counsel on.
The comparatively few who heard
laughed and cheered.
The president was introduced by
Samuel Gompers. who brought tre-
mendous cheers from the crowd when
he said:
"One of our purposes must be to do
all we can to help the president keep
out of war with any nation. He is
weighted down with great responsible
tiles. We want peace and We know
how earnestly he is striving to main
tain peace. No man in all the world
however, can stand alone.
Requires Peoples support.
THE president requires the intelli-
gent support of the masses Of the
people, and think l express the spir-
it and purpose of every laboring man
when l say that If after every honor
able effort has been made and peace
is no longer possible, and the horrors
of war come to us or are forced upon
US, the laboring men of the country
may be counted on to give a good ac-
count of their patriotism"
independence Day in Washington
was converted into labor celebration
and that, in turn, into peace day
a peace-with- Mexico-day. Labor
leaders, whose program Of events do
minated the Fourth in the national
capital, gave as much of their time
and their efforts to the Mexican situ-
alton as they did to the dedication Of
the American Federation of LabOr's
new home, about which the days cere-
monies were centered or the parade
Of 10000 workers.
Conferences between President
Gompers, Secretary Morrison Treas
urer Lennon and other leaders Of the
American Federation on the one hand
and the Mexican labor leaders on the
other, continued, There was no in
tention. they said, to let the case rest
with the formal Joint appeal asking
for appointmentAof a commission Of
inquiry
Their action in proposing an in
quiry. one labor leader said, was not
taken without careful consideration,
and he declared that they had reason
to believe the suggestion might prove
acceptable to the administration.
People DO Not Understand.
Two thirds of the people do not
understand what this war we are
heading into is all about" said this
official. This administration, we
think, does not want the responsible
ity for war the people do not un-
derstand. We speak for all the work.
ers of the country The Mexican la
Dor representatives now here speak
for Mexican workers. In neither
country can the worker see why there
should be war So we propose that
a commission, composed of men who
will be truly representative Of both
nations. shall investigate the differ
ences between the two nations and
then make the recommendation for
the adjustment of those differences
That is all
At the White House no expression
could be obtained on the proposal Of
the labor leaders.