The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-07-15

with epoch-making ceremony.
he President of the United States
and his cabinet were present, and to-
gether with the executive council of the
| American Federation of Labor viewed
the magnificent demonstration of or
ganized men and women as it swept past
the stand erected in front of the build
ing.
Secretary of Labor Wilson acted as
master of ceremonies. In short ad-
dress the first trade unionist in Presi-
dents cabinet referred to labor's prog
ress during the life of the American
Federation of Labor, and which was
typiied by the magnificent structure
about to be dedicated
President Gompers said, in part:
This is a wonderful age in which we
are privileged to live. There has been
running through the course of history
the struggle of the masses Of the people,
the hewers of wood and the drawers of
water. Wherever injustice and tyranny
were exercised, it was the masses, it
was the people, the workers, who suf-
fered. 1t was and is the mission of the
masses of the people, it is the mission
of the workers of our time, it is the
mission of the much misunderstood and
misrepresented organized labor move
ment to carry on the work to its full
filmcnt so that the wonderful sentiment
and view and rights declared in our
Declaration of independence, that man
is endowed with certain inalienabc
rights, and that among these are the
right of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness, shall not only be de-
claration that was given to the world,
but shall establish new status and
new concept of new rights of man.
"Men are not necessarily free because
declarations of independence so declare.
Men are not necessarily free because the
Constitution guarantees freedom. Men
are given the opportunities for freedom
and they must if they aim to be free,
exercise the activities that come with
the intelligent free man.
"My friends, there is not an overabun
dance of our own people who under
stand what is really contained in that
declaration in section six of the Clay
ton antitrust law 1t solemnly enacts
this declaration into law, that the labor
of a human being is not a commodity
or article of commerce, and for the first
time in the history of the struggles of
the human race, for the first time a high
legislative body, or, for that matter, any
Legislative body in the whole world, re-
pudiated the old doctrine that the labor
of human being is property that the
labor of human being is commo-
dity, that the labor of human being
is an article of commerce.
"Therc is not any act on the part of
our government, there is no activity in
any group of our people, in which the
wage workers, the toiling masses, are
not concerned. Let us do all that we
can to help the man at the head of the
affairs of our country who is weighted
| down with great responsibilities, the
/ President of the United States, to see to
it that we are kept out OF actual war
with any nation. We know how seriously
and earnestly he is striving to achieve
peace, but in order that his wise and
humane purpose may be carried into ef-
feet It will require the loyal and intelli-
gent support of the masses of the peo-
pie of our country. We, his fellow citi-
ZenS, who want peace, have a duty to
perform. No man in all the world can
stand alone a man may become her
nit and try to free himself Of his for
mer environment but he is not alone
and can not be alone, There are new
conditions which confront and surround
him. SO say, my friends, it is not only
to believe in peace, it is not only to de-
sire for peace, but let us give out the
clarion call to our people that we, by
every honorable means at our command,
are going to see to it that the policy of
trying to maintain peace shall be suS-
tanned"
President Wilson said in part:
1T is very proper that this great
building should in this wise be dedi-
Gated on the birthday of the nation.
You know, my fellow citizens, that the
mind needs air to breathe just as the
body does.
"A man who works in order that he
may be distinguished is sooner or later
going to do some selfish thing that will
disgrace him, because his object is him
self and not the ideals which he serves
And, therefore, it seems to me that
, everyone of us should remind himself
every day that he is working for some
thing besides wages that he is working
for some persons whom he loves oil
some community that he wishes to as
sst, or some nation that he is ready tC
serve and defend.
"The way we generally strive fol
rights is by getting our fighting blooC
up, and ! venture to say that is the
wrong way and not the short way. !.
you come at me with your fists doubled
: think ! can promise you that mine