Denver labor bulletin., 1916-11-25
Railway Order Executives
Visit A. F. L. Meeting
Delegates Rise to Feet and Cheer
Statement That All Labor Or A
Will Soon Be Under Banner .
of American Federation
Especial Correspondenoe.)

BALTIMORE, Nov. 22.-That the fun
combined force of the organized labor
movement of the United States will be
thrown squarely behind program TO
establish universal eight-hour working
day for all wage-earners was made clear
during this, the second week of the
thirty sixth annual convention Of the
American Federation Of Labor being held
IN this city. Tuesday afternoon. amid
scenes OF widest enthusiasm, five men
no in 4 measure control the destinies
Of millions Of workers, mutually pledged
themselves TO give their undivided cf-
forts 20 the seeuTanec OF an eight-hour
day for all who toll"
The men were President samuel Com
por.. American Federation Of Labor
president, and the heads Of the four
great bTotherboods Of railroad tralumcn
W. S Stone. N. S. Carter. ". G.. Lee
and T. = Sheppard.
IL was a love feast Of labor. carried
on under tho eyes Of hundreds Of dele.
gates 10 the federation convention, and
they yelled themselves hoarzc in appro-
val Of their leaders statements.
Visit Of Brotherhood Chiefs.
Zach Of the brotherhood chiefs ad-
dressed the convention rccounting the
fight for the Ahamson law. and their de.
termination 10 first let the government
try TO beat tho railroads at their own
game in the courts and II that fails
then to resume the fight for the eight
hour Law 80 long as there is breath left
in US TO fight
At the conclusion Of their Ip~cche.
Gonpcrs took the platform and pledged
80 the brotherhood chiefs the undivided
and unequivocal support of every man
and woman in tho organized labor move.
mcnt"
They have thrown down the gauntlet
nd W. accept the challenge" cried Com.
pers And in the language of tho i'm.
mortal Shakespeare. Lay on MacDun,
and damned be he who first cries Hold,
cnougb-H
i'andcmonium rcirncd a. Gompcrs fin
tshcd, and mutual hand shaking fol-
lowed. A delegate, above the confusion.
yelled motion 10 give rising vote of
thanks and confidence TO tho brother.
hood chiefs, and it was given with every
man on his feet and cheering.
Warning Served on Congress.
Fair warning was given to national
legislators that tho railroad workers will
permit Of no compulsory arbitration
legislation, by Lee
Wore going 10 work for an eight
hour day for every man who tolls. and
if We can't got It well fight for it," he
shouted. And wen fight compulsory
arbitration aS long we have breath
in us to fight"
Lee, in his speech, staunchly supported
President Wilson.
"lhcy call Woodrow Wilson a weak.
ling" he assorted hotly. We'll. IL took
more courage to write across the front
page. Of the newspapers OF this nation,
Chief Executive Favore Eight Hour
Law than II would TO write War With
Mexico"
Carter made an attack on the rail.
roads for "subsidizing the press Of the
nation" He charged fatty that the
railroads had deliberately bought the
editorial and partly the public opinion of
lions of dollars in advertising
Subsidiring of Daily Press.
There is no longer free press In
this country" he cried AT the outset
Of this controversy. 10 per cent of the
editorial opinion was with us. But after
the railroads had raised fund of ST.
5000 and placed ads in 5000 daily
newspapers, there wns n Wholesale re.
Ncrsal of opinion
Absolute confidence in the result of
the controversy was voiced by Stone of
the engineers. Arbitration. he declared,
has failed because tho ruilroads consti.
tutcd themselves the judge and jury In
all cases.
why" he declared. I'VE have two ar.
bitrntion awards which We cannot get
them TO put into effect, altho the date
for their effectiveness is long since
passed. II
Lee told the delegates the history Of
the strike order which went out last
summer. Every one of the 600 dele
gates at Washington. he said. had diff
fcrcntly worded code telegram on how
to act. Such measure, he charged, was
made necessary because the railroads In
the past had issued tclcgraphic orders
in cities over the signature of the broth.
crhood chiefs.
Railroads on the Defensive.
Labor, he said, had but one thing to
disruption thru internal disscn-
sion,
Christ couldn't get twelve men with
out one Judas, and we look for tho same
ratio" he said.
Stone said labor would sit on the
sidcIincs and watch the railways in the