The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-09-09
LABOR RECORDS OF.
WILSON AND / HUGHES.
President Gompers Answers
Query Put to Him by South
ern Labor Leader.
WILSON WAS FRIENDLY
WHILE HUGHES OPPOSED
Presidents Wonderful Achieve.
emnts for American Working.
men Approved.

Do"n IN Alabama workinemen 1,avS
organized non-partisan leaxue r.,
tne purpose of promoting their po1iti.
cat welfare and ascertaining the labor
records Of candidates for office n.
" McClurg Of Birmingham. secre+,rr,
OF the league, under instructions fror,
MS associates transmitted a letter to
the American Federation of Labor IN.
curing as to the labor records ~ ~.
two leading candidates for Pre.id.,,+
OF the United States. The answer NJ
framed by Mr. Gompers and sixned ~,
his associates, Frank Marrison az
James o'Connell. 1t reads as follows:
our letters addressed to Mr..
frank Morrison. secretary of the Am
er1can Federation Of Labor, have been
.urneo over to us for reply:> In your
favor of July II you ask
viii you kindly give us the labor
record of the candidates who are Of
ferlng for the Presidency of the.
United States. Our committee inves-
tigates the record of all men who Of.
Ter for public office in which labor is
interested. These records are all COM
piled and then given to the member-
ship of organized labor without com.
ment whatever, allowing the members
to- select according to the record that
the various candidates have made
themselves =
Replying to the above query and
statement, we feel it is due you and
the members of your organization to
say that in our opinion you have taken
the correct attitude and if you main.
tain your service on a rigid non-parti-
san basis, such as you describe, you
will find that the influence of your or
ganization will always prove helpful
to the best interests of all the people.
''The legislative record of the Hon:
orable Woodrow Wilson, Democratic
nominee for President In regard to.
labor measures, that have come befora
him for action during his incumbency
in the office Of President, since March
4, 1913, is as follows: -;
President Wilson's Record.
zone of the first acts of the Presi.
Denton March 4, 1913-was to ap-
point a member in good standing Of
the trade union movement, Honorable,
William B. Wilson, member and for
mer secretary Of the United Mine
Workers Of America, secretary Of the
department of labor. thereby making
him a member of the Presidents cab
met. This is the first instance in the
history Of the United States where tho
President of the United States selected
a. bona fide good standing member Of
the organized labor movement to be-
come a member Of his cabinet. "
"At the request of the executive
council Of the American Federation Of
Labor President Wilson appointed, on
Sept. 10, 1913, representatives of the
American Federation of Labor and
the Railroad Brotherhoods as mem-
bers of the Industrial Relations COM
mission, Mr.. James O'Connell, vice.
president Of the American Federation
of Labor; Mr.. John B. Lennon. treas
urer of the American Federation Of
Labor, and Mr.. Austi n b. ,Garretson.
grand chief conductor of the Order of
Railroad Conductors. -
ION Oct. Is, 1914-President Will
son approved the law which takes the
organizations of labor and farmers
organizations from the purview Of the
antitrust act: limits the use and pre-
vents the abuse of the writ of injunc-
ton in labor disputes; defines and re-
stricts punishment for alleged con-s