The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-02-05
Labor's Participation in Government
Samuel Gonpers, President of the American Federation
of Labor, in the February Number of the American
Federationist Handles the Subject With Great Interest

lives, to fasten securely the foundations
OF our great steel structures. The struc-
tural iron workers climb to dizzy heights
and careless of the slight barrier be-
tween them and the depths below, ioin
together marvellous skeleton structures
the structures that enable men to control
the elements of nature and to have build
ings and facilities that are necessary for
the affairs of life and work. They build
the marvels of our great cities and our
highways, yet, when it comes to formu-
lating the policies, the plans that affect
intimately their lives, safety and welfare,
they are rarely given voice in these
determinations
The great armies of those who form
part OF the transportation force or
commerce have but little real participa-
ton IN the government. Those who
work in our industries are vitally af-
fected by laws, and yet they have no
voice in really determining matters.
These and all workers, have earned
the right to real representation in gov
ernment and in determining its policies
of industry and society-have earned
that right through their flesh and blood
and through the bone-wearing anguish
of toll. Yet they have been denied full,
real recognition of their worth as men
and citizens-they have not been ad-
mitted to participation in the heart of
government Daily life has taught them
to distinguish between the real and the
SpuriouS-betWeen true power and
things associated with power.
The right to vote implies but little as
to real participation of the voter in the
government. With the development in
our country and the increases in our
population, the political tendency has
been toward the creation of commissions
authorized to investigate, to determine
policies and to formulate plans. Since
the real work is done through commits
slons and committees these are the po-
itcal agencies that exercise govern
mental power. Only when there is rep
resentation on these committees and
commissions, in addition to the other
recognized political rights is there real
participation in the political life OF the
nation. This commission tendency of
government has been so gradual that its
significance and Importance have not
been grasped by all of the citizens.
Those who have interpreted this tend
cncy Alright have been urging upon the
attention, not only of those in authority,
but of the wage-earners themselves, the
justice and the necessity for representa-
ton OF Wage-earnerS on these commits
sionS and committees.
Due in part to the opening up of our
commercial highways and to the results
OF the present European war and in part
to the guidance of political and indus
trial statesmen, the future promises
closer relations between the countries
and the nations of North and South
America. Former proposals for closer
relations concerned only relations of po-
litical character. The relations that are
developing at present are industrial
commercial and financial, and hence
form real basis for community of in
terests and for an extension and the
INTERVENING of the life forces of our
nation with those of other Pan Amer
can nations, of which the political can
be only a reflection.
The Sixty third Congress authorized
the Secretary of the Treasury to ap-
point commission for the promotion of
closer and better relations between the
peoples of the various countries. The
purpose was to promote commerce be
tween this country and the countries of
lllc 1 dl-NIIlcTlCdll UNION 10 eSlaDllSn
better understanding of economic needs
and interests of these different coun-
tries, SO that our plans and policies for
industrial development might proceed
with greater intelligence and effective
ness. As members of that commission
there were appointed men who repre-
sented manufacturing, mercantile and
financial interests of the various coun-
tries. the railroad interests, the steam
ship interests, mining interests, every
material interest that might be con-
cerned in closer relations between the
countries, but there was not not one rep
resentative of the human side of these
various interests.
Though commerce can not be carried
on between the United States and the
South American countries without the
help of human beings, there was no one
there to present and to insist upon the
protection of the interests of the sail
ors. Why should the interests of the
ship owners of various countries be held
of greater Importance than the inter
ests of the sailors who are in the en-
ploy of these ship owners? Why should
there be representatives who look after
the interests of the ship overs and not
representatives who look after the in
terests of the sailors? The representa-
tive of material interests would have at