The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-09-01
Senator ShermTn Is Backed
Into A Corner.

a corner when he tried to prove his
great love and admiration for trade
unionists as whole and at the
same time stamp as a puDlic nuis-
ance the man they have repeatedly
and unanimously elected president
of the A. +. of L.
August 15 Senator Sherman first
uncorked his splice because presi
dent Gompers, in answer to- a letter
from trade unionists, stated Chas
Z. Hughes position in the Dan
bury hatters' case while a member
of the supreme court.
This enraged Senator Sherman,
who rambled off into a TRADE so
common in conventions of manu-
facturers' ass ociations. He said
"Gird up your loins, Mr.. Com
pers, and answer like man." The
A. F. of of L. executive lost no
time in accepting the challenge,
and wrote Senator Sherman to this
effect.
Last Saturday Senator Reed
{ (Missouri) recpentd the case by
inserting the Gompers letter in the
record, and defended the unionist
in vigorous manner. In reply to
the acceptance of his challenge for
a joint debate. Senator Sherman
quit cold and proved his snobberly
and last century viewpoint when
be declared that if the law of duel
ling were in fcrce. Il would say to
Mr.. Gompers that / do not fight
with anyone except those of my
own class
Senator Reed said: q sometimes
think 1t Is misfortune that men
on the floor of the senate are i'm
mune from the pains and penalties
of the law against libel and SANDER.
| Lave known Mr.. Gempers in
way, not intimately, but | have
been thrown in contact with him
for a number of years. have had
occasion 10 follow his public acts;
for l speak of his acts in connec-
tion with the great labor organiza
tion to which he belongs as in the
nature of quasi-public acts. l have
never known him to do an unjust
or unlawful act Instead Of being
an instigator of strife, it is we'll
known that he is one of most con-
servative of advisors of that great
boby of men of which he is the
head. challenge any man to
point to single time when Mr..
Gompers has not sought to promote
the interests of the great laboring
classes of this country by peaceful
means.
There have been men, there are
occasional individuals, who attach
themselves to every society, to
every organization, whether secu
lar or ecclesiastical, who will reflect
by their acts discredit upon the or
ganization to which they belong
There are men who have sat in
this chambey whose words and CON
duct have not added lustre to this
body. But only the most narrow /
the most prejudiced, the most evil
of men would charge the
individual act of one wicked man
to an entire body of men.
Senator Sherman laid great i'm
portance on the failure Of president
Gompers to denounce Individual
OF trade unions who have
been convicted of crime. This was
by Senator Owen (Okla
homa.
"Mr Gompers is not called upon
as the head of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor to apologize TO the
whenever any member OF
hat organization is convicted of
crime any more than the senator
rom Illinois is called upon to apol-
ogize to the country whenever
person is convicted of murder In
the state of Illinois.
Senator Sherman then pleaded
hat he had the very greatest con-
ldence' in the members of organ
zed labor, and again renewed his
Ittack on the A. F. of L. executive
senator Owen in reply made this
elling point: