The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-09-04
labor RECORDS
OF HUGHES AND
PRES. WILSON
Comparison That Is Of Es-
pecial Interest To Wage !.
Farmers
SOME HARSH CRITICISM
1t Was Written Into VIII
sons Widely Read Am
erican History

WASHINGTON, D. c.. Sept. IA
comparison between the records of
President Wilson and Gov. Hughes is
not to the credit Of Mr.. Wilson in the
eyes Of organized labor. It is i'm.
mensely to the credit of Gov. Hughes.
President Wilson has never shown
solicitude for the laboring mems vel.
fare-his efforts to settle the railroad
embroglio was the first time the Pres
ident manifested the slightest interest
in labor's affairs. and that interest was
not due to any love for labor but to the
spul OF public opinion which demand
ed there should be no strike.
The dispute had been brewing many
months but the President waited until
a little more than sixty days before the
National election to summon the broth.
erhood chiefs and the railroad heads
to Washington.
Perhaps there was psychological
political advantage.
Labor unions are justified in look
ing askance at the President in view
of his spoken and written utterances
regarding labor.
In Mr.. Wilson's History Of the
American People" he says: 1.-THE Chi
nese were more to be desired as work
men, II not as citizens, than most Of
the coarse crew that came crowding In
every year at the Eastern ports"
The coarse crew" the President de-
scribed as "crowding in" included the
millions Of foreign-born persons Of ev-
cry nationality who are now loyal citt-
zens Of the United States.
In the same book the President said:
"And now there came rJultitudes OF
men OF the lowest class from the south
of Italy, and men Of meaner sort out Of
Hungary and Poland, men out Of the
ranks where there was neither skill
nor energy nor any initiative Of quick
intelligence"
What do American citizens Of Ger.
man. Italian, Hungarian. Polish, or
any European ancestry think Of that?
On June 3, 1909, in an address to the
graduating class Of Princeton Univer-
sity, DR.. Wilson expressed his remark
able views on labor in the following
words: "You know what the usual
standard of the employee is in our
day. It is to give as little as he may
for his wages"
At dinner in the Waldorf Hotel in
New York, March 1s. 1907, DR.. Wood.
row Wilson spoke as follows: I'VE
speak too exclusively Of the capitals.
tic class. There Is another as formid-
able an enemy to equality and freedom
Of opportunity as It is, and that Is the
class formed by the labor organiza-
lions and leaders Of the country"
Contrast the labor record Of Prest-
dent Wilson with the labor record Of
Governor Hughes.
Governor Hughes has never written
or spoken single word inimical to la.
Dor. On the contrary he was the great.
est friend of labor that ever occupied
the governors chair at Albany. Leg
islative records at Albany show that
during his two terms as governor OF
New York he signed Sc labor laws.
In New York state, during 1872 years.
only 162 labor laws were passed. One
third OF these were signed during
Hughes two terms as governor.
With these records known 1t will be
easy for organized labor to select its
candidate in the November election.