The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-08-12
URGES ACTIVITY
FOR LABOR DAY
q, o>ches and Parades Should
= % a. Lethargy of Past
' /compsrs.
PROPER CELEBRATION
DOES MUCH FOR CAUSE
Great Progress Of Last Year
Should Be Made Known
He Says.
(By Samuel Gompers, President Am.
erican Federation Of .Labor.)

(By Samuel Gompers, President Am
erican Federation Of .Labor.)
Many labor organizations have
Labor day celebrations under consid-
Grafton at the present time. Through
the efforts of the labor movement the
first Monday in September has been
generally set aside as the distinctively
Labor day Of the year and it is now
practically universal holiday. The
purpose of the day is to direct general
thought towards the needs and aspira-
tions of the workers, and to afford
the workers themselves time and op-
portunity to consider those things
which vitality concern them and the
labor organization through which
they are trying to work out their
ideals.
Wherever the workers have been
them to particular effort and reused
them to renewed sense of appreciation
Of the meaning Of the labor move
ment, the celebration for the day in
variably has peculiar significance
and arouses deep-seated feeling and
enthusiasm.
But, as in every other relationship,
where there is nothing that has par
ticularly stimulated to activity there
is tendency toward a general leth-
argy in the celebration of Labor day,
and it is permitted to degenerate into
sort of social holiday unmarked by
anything distinctively labor.
This is serious mistake. Labor
day can have it's fullest value only
when there is associated with the
celebration of the day efforts to call
attention to the purposes and the
causes of the labor movement. It
should be day for renewing devo-
ton to the cause of labor, for
strengthening ties of fraternity and
for instilling larger and broader ideals
which lead out to wider field of ac-
tivity and a fuller appreciation of the
possibilities Of the labor movement.
does much for the organized labor
movement and gives the movement
publicity that can rarely be secured in
distinctively labor, labor news and
labor doings necessarily have first
place III all daily papers. The greater
the effort of the labor movement to
place emphasis and prominence upon
the doings and activity of labor, the
greater will be. the publicity we gain
and consequently there will result bet
ter understanding of the power and
possibilities of the labor movement
an understanding that can be utilized
for practical purposes during the
whole year.
It is, therefore, urged that every
central body in the country plan for
a distinctively labor celebration on
the coming Labor day. There ought
to be a parade that will direct the at
tention of the whole town to the
cause of labor, which is the cause OF
humanity, and in addition a general
gathering of the workers of the COM
munity to listen to labor addresses. :
The labor movement has made tre-
| mendous progress during the past
year. On this coming Labor day we
ought to make known the story Of
that progress to the whole nation, and
plan for greater constructive work
during the next year. There are no
limitations to the work Of the labor
| movement, no limitations to it's power
| to bring betterment into the lives Of
| the workers Of this country or to es-
| tablish mutually helpful relations
with the workers of all other coun-
! tries.
The labor movement of the United
States, has reason to be proud of it's
achievements, and to be gratified at
the work that has been done for hu-
manity and civilization during the
past year. Let us express this prog
ress in an adequate way on Septem-
ber 4.