The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-10-26
lone 10 Americans IN Mexico.

IGLuEEu W NAAN aAAANAA~N--A
diers taken prisoners at CarrizaL in
response TO President Wilson's request.
he, Mr.. Gompers. telegraphed on June
2sth last to Carranza appealing to him
upon the ground OF patriotism and
love" for the release sf the American
soldiers; and that Immediately Carran-
"a responded on June 29th to Mr.. Com
pers saying that he had ordered the
release Of the prisoners. The tele-
gram closed with: Salute. very affec-
tionately, V. Carranza." Thereupon
Samuel Gompers, in the name of the
Federation OF Labor, on June 30th,
thanked General Carranza for releasing
the American soldiers.
1 really question whether we have
ever in our history known anything as
extraordinary as the President Of the
United States playing second fiddle in
such manner to the head Of q private
organization when dealing with inter-
national matters. ! wish to call your
attention especially to two facts in
connection with the incident. Neither
Mr.. Wilson nor Mr.. GOmpers. neither
of the two amateur diplomats who thus
acted on a footing of fraternal equality
in their joint conduct-and misconduct
of American foreign relations made
any appeal or demand for atonement
for the death Of the American soldiers
treacherously slain by Carranza's
troops They did nothing about the
killing Of Boyd and Adair and their
troopers. All that they ventured to do
was to ask that the American soldiers
who had been taken prisoners when
their comrades were slain be returned.
That was the only request that the
joint committee Of suppliants for safe
ty, composed Of President Wilson and
President Gompers, ventured to de-
mand Of their MASTER. Mr.. Carranza.
carranza's Ten Cents a Day.
There is further fact which should
be considered by the working men
who are asked to support Carranza by
Messrs. Wilson and Gompers on the
ground that he is the friend Of labor.
have before me a copy Of q decree is
sued by CarranZa under date of August
1st, 1916, only six weeks ago. 1t has
been furnished me by Senator Fall.
This decree was issued because the
employees Of the electric plant and
street railroads had struck for higher
wages General Carranza had ordered
that they should accept one peso Of
paper money, that Is, ten cents silver,
as their daily wage. This they refused
to do, and struck. Thereupon Cen
eral Carranza issued a decree; and re-
member that General Carranza's gov
H. rnns1;
ment where neither judges nor leglsla-
tors have power to interfere In any
way with what Is done by General Car
rama and the military authorities who
do his bidding. The decree runs in
part as follows. "The military authori-
ties not long ago advised the laboring
classes that they would not allow the
creation of a tyranny so harmful to the
welfare of the Mexican Republic as
the tyranny of labor Notwithstanding
this the strike of the employees Of the
electric light company and Of others
allied to 1t is palpable demonstration
that the workmen have not wished to
be persuaded that they form only a
small part of society. The suspension
of work becomes Illegal the moment
that the strike not only serves to bring
pressure on capital, but also harms So
Clety In direct or indirect manner, as
is the case with the present strike The
conduct of the labor union In the pres
ent case must be considered as anti
patriotic and criminal, and constitutes
without doubt an attack on the public
peace In view Of the foregoing l have
deCreed the following as an addition to
the existing code: Besides the disturb
ers Of the public peace, punishable by
death as heretofore described, the death
penalty will also be imposed on the
following: Those who may incite the
suspension of work in factories or en-
terprises destined to public SERVICE or
who preside over meetings III which it
is proposed to discuss or approve such
strike, those who may defend or sus-
tain the same. or who assist in these
meetings, and those who endeavor to
make the strike effective upon being
declared, and those who by threats or
force prevent others from rendering
their services to the companies or en-
terprises against which the strike is
declared" In short words, this decree
10 Nllcll llldoliuCIl dS MI. CdIIdILd us
approves of the strike ordered by a
certain labor organization, anyone who
strikes, or who attends a strikers
meeting, or who gives assistance or
aid to the strikers, shall suffer the
death penalty-that IS, shall be tried
by drumhead court martial and i'm
mediately shot. This decree was is
sued on August 1st last. Yet Mr.. Com
pels asks the support Of the laboring
men Of the United States for Mr.. Will
son on the ground that he is the spon-
sor Of the military tyrant who issued
this decree 1t is now announced In
the press that Mr.. Gompers is nego-
tiating with Mr.. Carranza in order to
get him to withdraw the decree. If 80
It will only be until after election. But
let all American citizens think deeply
before they retain In power an admin
istration which tolerates such an inter-
national alliance as that between
Messrs. Wilson, Gompers and Carran-
"a, and such management of it's foreign
affairs as Mr.. Gompers is carrying on
with the countenance. and in the in
terest, Of Mr.. Wilson.
A Friend Of Labor.
The welfare of the laboring man and
the welfare Of the farmer taken to-
gether represent the foundation Of the
national welfare. l have always con-
scientiously endeavored to do every
thing in my power for the wageworkeE
who worked with his hands and for the
farmer. I will do everything that in
me lies for their permanent good
except anything that is ,0rong, and that
] will do for no man. l speak out OF
my deepest convictions and as con-
scientiously as it is in my power to
speak when l say to you that believe
that Mr.. Wilson's action in connection
with tho Adamson bill is deeply pre1u-
dicial to the real and permanent inter-
ests Of the laboring man. say to you
with deepest conviction that II you
yourself will look back you will find
that on the average, the wageworkeE
has prospered more when this country
has been under a protective tariff than
when the protective tariff has been