The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-11-25

ganzaton, stated that the convention
several days ago voted unanimously to
recess for day in order to pay a visit
OF respect and gratitude to the Presi-
dent. The Federation is composed OF
men of all parties and all races, he said,
but they are a unit in their approval OF
the splendid achievements of the pres
ent Administration in behalf OF the
cause OF Labor.
I'VE have come to recognize in you,"
declared Mr.. Gompers, addressing the
President, "a man who stands for tile
principles upon which our voluntary or
ganization rests. We have felt Joy in
upholding your hands and adminstra-
ton for the splendid and masteriu
work you have accomplished. We con-
gratulate you upon the approval of your
countrymen, and hope that the next
four years will be as fruitful as the four
years now passing"
The Presidents Response.
In responding, the President thanked
the delegates for calling upon him, but
was careful to make no reference to
the result OF the election. In part, the
President said:
81 need not say that, coming to me
as you do on such an errand am very
deeply gratified and very greatly
cheered. 1t should be impossible for
me otf-hand to say just what thoughts
are stirred in me by what Mr.. Gompers
has said to me as your spokesman, but
perhaps the simplest thing | can say
ter. What | have tried to do is to get
rid Of r1n
not only, but of any class consciousness
and feeling. The worst thing that could
happen to America would be that she
should be divided into groups and
camps in which there were men and
women who thought that they were at
odds with one another. that the spirit
of America was not expressed except
in them, and that possibilities of an
tagonism were the only things that we
had to look forward to.
Would Erase Division Lines.
Gas Mr.. Gompers said achievement
is a comparatively small matter, but the
spirit in which things are done is of the
essence OF the whole thing, and what |
am striving for, and what | hope you
are striving for, is to blot out all the
lines of division in America and create
a unity OF spirit and OF purpose founded
upon this, the consciousness that we are
all men and women of the same sort
and that ii we do not understand each
other we are not true Americans. II
we can not enter into each others
thoughts, If we can not comprehend
each others interests, il we can not
serve each others essential welfare,
then we have not yet qualified as repre-
sentatives OF the American spirit
Nothing alarms America so MUCH
as riffs, divisions, the drifting apart OF
elements among her people, and the
thing we ought all to strive for is to
close up every rift, and the only way to
do it, so far as | can see, is to establish
justice not only, but justice with heart
in it, Justice with pulse in it. justice
with sympathy in it. Justice can be cold
and forbidding, or it can be warm and
welcome, and the latter is the only kind
OF justice that Americans ought to de-
sire. | do not believe | am deceiving
myself when | say that think this
spirit is growing in America. | pray
God it may continue to grow, and all
have to say is to exhort every one
whom my voice reaches here or else
where to come into this common move
mcnt OF humanity
After the speeches all the delegates
shook hands with the President.
"Look out for my boys" said
"Mother" Jones as she greeted Mr..
| Wilson.
Dispute Over Musicians.
The visit to Washington was the chief
event OF the day in the Fcderation's
program. Except for brief war OF
words, the morning session of the con
vention was uneventful The dscord
came when the committee on local fed
Grated bodies reported untavorably on
resolution offered by the musicians,
which asked the Federation to help col
lect 81, 800 said to be owing 300 Phila-
dclphia musicians. The city donated
$25 900 to help defray expenses OF the
convention in 1914, it was said, and the
complaining musicians. declared they
played in a torchlight procession and
never we're paid.
| nua # the Ja1nnntaS CaiI ''tIpra ,pas