Charlevoix county herald., 1916-10-20
of
Roosevelt
Concluded From Page Severn

IL Il is alleged that President Wilson
has been actuated only by principle in
connection with the Adamson law, then
| ask why he has failed to apply the same
principle to the railway postal clerks,
where he has full power. Estimating six
DAYS to the week, these postal clerks, OPP
Grating between New York and Pittsburgh,
are required to run POS miles per day (for
the present administration has reduced the
number of crews from six to hve), where
as the present trainmen's agreement re-
quires only l55 miles per day, which is to
be reduced still further by the Adamson
law. The only possible explanation of Mr..
Wilson's action in one case and inaction in
the other is that only 400 men are affected
in that case where the government has
full control of the hours of labor, whereas
400, 900 men are supposed to be affected by
the Adamson bill.
Mr.. Gompers has recently established
himself as the especial champion of Mr..
Wilson, and claims joint credit with Mr..
Wilson for their joint conduct of our for
eign affairs so far as Mexico is concerned.
He asks labor to support Mr.. Wilson spe-
officially on the ground of Mr.. Wilson's
attitude in Mexico, which, he states, he
has helped to secure. He says, for exam
pie, that he was largely instrumental in
securing the recognition of Carranza in
Mexico, because of Carranzas sympathy
with the labor movement there. For the
details OF what / speak, | refer you to
Senator Falls recent speeches, where the
exact quotations are given. Mr.. Com
pers states that when all other agen-
cies failed in the effort to secure the rec
ignition of Carranza by President Wilson,
Gompers interviewed on September 22d,
1915, and Mr. Wilson's recognition of
Carranza Immediately followed. Mr..
Gompers continues by saying that Car
rama was recognized as the friend of the
working people in Mexico. On September
I'd, 1916, Mr.. Gompers appealed for the
support of laboring men for Mr. Wilson on
the ground of Mr.. Wilson's policy as re-
CARDS Mexico. He thus tied himself up
with Messrs. Wilson and Carranza as one
of the triumvirate which exercises supreme
control in Mexican matters. This makes it
worth while for the workers to whom Mr..
Gompers especially appeals to study what
CarranZa, the favored friend and ally of
Messrs. Gompers and Wilson, has done to
laboring men in Mexico-not to speak of
what he has done to Americans in Mexico.
Mr.. Gompers states that when Carranza
refused to surrender the American soldiers
taken prisoners at Carrizal, in response to
President Wilson's request, he, Mr.. Com
pers, telegraphed on June 2Sth last to Car.
rama appealing to him upon the ground
of patriotism and love" for the release
of the American soldiers; and that i'm
mediately Carranza responded on June
Goth to Mr.. Gompers saying that he had
ordered the release of the prisoners. The
telegram closed with Salute, very affec-
tionately, V. Carranza." Thereupon Sam.
uel Gompers, in the name of the Fedora
ton of Labor, on June 30th. thanked Gen
eral Carranza for releasing the American
soldiers.
| really question whether we have ever
in our history known anything as extra.
ordinary as the President of the United
States playing second fiddle in such man.
ner to the head of private organization
when dealing with international 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 footing of fraternal equal
ity in their joint conduct-and miscon-
duct-of American foreign relations made
any appeal or demand for atonement for
the death of American soldiers treacher.
ously slain by Carranzas 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 Amer
lean soldiers who had been taken pris-
oner 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 demand
of their master, Mr.. Carranza.
There is a further fact which should be
considered by the workingmen who are
asked to support CarranZa by Messrs
Wilson and Gompers on the ground that
he is the friend of labor. | have before
me copy of decree issued by Carranza
under date of August LIST, 1915, only six
weeks ago. 1t has been furnished me by
Senator Fall. This decree was issued be
cause 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 General Carranza is
sued decree; and remember that General
Carranza's government is purely military
government, where neither judges nor leg
islators 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 authorities not
long ago advised the aboring classes that
they would not allow the creation Of
tyranny so harmful to the welfare of the
Mexican Republic as the tyranny of labor
Notwithstanding this the strike of the EN-
ployees of the electric light company and
of others allied to it is a palpable demon.
stration that the workmen have not wished
to be persuaded that they form only
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 society in direct
OF indirect manner as is the case with the
present strike The conduct of the labor
union in the present case must be consid
cred as antipatriotic and criminal, and
constitutes without doubt an attack on
the public peace. In view of the forego-
ing ! have decreed the following as an
addition to the existing code: Besides the
disturbers of the public peace punishable
hv Hath baratofora daoorihad tb.