Denver labor bulletin., 1917-08-04


the trade unions, and at the headquar-
ters of the American Federation of
Labor Mr.. Sullivan obtained most of
the facts for his chapter on this use
of the referendum.
In 1892 the supporters of the move
ment formed a strong society in New
Jersey which became the Direct Legis-
lation League. Mr.. Sullivan soon
after began the publication of the
Direct Legislation Record, which, as a
department of equity, is now published
In 1892-1S95 as general lecturer on the
initiative and referendum for the
American Federation. of Labor, Mr..
Sullivan made tours in New England,
New York, Pennsylvania and New
Jersey and finally an extensive trip
in. the West, reaching to the Pacific
coast. The movement obtained con-
siderable discussion in the press, espe-
cially when good votes were obtained
for the referendum in the New Jersey
/ legislature in 1893 and the New York
constitutional convention in 1894.
These partial successes were achieved
by Mr.. Sullivan and his associates at
Trenton and Albany after consider
able efforts in the legislative commit
tees and public meetings and addresses
before the two Legislative bodies by
number of the well known union Off
cials of the day.
One of the prominent leaders in the
social reform movement at that time
was Mr.. Eltwood Pomeroy, of Newark,
n. j., chief partner in manufactur-
ing firm. His position gave him in
f1uence and exceptional opportunities
for propaganda, and for fifteen years
he, with Mr.. Sullivan, and with the
assistance of President Gompers and
others, labored for the initiative and
the referendum. In a speech before
the convention of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor in New York city in
Mr.. Sullivan's work for direct legis-
lation:
$50 it is a matter of course that
years ago, when direct legislation was
unknown, a workingman who has
served in your unions, who is today
/ in your ranks working at this trade,
should have carefully Investigated it
and made himself a past master in
] knowledge of it. until today
/ J. W. Sullivan, member Of the Typo
graphical Union, is recognized as the
father Of the direct Legislation move
ment in this country"
| 1t is acknowledged by prominent re-
formers in Oregon that Mr.. Sullivan's
book on direct legislation started the
movement which resulted in the adop-
ton of the principles of the initiative
and the referendum in that state, and
from the practical results there
achieved they found support and ap-
plication in other states with pros
pect of their final adoption in many
respects in every commonwealth.
1t would be impossible in our limited
space to give a full review of the in
teresting and useful career of J. W.
Sullivan, including as it does many
years of editorship on labor and social
reform periodicals, several years being
passed at American Federation of La
Dor headquarters. We are therefore
able to give but a brief outline of his
activities. Besides being general lee
turer on the initiative and referendum
of the A. F. of l., he was, in 1886, its
delegate to the British Trades Union
Congress. At another time we find
him chairman of the committee con-
Quoting a farm in Bound Brook, n. j..
for the unemployed and disabled work
ers in the printing craft. of this hu-
name project he and his fellow COM
mitteemen made a success and demon
strated what good management and
back to the soil' could accomplish for
the health and reformation of men
broken in spirit and physicall'- unable
to perform the tasks of their trade.
Mr.. Sullivan has made several trips
to Europe in his study of social and
| industrial problems, and there are few
men, If any, in this country more fami-
/ liar with the worlds labor movement.
| He is acquainted with most of the
prominent labor leaders on the con-
tinent. and during President Gompers
trip thru Europe, four years ago,
which resulted in his producing n book
on industrial affairs abroad. Mr.. Sui
livan, as his companion, was of much
service in being able to interpret from
several languages and in directing his
chief to sources of information.
Mr.. Sullivan's latest work has been
in the study of the market systems of
Europe and America, with the object
of gaining information as to methods
of reducing the cost of living by
bringing the producer and the con-
sumer closer together and in the elm
ination of superfluous middlemen Re-
Gently Mr.. Sullivan has been abroad
for nearly year. spending much of
that time in investigating the market
in several of the principal European
cities. By these studies he has gained
fund of valuable information, which
he hopes to be able to lay before the
American people thru public addresses
| tally adapted for questions demanding
dent he is today man of wide infor-
nation. His mind is analytical, meth
odical and painstaking. He never
jumps at conclusions but reaches his
convictions by the process of careful