Denver labor bulletin., 1917-05-26
MeOptinnistic
Philosopher

VIII
nENVER'S national patriotism was
IL given full vent Tuesday when Sec
retary McAdoo of the United
States treasury visited the city and de-
livered a Neutrality-suspicious."
address at the Auditorium. A delay
of more than four hours in his train
creasingly enthuse the people for the
mass meeting, which was postponed
from hour to hour until finally at 6
O'Clock the secretary and his escort ar
rived, amid a riot of patriotic fervor.
Much of the schedule arranged for his
entertainment and meetings with
groups of citizens had to be curtailed
or eliminated, in order that he might
leave the city at 9:15 to fill an engage
ment the following day in St. Joseph,
Mo. In fact, the Auditorium filled up
twice, the first crowd assembling at
3 o'clock expecting to hear an address
at $3.50, and departing when announce
ment was made that the train would
not arrive until 4:40. When the sec
ond crowd packed the Auditorium, fur
ther delay of the train was reported,
but most of these remained until ar
rival of the secretary. Only the thea
Ter poTIloH oI tne AuuitorluiH was
opened for the meeting, therefore the
crowd of $4,000 which sought admis-
sion was limited to 5000 inside. Sec
retary McAdoo's one-hour speech was
full of thrills. He appealed especially
to citizens of small means to purchase
bonds, which are issued in denomina-
tions from $50 up. That his appeal
was not in vain is evident from the
fact that banks, bond offices, depart
ment stores and other places in which
booths were opened for bond subscrip-
tions have been doing tremendous
business. 1t appears that the Denver
citizen who is not government bond
holder after the sale of this issue
closes June Is must be rara avis in
deed. In work shops, factories and
offices, men and women have felt it to
be a rare privilege and duty to sub
scribe to the liberty loan. We know
of one working man who subscribed
for six $100 bonds, one for each of his
six children.
WAR brings about leveling process
w in the social, economic and indus
trial world. In fact, it demon
strates that the opening words of the
American Declaration of Independ-
ence, holding "all men equal" are of
some force. We were reminded of this
Tuesday evening Immediately upon the
close of the McAdoo meeting at the
Auditorium. After his speech, the sec
retary retired to the rear of the stage
behind the big curtain where the floor
had been prepared for the Veteran
Firemen's annual dance that night. He
was surrounded by a large group of
bankers, brokers and prominent busi-
ness men, all eager to be introduced
and shake the hand which makes an
almost daily business of signing one
hundred million, and even billion dol
lar checks. Three modest and unas-
suming union labor men stood on the
fringe of this financial congregation.
They were John McLennan, president
of the State Federation of Labor;
William G. Thornton, president of the
Denver Trades and Labor Assembly,
and the o. P, who have been appoint
ed to represent labor on the Denver
liberty loan committee. They, too, had
naturally human desire to shake the
hand of the man who, next to Presi-
dent Wilson, is the most commanding
figure in American life today. How
ever, it was not their purpose to push
their way thru, and the opportunity
to greet the secretary during the few
minutes he held this impromptu recep-
tion seemed about to be lost. Gov
ernor Gunter happened to glance in
our direction and the chief executive
of the state came to labors rescue.
Grasping the three of US by the arm
he marched thru the crowd, everybody
of course giving way to the governor,
escorting the trio of labor unionists to
Mayor Speer, who was making the
introductions. The governor said:
'Mr. Mayor, / want you to introduce
Secretary McAdoo to these three rep
resentatives of labor" The mayor did
so, pleasingly. Each was presented by
name and the secretary turned away
from the bankers and brokers to tell
US how pleased he was to meet repre-
sentatives of labor, and utilized one
whole precious minute to express his
profound appreciation for the manner
in which labor thruout the nation is
supporting the president in this crisis.
1t was a simple ceremony, but one
which tells of the democratic methods
pursued by the present national adj
ministration, which are reaching into
every state and municipal government.
7 Asst Saturday night at the Adams
IL hotel the Non-Partisan Honest
Election League held banquet for
the purpose of celebrating the defeat
of amendment No. 6 at the recent
municipal election. There were pres
ent men and women of various polit-
ical faiths, Democrats, Republicans,
Socialists and Progressives. In way
it was truly a remarkable gathering
because it typifed the spirit of inde-
pendence and deliverance from parti-
san politics. Really it was ratifica-
tion of the peoples victory over the
bipartisan machine in Denver. In
fLa I,,r