The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-03
WILSON FAvORS IT
President Approves of Anti
DislOyaIty Labor Meet.
Writes Enthusiastic Letter to
President GOmpers.

TTeSlueHG jumpers
Washington, Sept. 3.-Hearty APP
prevail of the conference of the Ameri-
can Alliance for Labor and Democracy
to be held at Minneapolis next Tues
day and the task it will undertake of
Suppressing disloyalty has been given
by President Wilson in a letter to
Samuel Gompers. president OF the
American Federation of Labor and
chairman of the Alliance.
The letter made public mere de-
nounces those who seek to ignore
Americas grievance against Germany
and insists that a nation whose citi-
zens have been foully murdered under
their own flag, whose neighbors have
! been invited to join in making con-
| quest of it's territory and whose
| patience in pressing the claims CT JUS
| tice and humanity has been met with
the most shameful policy oftrucu1ence
and treachery. does not know its own
mind and has no comprehensive rea-
i son for defending ITSELF
( while our soldiers and sailors are
| doing their manful work to hold back
reaction in its most brutal and agrees
| sive FORM" the president wrote, I'VE
| and individual efforts of those danger
Gus elements who hide disloyalty be-
hind screens of spacious and evasive
| phrases
|
| My Dear Mr.. Gompers:
| am sure that you understand that my
| inability to accept the invitation to ad-
dress the Minneap olis conference of the
American Alliance for Labor anG Democ-
| racy is due only to necessity and not in
Importance of the occasion. The cause you
and your fellow patriots uphold is one
| with the cause We are defending with
| arms. While our soldiers and sailors are
| doing their manful work to hold back re-
action in its most brutal ana aggressive
ganized and Individual efforts of those
| dangerous elements who hide disoyalty
behind screen of specious and evasive
phrases.
1 have read with real pride the names
part in the Minneapolis conference. Not
a one but has a record of devoted service
to fundamental democracy; not one but
justice, Drawing every bitterness that the
humblest life might know larger meas
ure of happiness.
With ali my heart 1 want them to feel
that their devotion to country is in no
wise betrayal of principle and that in
their cause no less faithfully than in the
past | myself have had sympathy with
States; for the tendency of war Is toward
ret action and too often military necessi-
ties have been made an excuse for the de-
struction of laboriously erected industrial
and social standards. These fears, hap
PLY have proved to be basfless With
quickened sympathies and appreciation.
with a new sense of the invasive and insid-
ious dangers of oppression. our people
that has been by years of struggle
but have added to the gains of the TWEEN
betterment. Questions of hours and wages
of labor and industrial and reimbursement
tofler a new dignity and a sense of
social and economic security. beg you
to feel that my support has not been lack
Ing and that the governm mt has not
failed at any point in granting every just
request advanced by you and your assist
No one who is not blind fail to see
that the battle line of Democracy for
Flanders to every house and workshop
where to1ling upward striving men and
women are counting the treasures of right
| threatened by our present enemies.
1t has not been matter OF surprise to
me that the leaders in certain groups have
sought TO ignore our grievances against
the men who have equally mlsled the Ger
ton whose rights have been grossly VIC
lated, whose citizens have been foully
murdered under their own flag, whose
neighbors have been invited to Join in
making conquest of the territory whose
patience in pressing the claims of justice
shameful policy of turbulence and treach-
cry their insistence that a nation so out
ragged does not know its own mind. that it
has no comprehensive reason for defend
ing itself, or for joining with all its might
its ideals. is of piece with their deafness
to the oft-repeated statement of our ma
| t1Qnal purposes.
1t is perhaps. that these forces of antap-
ontsm have not yet learned to know the
voice OF that America we love and serve
1t may well be that those among us who
stand ready to forward the plans of ag-
erosion bred in secret do not understand
the language Of democracy when it pro-
claims the purposes of war in terms Of a
peace for the peoples that shall be I'M
troubled by those to whom men men are
but the pawns in their struggle for power
) and gain. But true Americans, those who
! toll Tor home and the hope for better
things, whose lifted eyes have caught this
vision Of liberated world have said that
, for the policy of iron and blood there shall
be an end and eternal Justice which is the
heart of democracy shall rule in its stead
: May not those who toll and those who
nave made common cause Of the larger
, newed heart as they think of those days
when America has taken its stand for the
social and international justice?
Sincerely yours
WOODROW WILSON.
Speakers at Conference.
Among the speakers at the confer
ence will be Samuel Gompers, JohI
J Hall, president Minnesota State Fed
GRAFTON of Labor; Charles Edward
Russell, John H. Walker, president
Illinois State Federation of Labor
Frank P. Walsh, Governor Burnquist
= of Minnesota; John Spargo, Johr
Lind, Rose Pastor Stokes, Rabb
l Stephen S: Wise. William English
Walling, Hugh Frayne, New York
eastern representative of the American
t Federation of Labor; Frank E. Wolfe
l w. ]. Grant, Prof. Max Frederick
: Meyer, professor of psychology at Uni
: versity of Missouri; A. NJ. Simons
5 editor of a Socialist weekly who has
f resigned from the Socialist party, ant
Winfield R. Gaylord, first Socialis
state senator elected in Wisconsin
who has resigned from the Marty