The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-05
Big Labor Meeting To Squelch
German Propagandists.
DenOunce Effort To Align La
Dor Unions Against Govt.
GOMPERS HITS KEYNOTE
Democracy Will Not Be Served
by Victory of AutOcracy.
World Peace Will Not Be Sc
cured by Subsection of Free.


Minneapolis, Sept 5.-The Ameri-
can alliance for labor and democracy,
organized for the purpose of squelch-
ing the activities of pacifists and pro-
German propagandists and bringing
the nations labor forces up solidly
behind the government in its prose-
cution of the war. opened a three day
loyalty conference here today.
E. G. Hall, president of the State
Federation of Labor, called the meet
ing to order and Frank 2. Walsh,
chairman of the United States COM
mission on industrial relations, acted
as temporary chairman.
Denounce Peoples Council.
Speakers at today's session denounc-
ed as disloyal and seditious the activ-
tiles of the Peoples Council of Amer
lea for democracy and terms of peace.
The motives of its leaders were sharp
! ly questioned. John Spargo. one of
the former leaders of the Socialist
party who severed connection because
of the party's stand on war, declared
that several weeks ago reports had
reached troops in Russia that Ameri-
can labor bodies would demand peace
thru the peoples council meeting.
What can help the enemy more
than such startling reports, arising as
they do from the activities of these
pro-German organizations" said Mr..
| Spargo. 1T has even been reported
that some of Kerensky's troops anx-
iously awaited the outcome of this ad-
vertised peace conference"
1t was confidently predicted by the
leaders that as a result of the work
| of the alliance, and other similar or
CARNATIONS the activities of pro-Ger-
mans will have been curbed to such
| a degree that in three months there
will be no disloyal utterances in any
part of the country.
Gompers Raps the Pacifists.
Samuel Gompers outlined the pur-
pose of the organization as to the as
sembling for the support of the gov@
eminent of all the moral and material
power of the working class OF the ma
ton.
TT shall be our task" he said, ito
interpret Americas democratic spirit
and purpose in this conflict to our
fellow workers, especially those of
foreign birth, and to combat every
form of propaganda, no matter by
whom it may be carried on, which
tends to weaken the loyalty and devo-
ton of the masses and their willing
ness to strive and sacrifice for the ma
ton and its high purpose"
The declaration OF principles as an
nounced by Mr.. Gompers > in part as
follows:
LAS believers in the great and SPLEEN
did vision of democracy and interna-
tionaIism, the fraternalism and solid
arity of all peoples we assert at this
time our unqualified Loyalty to the re-
public of the United States of America
and our determination to do all that
lies in our power to win the war in
which it is engaged.
Internationalism Our Aim.
Loyalty to the ideals of freedom,
democracy and decentralization re-
quires loyalty to America.
"Disloyalty to America in this cri-
sis is disloyalty to the cause of free
dom, democracy and internationalism
mo national selfishness impelled
this republic to enter the war. The
! impelling motive was the consuming
| idealism born with the establishment
| of this republic itself to preserve
| freedom not only for itself but for all
nations, great and small, and the body
of international law which all the flee
| democratic nations of the world re-
spect bnd observe and only the brutal
| autocracies seek to dishonor and de-
stroy.
"in such a conflict real standards
| bearers of democracy and true inter-
, nationalist can have no hesitation in
supporting our republic which has
made its own the cause and interests
of all free peoples. 1t is, therefore,
| in truth, not a capitalists war but a
freemen's war.
Fully impressed by these facts we
shall strip the mask from those who
in the name of democracy, anti-mih-
| tariSm and peace are engaged in the
nefarious propaganda of treachery to
all that these noble words represent.
| We indignantly repudiate the claim
that this propa ganda which, be it re-
membered, brings joy and comfort to
German autocracy, has the support
| of the labor movement of America.
! Not even at the behest of the so
called peoples council will the organ
lied workers of America prostitute the
labor movement to serve the brutal
power responsible for the infamous
rape of Belgium-the power that
would subject Russia to a worse des-
potism than that of the Romanoffs
Democracy will not be served we'll by
the victory of autocracy, by letting
the declaration of independence be
supplanted by the kaisers fiat.
Stand Shoulder to Shoulder
surrender to the power which has or
ganized all the resources of civiliza-
ton to the end of imposing its brutal
iron rule on the world.
Peace will not be secured to the
world thru the subsection of the free
tand democratic nations.
ITO the men and women of the
American labor movement and to al
sincere friends of democracy and in.
ternationahsm, we call for loyal sup.
port to America and her allies in thi,
great struggle. Let US stand shoulder
to shoulder in the fight against the
foes of democracy within our owl
borders, resolved never to rest unit