Denver labor bulletin., 1918-12-07
LABORS FOURTEEN POINTS CREATE
A SENSATION IN WASHINGTON, D. C..
Labor Political
by Political Washington and Opposition to
American Federation Labor
Is Seen Therein.
BY LAURENCE TODD.
Especial Representative The Denver Labor
Bunetin.l

BY LAURENCE TODD.
Especial Representative The Denver Labor
Bulletin-)
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. A.
Two events of the first Importance to
American labor have marked this week
in the national capital. The first is
the wide circulation and discussion of
"Labor's Fourteen Points," the plat
form of the new independent labor
party launched by the Chicago Fedora
ton of Labor, with the anticipated de-
cision of the professional politicians
to try to divide the labor movement
as soon as possible upon that issue.
The second is the decision of Presi-
dent Wilson to include no represen-
tatlve of organized labor in his Off
cial peace delegation.
New Political Ideas.
As an immediate result of the ac-
ton taken by the Chicago Federation
OF Labor to organize a nationwide
political party upon the foundation of
the labor movement itself, and in sup
port of modern platform of indus
trial democracy, the old policy of the
American Federation of Labor as to
political methods is thrown into the
discard Henceforth labor names its
own candidates, from the bottom up,
and labor loyalty is measured by the
support given those candidates and the
program Of industrial democracy for
which they stand.
As an immediate result of the fail
ure of the White House to send even
one labor spokesman to the official
peace conference, the executive coun-
ell of the A. F. of L. has issued it's
call for a worldwide labor conference
| In Paris at the same time as the peace
conference, and has named President
Gompers and e-Presidents Duncan,
Alpine, Duffy and Green to represent
the Federation there,
I Charter Of New Liberty.
:, These two events are closely re-
lated President Fitzpatrick and Sec
retary Nockels of the Chicago Fed
eration OF Labor have been working
IN the closest harmony with Frank p.
Walsh and Victor Olander of fhe no
honal war labor board. They have
been responsible for a great deal Of
the success of the board in DEALING
with hundreds of thousands of dis,
contented workers during the critical
, period of the war. They deliberately
announced to the country a political,
and economic and industrial program,
contained in "Labor's Fourteen
Points" that is in substance yerv
much like the program Labor and the
New Social Order" issued by the Brit
ism labor party as its own charter
OF new liberties At the time that
PRESIDENT Wilson was debating in his
mind the naming of labor man
presumably Samuel Gompers-to he
one of the official peace delegation. the
American labor movement was con-
fronted with this Chicago program
which called for entirely different
methods than those used by Mr.. Com
pers- This was evidence that the Com
pers doctrines, challenged by all of
the powerful labor movements abroad.
must defend itself at home, too.
Democracy in Unions.
Point l3 in the Chicago program
reads: Representation of the work
ers, IN proportion to their numbers
in the armies, navies and workshops
of the world. at the peace conferences
and upon whatever international tri-
bunals may result therefrom, with the
labor of this nation represented by
the president of the American Feder-
alton of Labor and such other dele
gates as the workers may democrat
ically designate"
In other words, if the American la
Dor movement is to be represented at
the peace conference, let Samuel Com
pers be one delegate and let others be
elected by referendum vote of all
the membership of the unions in the
A. +. of L.
But the President of the United
States decided that he wanted only a
few delegates, and none chosen by any
class. He took men who had never
been in the working class, and will
never understand the workers-three
lawyers. all of them men Of wealth
and born of wealthy families. They
are honest, patriotic Americans, but
the America they think OF is the
America we know before the war-an
America of millionaires and middle
class and working class-rather than
a future America Of industrial de-
mocracy.
Guessing that something Of this
sort would happen, the Chicago Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor statcsmanship wrote
this as Point IA:
"Supplementing the league of ma
tions. and to make that instrument Of
international democracy vitality effect
i've for humanity. . league Of the work
ers Of all nations, pledged and organ