Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-04-12
FIDELITY TO COUNTRY
AND TO THE UNION
PATRIOTIC DEMONSTRATION BY
MEMBERS OF LOCAL TRADES
UNIONS.

II carry a union card in my
pocket, and l value it more than any
thing else on EARTH" said Tom Bar
ker in the course of his address in
the house chamber of the State Cap
itol Monday night, where he made
the principal speech at a great meet
ing of the members of organized
labor of Olympia.
And this sentiment was the key
note of all the speakers.
Mr.. Barker, who is business agent
of the Los Angeles District Council of
the Brotherhood of Carpenters and
speaker sent out by the federal
speakers bureau, arrived in Olympia
at noon, accompanied by Thomas H.
Lyons, secretary and business agent
of the Tacoma Central Council, and
Secretary Charles Perry Taylor Of
the State Federation of Labor. At
the noon hour an address was made
to the workers at the shipyards, as 1t
is to these citizens primarily that
Mr.. Barker is carrying message of
the national administration.
At 1880 in the evening a parade
was formed at Labor Hall, Third and
Washington and, headed by the Sloan
Shipyards band, through the courtesy
of the Musicians union, marched to
the Capitol.
E. R. Mohler, of the local Trades
Council Liberty Loan committee, was
the first speaker. Mohler declared
that the unstinted service that was
now being rendered to the govern
ment and to be given until the end
by the members of union labor was
without question; that no class of cit
liens had more personal interest in
the winning of the war than the
union men, because the principles at
stake were those which the labor
movement believed in implicitly;
that the workers had been subject to
much malicious criticism in the past
and expected in the future to be
flouted by many self-seeking patriots,
but that the union men could be de-
pended upon to do their full duty
courageously.
Charles Perry Taylor, always in
teresting and eloquent, spoke in
words of special import to those pres
ent. He noted the remarkable strides
made by union labor within the year,
not only in numbers, but in the es-
TEEN and good will of the general
public. which the unions held at this
time in greater measure than ever
before; that union labor is so intense
ly loyal to the nation that the labor
movement is becoming the criterion
by which the patriotism of other
groups of citizens is measured. Tay-
lor urged increased evidence of fidel-
ity to the nation; the principles for
which this fight was being waged-
freedom for all-represented that for
which labor had struggled for ages.
Tom Barker spoke as an adopted
son of the great republic. He out
lined the causes of the war, said that
he was a peace-loving citizen, and
that four years ago, If person had
declared that he would be found
speaking in public in support Of the
proposition that this country should
prosecute this war he would have
said that person was crazy. But the
course of events had convinced all
intelligent men and women that this
was life and death struggle between
liberty on the one side and autocracy
on the other side, and there was only
one choice to be made by conscien-
tious union people who loved their
fellowmen and their country.
In closing the meeting Harley
Hughes called attention to the Won
derful progress made in building
ships on the Pacific coast and declared
that the results accomplished by the
union shipyards effectually gave the
lie to the traducers of organized
labor.
From number of standpoints
this meeting was the most successful
that has been held in Olympia for
many day. The first floor and gal
lery of the house chamber we're filled
with people; the audience gave each
speaker undivided attention and gen.
erous applause, and the program
fully warranted the appreciation that
was given it.
In issuing an injunction against
striking employees of the Belmont