The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-06-28
SPEECH WHEN OPENING
3STH CONVENTION OF A. 7. OF L.
the Loyalty of Organized Labor and Its Hearty Co.
Operation With the Government in Conducting the War

that the Declaration OF independence
not only provided for the independ-
ence of these original United States
citizens, but emphasized three great
principles, namely, that these people
had an inalienable right to liberty,
life and the pursuit Of happiness.
1t recognized the right Of the gov
erned to have a voice in their gov
ernment. These principles main
tain today, he said
He declared it is not possible to
perpetuate such principles to main
| .ain such a free country as this doc
trine provided for, if we make peace
with haserism before kaserism has
been destroyed
Time That Tries Souls
"More than 140 years ago, when
The fate Of the struggling colonists
hung in the balance, and when hun
/ -er and rags was the lot of the vol
unteer fighters there arose a spirit
of the time in the form of great
pronouncement by one of the great
pioneer leaders that now is the time
hat tries mems souls. As inspir-
ng as was that statement then, in
this hour of peril this declaration
may he repeated with emphasis, for,
+ We be craven, if we fail to do
our whole duty, these great princi-
jlcs Of freedom, which our fore
fathers gave to us and civilization
.1.i' be nauaht.
Applying to o'w own tine a pro
4ounc2ment Of that day we may
well repeat Let Us have liberty or
let US have death 1t is better to
light and lose than not to have
fought at all, for if we fight and
ore. there VIII be left in the hearts
md r-inde Of those who remain to
struggle on for freedom. This spirit
viii he handed down to future gem
3ations. This fighting spirit. the
ririt of liberty, must be observed
1r it will be unworthy of our illus
aicus ancestors.
We Must, We viii Win
'The world has struggled for so
much-we must not fail. We will
win!
'Jf we should lose, the lights of
freedom would go out for the whole
world. We men and women of Amer
lea are in this struggle heart and
soul mind and Drawn, making com
mon cause with the peoples of our
Allied countries.
I've are in this fight We must
win We will win"
Declaration Cheered
Deafening cheers swept the assem-
bly, hall as the delegates and visi-
tors rose to their feet and applaud
ed in affirmation, the words Of their
!eade.
eve will win no matter how long
his contest will continue" repeated
President Gompers. And God grant
= will end quickly.
"For the cause of justice and de-
mocracy over the whole world we
will give everything-but for pri-
ate profit we will give nothing"
he continued, and cheers rang out
lgain.
Teutons Mis- Educated
There is no hatred in our hearts
against the peoples of Germany and
Austria; only sympathy and regret
'or them and their condition. We
know how they have been mis-edu-
Gated, how they have been pressed
down, and that the voice of labor in
Germany and Of the masses must be
attuned to the key of Kaiserism or
that voice cannot be heard at all"
Hope for German Revolt
We do hope that the spirit of
America - the spirit of labor of
America-the spirit of democracy of
the world may permeate the hearts
Of the German people and that they
themselves viii rise and crush the
| ,yanny which has dominated them
for SO long.
But if they fail, then it is for the
democracies of the world to crush
that autocracy for them.
Treaty With Hun Worthless
President Gompers declared it a
great pity that such a situation as
prevails in Russia should exist. but
that it should convince every think
ing man and woman that a treaty
with Germany or the German gov
ernment is absolutely fruitless and
worthless
He emphasized that imperial Ger
many's disregard of signed treaties
sin, the rape of Belgium and nu-
merOus other ruthless acts of tho