The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-06-28

David J. Berry in telegram to
his paper, the National Labor Jour
nal, gives the following Introductory
and excerpts from the speech of
President Samuel Gompers when
opening the Thirty eighth conven-
ton of the American Federation of
Labor in st. Paul on the 10th of this
month:
Loyalty without tagging, sacrifice
without stint, muscle and mentality
militant-these were the clarion calls
sounded by Samuel Gompers, Presi-
dent of the American Federation Of
Labor, in opening the thirty-eighth
annual convention Of American or
ganized labor, now in wartime ses-
sions at the st. Paul Auditorium.
The always-to -be-eXpected effort
to befudde the delegates by partisan
polemics materialized as per schedule,
when a fight was launched to un-
seat Thomas Van Lear, mayor of
Minneapolis, delegate from the ma
chinists, and four others of the Fed
'ration, including James O'Connell,
first vice president.
President Gompcrs. with his Gus
omary sanity. backed UP by knowl-
dee of parliamentary procedure,
'ausad the motion to be withdrawn,
nd after speeches by notablcs in
'ivic. state and business life, launch
d into whirlwiad, but neverthe-
=ss. categorical analysis of lahor's
oyalty and triumphs in smashing
!un propaganda.
introduced by Chairman Lawson,
resident Gompers began d memor-
ble speech that wires carried to
Neey portion Of the world. to cheer
american union.sts in Flanders
'jeiiS. French trade unionists in
ronchcs, Britons, 90 per cent ma
ionally organized, Italians in the
now-c,ad Alps and God grant! even
O German-Austian workers to nerve
hem against their blood -buttressed
iespots. Gompcrs' speech, in pa3t.
'ol'ows:
'For more than two years demo
,!ats of France and Great Britain
made the most supreme sacrifices
hat nations could make At last
came those blows to the United
States mon, women and children
sent to an untimely grave by the
,uthlessness ard atlocious acts of
the Imperial German government,
and yet our government hesitated
1t put the men of America to a
severe test that they might be pa
tient.
Labor's Attitude Doubted.
Il think then there was in the
mind Of our government executives
a doubt as to whether American la
Dor could be depended upon in this
time of peril. | wondered whether
there was not in the mind of our
great leader doubt whether labor
was with him as unit.
an any event that unanimous dec
laration president Wilson'S war
aimsl made March u was heraded
the world over, and on April ,
about four weeks later, President
Wilson appeared before Congress and
read before that body indictments
which America, on behalf of our peo-
pie and civilization of the world, pre-
sented against the autocracy of Ger
many and Congress, representative
of the people of the United States.
with practically a unanimous vote
decided the time had come when a
state of war existed between US and
the Imperial German government.
"Since then American workers
have given loyal support to the
Republic of the United States and
her Allies"
U. S. Labor Laws Best
"As one of the results of our
movement of labor we have had Fed
cral laws enacted that cannot be
found on any statute books of any
other country in the world. One
has given freedom to the seamen
of America, and the other pro-
videS that the labor of a human
being is not commodity or article
of commerce 1t means that a hu-
man being can no longer be placed
on the same scale as a side of pork
or a ton of coal, that the labor of a
human being is part of his very
life.
"Now, my friends, ask you, with
kaiserism possibly victorious, wheth-
er such a doctrine would be worth
anything in the United States, or
any place else?"
" = naclaratinn CifnI