Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-06-12
A. A.E.0FL.0PP0SES
THE Dry ACT
Convention Disapproves of War
Time PfohibitiOn-,Uges 2A
Per Cent. Beer Be Exempt
from Constitutional Ban
SOME OPPOSITION
Seattle Delegates Stand by "Dry" Sem
timent-Prnctically All the Big Labor
Organizations Favor Resolution -
Chicago Votes "No''

| Atlantic City. N. j.. June ia rsso-
approval of wartime prohibition and
strongly urging that two and three
| fourths per cent. beer be exempted from
| the provisions of the 18th amendment to
| the Constitution and from the wartime
| prohibition measure which goes into
effect July 1 was adopted to-day by the
reconstruction convention of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. A bitter fight
was waged on the proposal by dry ele-
ments, especially delegates from Seattle
who based their arguments on the
benefits they said their city had found
through prohibition, but it was carried
by an overwhelming vote of 26475 to 4,005.
The voting is proportional to the men,
bership of the unions represented.
| The resolution will be sent to Presi-
dent Wilson and Congress and the ex-
ecutive council Of the federation is di-
rected to do everything in its power to
preserve to the people of the United
| States their freedom, liberty and democ-
racy."
THE RESOLUTION
! At the outset, the resolution cites the
provisions of President Wilson's execu-
tive order stopping the brewing of beer
on December /, 1918; the provisions of
the war emergency bill establishing war
time prohibition and the 18th amend
| ment. 1t then continues:
| Whereas, all the foregoing is princi-
pally intended to deprive the workers OF
America of the means to secure legally
a glass of beer after days work; and
Whereas, all this restrictive and
sumptuary legislation has the effect o.
destroying part of the American labor
movement and is seriously crippinE
many international organizations affiliated
with the American Federation of Labor,
therefore, be it
| Resolved, That the American Fedora
ton of Labor in convention assembled
in Atlantic City expresses its disapprovai
Of wartime prohibition and that q
strong protest from the delegates to th ;
convention be forwarded to the govern
ment at Washington. setting forth in n
most emphatic manner the opinion of tn ,
delegates to this convention that tn
present mild beers of Two and three
fourths per cent. alcohol by weight shoui
be exempted from the provisions of th >
18th amendment to the Constitution an
also from the provisions Of the We
prohibition measure; and be it further
| Resolved, That the executive count i
of the American Federation of Labor he
and is hereby instructed to convey these
expressions through a committee to the
President of the United States and 20
the Congress and to do everything in 5
power to preserve to the people Of Il e
United States their freedom( liberty ard
democracy"
HOW THEY VOTED
Nearly all the big labor organizations
of the country voted for the resolution,
only a few voting negatively of splitting
their vote. The blacksmiths spinner ),
stereotypers, and delegates of the Teach
ers' Federation of America, all vot d
against it. The boilers makers and iron
ship builders, the longshoremen and tie
typographical organizations split their
vote. Aside from Seattle, Chicago was
the only one of the big city labor Or
ganizations that voted NO"
In the list of State federations Flori', /.
Missouri. Kansas. and Virginia vo,ed
against it. Kansas City, Kans.. vol Cd
against but Kansas City. Mo, voted for.
The railway clerks delegation refus ID
to vote at all, giving no reason; while
the delegation from the illinois St;,te
Federation of Labor declined 10 vote be-
cause they announced their organizat. n
had taken no stand on the matter.
Immediately after the passage Of tAe
resolution another was offered provj-
ing that the convention should suspe nj
its session Saturday in order that the
delegates might so to Washington on I
special train to participate IN the gr, It
demonstration to be held in front of
the Capitol there n protest against
wartime prohibition. This resoluti m
was adopted almost unanimously, tie
delegation from Seattle being tho Only
one to vote against 1t. A delegate from
the Central Labor Union at Washington OH
denied charges that brewers were foot-
Ing the bill. The expense was being
borns by brewery workers. the deega {
said.
MOONEY CASE DISCUSSED
The Mooney case also came up to-df y,
when In response to a resolution by
John II. Walker of the Illinois FEEDER
ton of Labor, Mrs. Rena Mooney, the
wife of tire convicted man, was given
permission 4, address the convention fro n
the platform.
Mrs. Mooney, a small, rather plum, ,
woman. discussed all the evidence in t! .
case which she said tended to prove tie
innocence of her husband of any co..
nection with the San Francisco e.
plosions. Mrs. Mooney laid special erl-
phass upon what Is known as tie
o'clock testimony" in the case. 1t is
claimed in Moneys defense that
photograph of the para6e containing n
street clock and taken from the roe,
of building in San Francisco shove
that Mooney and his wife were bo
on the roof at the time when, 1t w
charged by the prosecution. the bon
was being placed. The delegates lis,
ened in silence to her recital and at it,
,,rs-