The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-15
LABOR PROTESTS
WAR PROHIBITION
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who came TO the Capital in a special
| train. left last night for the con-
vention city, convinced that II re-
k1ief is given them il will come
through President Wilson and not
through Congress.
10000 Union Men.
About 10000 labor unionists, many
Of them from distant cities, were at
the Capitol demonstration during the
afternoon, but the number did not
come I'D to the expectations of the
committee of the Central Labor
Union Of Washington, which staged
the event A counter attraction,
Vice President Marshalrs address AT
Flag Day exercises, doubtless drew
many Of the visiting delegates TO the
Sylvan Theater.
President Gompers did not address
the meeting of delegates in front OF
the Capitol. While the great throng
demonstrated without, the labor
leader, in the quiet of a committee
room, made an earnest appeal to the
members of the Senate judiciary Com
n.ittee to repeal the prohibition OF
beer and light wines.
'The no beer, no work movement
is not dead" Gompers told the COM
mittee, 81 have been doing all in my
power to prevent such unrest. Moth
ing that Congress could have done
will so disturb the tranquility Of the
masses. For the first time in my life
/ am apprehensive about the future
Of the country.
Calls Plan Ineffective.
prohibition as far as the consti-
tutional amendment goes, cannot be
assaulted at this time. Every loyal
citizen must yield, no matter what his
feelings may be. But l tell you that
prohibition by law is one Of the most
ineffective courses by which temper
ance may be brought about.
az know people, and especially do
7 know the working man. And L
know of nothing that could be done
bv the Congress of the United States
that would be one-half so prejudictal
to the peace and tranquility OF the
masses than this attempt to take
from them the right of drinking a
glass of beer with alcoholic content
of two and three quarters per cent
Mr.. Gompers told the committee Of
Senators that this is the first time
the words, Thou shalt not have been
written into the American Constitu-
ton.
what the course Of the individual
workman will be-" continued Mr..
Gompers. "of course I am not pre-
pared to say. He won't reconcile
himself to it and we are not entirely
free from some who would undertake
in the United States what mas hap
pened in Russia.
81 am aprpehensive OF results
should Congress fail to meet the sit
uation."
Address by fitzgerald.
While the national labor leader was
pleading with the Senate committee
inside the Capitol the great crowd of
workers outside was listening with
great interest to a straight-fTom-
the-sh ouIder speech by Congressman
Fitzgerald of Massachusetts,.
The Congressman told the labor
men and women, for there was a lib
eraI sprinkling of the fair sex in the
throng, that Congress will in all
probability not repeal wartime pro-
hibition.
This wartime prohibition law
ought not to stay on the statute
man Fitzgerald. at was passed after
the armistlce was signed. II the
members of the House and Senate had
acted like honorable men they would
not have passed the measure at all
It is a lie on its face.
The only hope of the American
workingman lies in the President. ]
do not think he will go back on you.
1 do not think that you laboring men
are going to sit idly by and allow
your rights to be trampled upon"
There were loud cries of NO" from
the crowd. Congressman Fitzgerald
then charged that the enacting of
the dry bills into laws was an effort
to cram prohibition down the threats
of the American people under the
guise of a war measure. He criticized
Congress severely for passing such
laws in the absence of millions of
soldiers and sailors who were not
able to protest until too late.
Groans for Bryan.
When the speaker mentioned the
names of William Jennings Bryan
and Billy Sunday a groan went up
from the thousands OF workers who
were standing under the blazing sun
10 hear Fitzgerald speak. When the
first mounted the plat
form he was wildly cheered. Cheers
were then given for the American
Federation of Labor and Samuel
Gompers.
Invitations were extended to many
members of Congress to sit on the
speakers stand. but only a few &C
ccpted. Congressman Ransdell. of
California, the only prOhibitionist
party man in Congress, was among
those who viewed the proceedings
with interest.
John B. Colpoys, the Washington
labor advocate, who the first speak
er to address the thrOng of delegates
and workers as they ended the long
nrnrnrslnn frnrn the ITninr Gtntinr,