Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-16
CONGRESSMAN MooRE's
LETTER
"Martyrdon" Of pebs - Rennlnls-
eences Of the Old Independence
Square Eim-savannah as
"a ShlpbulldIng Center
Washington, April 16,

SOOlAb questions now stlrrlng certain
~ parts of the country are not new, as
those who can recall the rise and fall Of
the Knights of Labor will readily attest. The
expression "the world is upside down" Is
as frequently heard at the capital as else
where, but uprisings like those at Seattle
and Toledo, with an occasional revolution
ary outburst like the bombing of the homes
of certain Philadelphia officials, come and
go. What the Federation Of Labor under
Mr.. Gompers is today the Knights of Labor
once was under Mr.. Powderly, except that
labor organizations seem to be more firmly
intrenched now, partly because of war CON
ditions. The conviction of Eugene V.
Debs for a violation of the espionage law
is one Of those disturbing social conditions
that should be dealt with wisely. That
Debs has a following no cautious admin
istrator will deny. For the present neither
he nor the Socialists, with whom Victor
Berger, elected a congressman by the peo-
pie of Milwaukee, may be classed, appears
to have the Endorsement of Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation of
Labor, or the head of the Department Of
Labor, Secretary Wilson, who was himself
leader of the United Mine Workers. But
the punishment of Berger and Debs, con
cerning which meetings of protest are being
held In various parts of the country, invites
attention to the celebrated contempt case in
which Samuel Gompers himself and other
officers of the American Federation of Labor
AT one time figured in the courts of the Dis
trict Of Columbia. At that time Gompers
virtually challenged the authority Of the
court He made speeches and wrote edi-
torials defying it to do its worst. He was
sentenced to imprisonment, but fought the
court proceedings and was never punished
On the other hand, Justice Wright, who i'm
posed the sentence, contending that the dig
nifty of the courts should be preserved even
against the leading labor leader of his time,
was made the victim of impeachment pro-
ceedings and finally driven from the bench
The outcome Of the Gompers contempt case
is extremely interesting when considered in
connection with the agitation over Debs and
Berger. 1t threatened martyrdom, and
there are those who believe that unless Presi-
dent Wilson intervenes in the cases of Debs
and Berger the same cry may be raised when
the heavy sentences imposed upon these
men are enforced.
THERE are two bright young colored men
L who saw service in France who have be-
come attached to the life and would like
to continue in the army. One of them,
First Lieutenant Everett W. johnson, is a
son of w. II. NJ. johnson. of Taskcr street
near Twenty first. who is active in Sunday
school work in Philadelphia and who for a
time was attached to the Congressional
Library in Washington. The other is Sec
ond Lieutenant Walter T.. Parker. While
the War Department announces that no
final examinations are being given at this
time for officers appointments in the regu-
lar army, it also announces through the
adjutant general that all emergency officers
have an opportunity of making formal ap-
plcation for future examinations, and it
is understood the young men will take ad-
vantage of this opportunity. SO many men
are trying to get out of the service lust
now that applications for continuance are
worth noting.
TT is little hard on parents who have
given up all their boys for war service
that not even one of them may be sent home
to comfort the folks. The Rev. r. C.. Mont
gomery, of Lawnton avenue, yielded three
boys to the service, two of whom are now
in France. The youngest boy is at the army
base in Norfolk. The War Department
says that it is doing the best it can to re-
lease soldiers under such circumstances as
have just been described, but it frequently
happens that the boy who is an execution
ally useful soldier is retained for the ac-
commodation of the officers when others not
so capable are permitted to return to their
work. This practice has initiated against
certain boys who have good jobs awaiting
them at home.
THE ancient elm that topplGu over on
L the Sixth street side of Indepepdence
Square during the recent storm shaded d
number of Philadelphia congressman in its
time. Richard Naux, who disdained to wear
an overcoat and was pedestrian from
choice, frequently passed along the east side
of Sixth street under the shade of the old
elm on his way to and from bis downtown
Office. Samuel J. Randall, once speaker Of
the House, used to pass under that old tree
on his way to the COvington & Wipklcr
oyster house, at Sixth and SAMSON streets.
Former Congressman Henry NJ. Phillps,bad
an office directly opposite the tree and so
had George s. Graham who is now in Con-
gress. The office of Reuben o. Moon. who
was linked up in the earlier days with George
w. Arundel. was just little south of
where the tree stood. And the Office of the
elder Alexander Simpson, whose son is now
upon the Supreme bench of PENNSYLVANIA.
was under the shade of the spread ding
branches. 1T that old tree could have told
its story OF past generations it would have
been worth printing in the Saturday Eve
ming Post, which is now housed on the site
of the most interesting group of law Offices
ever thrown together in one city block.
DHlLADELPHlA is strong on shipbuild :
ing and has splendid record for early
construction work. but the city of Savannah
is now coming along to claim some of the
honors. Savannah never boasted much of
construction, but as a transatlantic port
it figured big prior to the Civil War, and
due to Improvements in the Savannah river
in recent years has proved to be one of the
most active of the southern ports.
Philadelphians who attended the Sayap-
nah waterways convention a few wears apo
will remember Mayor Pierpont and Major
William Wayne Williamson, chairman of
the finance committee of Councils, who as
sisted in entertaining. They will also re =
/ call references in some of the Savannah
speeches to the approaching celebration of
the Tooth anniversary of the voyage from
Savannah of the first steamship 10 oro., a. .