Evening star., 1920-04-03
.NATE DEFEATS
AYERS UN|0NPLAN
btes Down Amendment
Proposed to Civil Service
= Retirement Bill.

The Myers amendment to the civil
eryice retirement bill, to exclude from
te benefits Of the act government en-
soyes affiliated with unions using the
trike. was defeated in the Senate to-
ay by a vote Of 43 to 3. with three
eiiators present and paired.
THE three senators voting for the
lnendment are Senators Myers. Thomas
nd Warren.
Senator Sterling, In charge OF the
HI, expressed the hope that final &C
ion could be taken this afternoon on
ge bill. There was some doubt. how
yer. as to whether a quorum in the
senate would be available later. Some
Il the opposition to the bill has been
withdrawn. il was said. due to the
act that an amendment will be offer
d and accepted satisfactory to at
eRst one of the opponents of the
PLEASURE.
Adjournment Prevents Vote.
Failure to obtain a quorum brought
bout an adjournment of the Senate
asterday afternoon before a final vote
PH the Myers amendment could be COM
Pfted. The vote recorded was three for
he Myers amendment and thirty-five
haainst il. Those voting for the amend
nent were Senators Myers. Thomas and
Warren.
Debate on the Myers amendment.
which would exclude from the benefits
bf the retirement bill all employees of the
Eqvernment who are members of
1ion affiliated with an outside organi-
Eation using the strike. lasted through
bQt the afternoon.
Senator Thomas Argument.
Senator Thomas IN an extended ad-
iness supporting the amendment said
hat if 100000 employees of the govern
nent in Washington are members of the
Federal Employees Union which is affil-
ated with the American Federation of
Labor. and each pays so cents a month,
The organization commands an income
|pf 5000 .0Oo
..'Of the money which the government
pays these employees" he said, "and
(which they say they cannot live upon,
f1eYoted. among other things, to politics.
20, circulating literature for the defeat
or re-election of this. that or the other
member of Congress-
He read a clipping from a recent
knewspaper stating that Senator Cum
kmins of Iowa had been marked for
|defeat by the railway brotherhoods
because of his part in the railroad
Pegislation, particularly because he
|had part in drafting the anti-strike
CLAUSE of the Senate bill. Senator
Thomas said that Senator Cummins
|had been a defender and friend of
|organized labor for years, but now
|he was to be thrown aside like a
squeezed lemon"
II the next Congress shall be
chosen by Samuel Gompers. president
|of sthe American Federation of Labor.
|eald Mr.. Thomas. and is to consist of
|mep subject to his orders. the first
legislation which should be enacted
by the new Congress should be a re-
he nf
Ut would read as follows:
You do solemnly swear that you
will support and defend the consti-
tuition and bylaws of the American
FEDERATION of Labor as construed and
understood by the president thereof;
that you will support all legislation
approved by and defeat all measures
opposed by such president; that you
VIII otherwise conform your public
action to his wishes and require
ments. and should you at any time
refuse or fail 50 to do you will resign.
Subject to this qualification. you do
alec solemnly swear that you will
support the Constitution of the
United States and faithfully perform
alf-duties imposed upon you by law.
So help you God.
THE Constitution itself should be
amended SO that the enacting clause
of all our legislation shall read as
follows" he said:
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
American Federation and of the
United States"
Oppose Myers Amendment.
Senator Sterling of South Dakota,
Senator Pomerene of Ohio and Sena-
tor Lenroot of Wisconsin. all spoke in
opposition. to the Myers amendment
Senator Sterling said:
People who want to withhold the
right of organization from federal en-
ployes are bowling over a graveyard
OF class expressions that are no longer
possible There must be some bond Of
sympathy between workers in the
same trade. The right to organize for
the accomplishment of common ends
cannot be denied them. Talk of fed
eral employees striking is absurd, for
their constitution expressly forbids
this. and il is equally absurd to talk
of their supporting other strikes"
Senator Sterling read a letter from
Luther c. Steward. president Of the
National Association of Federal En-
ployes. in which Mr.. Steward denied
that government workers had ever
been assessed for strike benefits, or
that they put loyalty to the American
Federation of Labor before loyalty to
fhe government.
sWhen has the American Federation
ofil,abor become an outlaw" demand
ed-fenator Lenroot. TT Is just such
attacks as this that increase the un-
req in the country and give to ex-
tr ine radicals the argument that they
sotpuch desire.