The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-02-20
JEFFERSON CITY LETTER
GA. T. Edmonston.)

Jefferson City, Mo-, Feb. 16.--That
organized labor of Missouri is fully
determined to take active part in the
future in State politics and strongly
support and urge the election of such
candidates for State offices, regardless
Of party affiliations, who are posi-
lively known to either stand for the
welfare of the toiling masses, or have
through actual performances in the
past shown that they are friendly to
the cause, is indicated by printed
circular letter, carrying the date of
Feb. 9, 1920, addressed ITO All Cen
trail Bodies, Councils and Labor I'M
ions of Missouri" bearing fac smile
of the seal of the State body, and the
names of George r. Patterson Of st.
Louis as acting president and Frank
w. Brand of st. Joseph as secretary,
approving and heartily endorsing the
candidacy of State Senator Mark A.
McGruder of Sedalia for the next At
torney- General of Missouri. This en-
dorsement is construed to mean that
organized labor of Missouri will use
all honorable means to bring about his
nomination to that place on the DEM
ocratic ticket at the August primary,
and finally his election next Novem-
Der. AS Democratic floor leader of
the last Senate, Senator McGruder
steered to the passage point the pres
ent workmen's compensation law
which has been generally accepted by
the State Federation of Labor as be-
ing much needed legislation. As other
Democratic and Republican candidates
for State honors who have been
friendly to organized labor of Mis-
souri, in the past, officially announce
each will receive a similar endorse
ment, regardless of party alignments.
The strength of organized labor in
Missouri is placed at $4,000, with all
in touch directly, or in close harmony,
with the Statewide body of which
Patterson, who is really the first vice
president and who lives at 4157 Juani-
ia street, st. Louis, acting as presi-
dent in place of President r. T. Wood
of Springfield, who is away on leave
of absence, looking after labor mat
tiers in Washington, D. C.
Included in this membership are
10000 toiling women of Missouri who
will, at least, next November be able
to vote for President and Vice Pres
ident Of the United States, if not The
entire State ticket. At the last Ma
tional Convention of the American
Federation of Labor last July at At
lantic City, a gathering which then
represented 3,260,068 working men and
women of the country, membership
which has now swollen to approx
mately 100000, new political pol
icy was adopted. 1t was then decided
that in the future at all elections
friends would be rewarded through as
sisting to Select to public office only
men who have proven themselves to
be true friends of organized labor"
State Senator McGruder is FORUM
ate enough to be the first Missourian
aspirant to public office, classed as a
man who has proven himself in the
past to have been "a true friend Of
organized labor of Missouri" and
hence the endorsement of his candi-
Idacy.
Approves Decision on Workmen's
Compensation Law
The Missouri State Federation of
Labor circular calls attention, in the
beginning, to the huge victory for or-
ganized labor of the State through the
findings and decision of Special Mas
ter in Chancery A. T. DUNN of JEFF
ferson City in the workmen's compen-
sation referendum contention which
permanently enjoins State officials
from submitting the measure to a
statewide vote at the next election.
1t is further stated that the grounds
of the DUNN decision were: THAT the
referendum petition is not legally suf-
fcient because of Withdrawals and
other defects. and that some of the
circulars were guilty of frauds" At
tention was also directed to the con-
illusions, "the Special Master found
THAT almost the entire expense of cir
culating the referendum petition was
paid by damage suit lawyers"
Toward the middle of this official
paean of victory of organized labor of
Missouri comes the paragraph which
proclaims that the State Federation
lof Labor has actively entered the Mis-
souri, political field and is there to put
only men over at primaries and cleo
ltions who are positively known to be
true friends of organized labor" 1t
reads:
Enclosed is a poster of the candi-
dacy of Hon. Mark A. McGruder for
Attorney General AS member of
the Missouri State Senate, Senator
McGruder proved true friend of or
ganized labor and we request you to
hang this poster in a conspicuous
place in your meeting hall and do all
you can to secure his nomination and
Il election. This is in line with the pol
icy of the American Federation of La
Dor that we should reward our friends
and elect to public office only men
who have proven themselves to be
true friends of organized labor"
Wright and Meredith, Dry Democrats,
to Enter.
] From Springfield comes the infor-
nation that Lawyer Charles J. Wright,
who was a member of the Forty-sev-
enth House from the First District of
Greene county, is ready to officially