Evening star., 1920-02-09
LABOR LAUNCHES MOVEMENT
FOR UNITY AT THE BALLOT BOX
American Federation Announces Entry
Into Politics Punish Enemies and
Reward Friends, Is Declaration

apply its long and well-established nom
partisan political policy.
Confronted by a succession of hos
tile Congresses. the American Fedora
ton of Labor, in 1906. announced its
historic bill of grievances. This was
followed by a vigorous and successful
non-partisan political campaign. In
1908. 1910 and 1912 the same program
was energetically applied. AS a result
many of labor's enemies in Congress
were defeated and all of the essential
legislation in labor's bill of grievances
OF 1905 was enacted.
Asks "COnstructive LegislatiOn."
constructive legislation has never
been so necessary as at present.
Never has it been so essential to Sc
cure the defeat of labor's enemies and
the election of its friends and sup
porters.
"Sinister forces are already actively
engaged in efforts to confuse and null
lify labor's political power. Their OBJ
Ject is to divide the labor vote so
that the election of reactionaries and
enemies Of labor will be assured. In
| less labor holds steadfastly to its
nom partisan political policy, the enc
mics of labor will be successful in
| their efforts. Labor cannot. labor
must not. permit its political strength
to be divided in the present crisis Or
ganiZed labor owes allegiance to no
any political party. 1t is partisan to
prlnclples-the principles Of freedom,
of Justice and of democracy
1T is the duty of trad, unionists.
their friends and sympathiZcrs and
all lovers of freedom. justice and
democratic ideals and institutions to
unite in defeating those seeking pub
lie office who are Indifferent or hos
tile to the peoples interests and the
rights of labor.
wherever candidates for reelection
have been friendly to labor's interests
they should be Loyalty supported.
Wherever candidates are hostile or in
dlnerent to labor's interests. they
should be defeated and the nomina-
tion and election of true and tried
trade unionists or of assured friends
should he secured
Defeat of Enemies Is Aim.
complying with the instructions of
the last convention and the labor and
farmer conference of December 13.
1919. the American Federation of
labor announces its determination to
apply every legitimate means and all
OF the power at it's command to ac-
complish the defeat of labors enemies
who aspire for public office. whether
they be candidates for President, for
Congress, for state legislatures or any
other Office
La
calls upon all affiliated and recognized
national. international and brother
hood organizations. state federations
OF labor. central labor bodies, local
unions and labor's friends and SYM
pathizers to unite and give loyal sup
port to the non-partisan political cam
palgn now set in motion.
This political campaign must be-
gin in the primaries. The record of
every aspirant for public office must
be thoroughly analyZed, stated in un-
mistakable language and given the
widest possible publicity. Labor's en-
emies and friends must be definite
ly known. To this end the American
Federation of Labor has created the
national non-partisan political cam
paign committee. and it now calls
upon all affiliated and recognized
and local committees and to CO.
operate with the national committee
and coordinate it's efforts.
THE future welfare, the very abil-
ity of the trade union movement to
carry on it's work for humanity de-
pcnds upon the success of the cam
paign herewith inaugurated.
There can be no heSitancy
There must be no turning aside
The time for vigorous and de-
termined action is here"
General Committee in Charge.
ine general committee in charge
of the campaign consists of the ex-
ecutive committee, the eight vice pres
idents of the federation. James Dun
can, Quincy, Mass; Joseph F. Valen-
tine. Cincinnati; Frank Duffy, Indian
apolis; William Green, Coshocton,
Ohio: w. D. Mahon, Detroit; r. A.
Rickert. Chicago; Jacob Fischer. In
dianapolis; Matthew Well, Chicago;
Daniel J. Tobin, Indianapolis, treas
urer of the federation: John Donlin,
Chicago, president, and William J.
Spencer, Washington, secretary of the
building trades department.; A j.
metal trades department.; John w
Hays, Indianapolis, president, and
John ]. Manning, Washington, sec
retary of the union label trades de-
partment; James Lord, Washington.
president of the mining department;
Bert NJ. Jewell, Washington, acting
president. and John Scott. Washing
ton, secretary of the railroad en-
ployes' department.; John F. Frey,
Norwood, Ohio, editor International
Molders Journal: Mrs. Sarah A Con
boy. New York. secretary United
Textile Workers; Miss Anna Fitzger-
aid. Chicago, president of Women's
International Labor League; Miss
Melinda Scott, New York, United Felt,
Panama and Straw Hat Trimmers and
Operators, and Miss Anna Neary,
Baltimore. International Brotherhood
of Bookbinders.