The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1920-02-20
Congress Branded AS Derelict In
Time OF Grave Crisis For Nation

Washington, D. C.-In compliance
with the directions Of the last con
vention Of the American Federation Of
Labor and Of the December is, 1919.
conference of representatives Of labor
and the farmers organizations, a
three days conference was held at
the Federation headquarters in this
city to consider the part which labor
should take in the coming campaign,
primaries and election
The following declaration was unan-
imously adopted;
The inherent rights and principles
Of our people are threatened.
The free institutions Of our coun-
try are menaced.
The ideals Of democracy are in
danger
The congress Of the United States
has failed to do its duty. 1t has fail
to meet the emergency 1t has given
encouragement and support 10 auto
cratic and reactionary policies. It's
dominating thought has been the re-
preston Of labor
Every effort to secure remedial and
constructive legislation has beel
has met with subtle and open hostIl-
ity The halls Of congress have been
strangled Every appeal for redress
used by labor's enemies to foster and
spread vicious propaganda against
the efforts of the toilers to exercise
their normal and lawful activities for
the protection and promotion Of Jheir
interests and welfare Labor has APP
pealed for relief in vain.
TIE hour has arrived when those
who believe in the maintenance Of
democratic institutions must marshal
their forces in defense Of their rights
and ideals.
Must Perpetuate Fundamental Rights
It is intolerable that a people who
spared no cost to make the world safe
for democracy should be forced to
submit to any restriction Of the glo-
rious liberties inherited from the
founders of our nation The perpet-
uation of our fundamental rights and
the enactment of essential construc-
tive legislation demand the election a
men, regardless Of their political aflil-
iations, who are truly repr sentative
of American ideals of iiber;y
Conscious of its responsibilities
impressed by the grave problems re-
sulting from the greaG war, the
American Federation of labor at 1t.
annual convention in June, 1919
adopted a reconstruction program
4 This program defined the essential IN.
dustral lolicies and legisla ee en-
actin ntns require to establish full
measure # justic~ and opportunity
for a
Because of grave emergencie.
which have arisen since that conTen
tion, it became imperative that the
representatives of organized labor
and of farmers should assemble an,
confer 10 devise ways and means O.
safeguarding their rights aad iber
] ties as free men and citizens On De
cember 13, 1919, a conference of rep
resentatives of labor and of farmers
met in Washington, d. G.
This conference expressed Labor
Grievances, Protests and Demands"
No favorable legislative action upol
the recommendations contained in tn
American Federation of Labor recon
struction program, or those expressed
at the December conference, has beer
taken by congress. Instead many con
gressmen have endeavored to enac
legislation providing for compulsor,
labor. Despite the patriotism and sac
rifice of the masses of labor of Amer
lea during the world war, under tn
guise of anti-sedition laws the effor
has been made to repress free associa
ton, free speech and free press.
Labor viii Fight on Non-Partisan
Lines
Scorned by congress, ridiculed an