The Chicago whip. (Chicago, Ill.) 1919-19??, 1920-07-17

:
Railway Mems International Benevo-
lent Industrial Association.
So when Mr.. Shillady, DR.. R. R.
Morton etc, came with a recon-
mendation" to the 38th Convention
of the A F. of L., We too came with
practical "demand" as will show
from Resolution No. Is, 3Sth Con
veation 4. T. of L. The purpose of
it all was to make the Preamble Of
the A. F. of L. embrace in practice
all it says in words We did not feel
that we would achieve cur aim inn
mediately but we sought to inaugur-
ate movement which if it did not
bring right ard justice To Race La
borcrs world It least display the
weak and hypocritieal position Of the
mon of the opposite race. We sin
ccroly sought then what we aggres-
7ively seek now, and that is Mr..
Samuel Gompers definition of demo-
cracy."
In Nav 1920 issue OF the Fed era
zionist, the official organ of the
American Federation of Labor, the
editor Mr.. Samuel Gompers says
Democracy must mean equality of
oDamtunity. 1T must mean all
renee Of domination by select rul-
irg clase or craft or clique, says Mr.
Compers. | believe Mr.. Gompers
means what saws in spite of a con-
tray opinion in the minds of many of
my people | believe he means it.
Vet | know that he is helpless to
compel the thirteen or fourteen
guilty labor unions of the Railway
Department Of the A. F. of l.. to fol-
low the Recommendation and "re-
quest" of the Convention at Montreal
A two thirds majority vote of the
convention ordering the Executive
Council to revoke charters of guilty
unions is the only legal means he
could employ to compel the absence
of domination by a select ruling class
or caste or clique which Mr.. Gompers
so sincerely and virtuously decried,
but which is so patiently true as a
result Of the practices of the above
named unions which have not been
compelled to erase The color line
from their bylaws, Chicago Defender
Editorial headlines in Race papers
and dispatches by Negro Press As
sociations to the contrary notwith-
standing.
1t must be remembered by those
who do not know that every single
aggressive act in the past three years
which has led to action by a Con-
vcntion of the A. +. of l., has been
taken by eolored railroad men. The
greatest and most pronounced dis
elimination and hostility have been
and are now faced by the many thou
sand colored railway employees of
rhe country. The bulk of these men
are in the South That fact alone
will bring to the minds of thinking
men and women the fact that a
recommendation" by the A. F. of L..
will be about as effective as was the
recommendation of the idol of the
South, himself Southemer, The
President that lynching be stopped.
Both recommendations" were steps
in the right direction. But they were
only steps. | sincerely hope the
day will come in industry when a
SQUARE deal deal will not be pre-
IN ( Se,. fafe..i or color.
wnefee the unions of the A. F. of
L., takes Race men as members, lets
them work on any job any other man
works on, gives them the right por-
ton of jobs, and secures for them
the same treatment as TO wages and
working conditions as to white men,
then it is the duty of Race men to
join such unions and | am convinced
they shu Observation-Disclosures
they should join as in the, Chicago
Stock Yards, The Mine Workers, The
Cigar Makers, The Steel workers and
by all means in the Lady Garment
Makers. where that valient champion
of the Negroes Industrial rights from
the A. f. of L., Miss Mollie Fried
man initiated the first colored girl
and where now nearly four thou
sand are members and fully protect
ed by the union and given every right
and privileges as members.
BUT UNTIL FACT SUPPLANTS
RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE
RACE MEN IN RAILWAY EN-
PLOYMENT ARE AFFARDED
EVERY RIGHT TO WORK ON ANY
JOB, THE LET WHITE MEN IN
RAIL SERVICE STAY OUT OF
FEDERAL LABOR UNIONS. LET
THEM ORGANIZE AMONG THEM
SELVES NOT AGAINST THE BET
TER PRINCIPLES OF THE A. F. OF
L.. BUT IN SUPPORT OF THOSE
BETTER PRINCIPLES AND UN-
COMPROMISINGLY AGAINST THE
PRESENT PRACTICES ON THE
RAILWAY UNIONS WHICH DO
AFFORD EQUALITY OF OPPORT-
UNITY, which Mr.. Gompers says is
DEMOCRACY.
Signed,
Robert L. NAYS. International Pres.
RAILWAY MEMS INTERNA-