Americus times-recorder., 1920-06-12
A.F.L. DECLARES
WAR ON G. OPS
IGNORING
Chicago Planks Kissed at
Montreal Labor
Convention

NhNAN ASLAL, y ulle 1L.--AIllu IES-
mendous applause the American Fed
Grafton of Labor convention today
adopted a report condemning the Re-
publican national convention at Chi
cago for turning its back on labor"
in the adoption of its platform.
During the reading of the report,
which was presented by President
Gompers and Samuel Wou, various
sections of the Republican planks
were hissed. The report was ordered
printed and distributed to organized
labor.
President Gompers announced the
executive counsel had directed that
labor's demands as presented to the
Republicans be presented in identical
form to the Democratic national con-
vention.
''The Republican convention has
turnedrits back upon labor and has
adopted a platform defiant of la
Dor and not calculated to secure for
them fresh advantages and greater
privileges" Gompers and Woll de-
the convention.
mo DOuDI OF meaning
while there is no platform a
certain shrewdness in selection of
language, there is never an oppor-
t,mAsy for doubt as to true meaning
dN@aeir provisions relating to labor" Z"
they added.
The statement, which was present
ed to the convention by President
Gompers, goes into great detail,
pointing out labor's grievances
against the Republican platform,
and vigorously assails the Republi-
cans for neglecting anti-profiteering
legislation recommendations.
"The Republican platform practi-
cally ignores the profteers" the
statement added, "and while recog-
nizing the evils of currency imitation,
offers no remedy for that condition.
Specific proposals submitted by la
Dor for relief from the high cost of
living and profteering are given no
place in the platform"
The Mexican plank of the plat
form. the labor leaders charged,
"clearly aims to undermine the SOW
eighty of the Mexican people and to
make the maintenance of order IN
Mexico the business of the govern
ment of the United States"
For Exploiting Mexico.
ct proposes the fulfllment of
what have long been the hopes and
aimes of those whose sole object is
the exploitation of the people and
boundless resources of Mexico" ac-
cording to the labor chiefs.
The Republican endorsement of
the transportation act of 1920 was
declared to be complete denial
and repudiation of the demands sub
mitted by labor and is an emphatic
endorsement of the labor provisions
of the Cummins-Esch railroad act. "
The section Of this plank referring
to peaceful arbitration of wage dis.
putes" was said to be a "deniel of
The lawful right of the workers to
cease working"
"This denial of the right to
strike the labor chiefs assert, the
party proclaims as one of its great
est achievements"
eve hold no brief for the Demo
cratic party" continued the state
ment. commenting on the Republi-
can condemnation of the Democratic
administration for failure to enforce
the anti-profteering laws, but I'VE
call attention to the fact that specific
proposals on this subject submitted
by labor are ignored completely
Evades the Issue.
'The Republican platform evades
the issue and offers no remedy; 1t
denies the Importance of protiteer-
ing as the leading cause of the high
cost of living and endeavors to put
a part of the responsibility upon
what it falsely calls 'dispropor ion
s4Swage advances We have no
knowledge of any substantial or eff
fective anti-profteering laws passed
bv the Republican congress. The
plank regarding labor's right to
strike. constitutes a denial of labor's
demands and contemplates the erec-
ton of government machinery for
the coercion of labor and for the
suppression of its power, lawful. and
normal activities" the statement
said.
at proposes to erect, government
tribunals vested with the power to
, compel. involuntary labor. The en-
tire plank is a denial of freedom
and in addition subversive of the
best interests of our republic"
The labor leaders asserted that
the Republicans failed to mention in
their platform labor's demands fol
a federal law for the legal right of
voluntary associations" to protect
itself against "unwarrantable issu-
ance of writs of Injunction" and the