The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-06-25

tive.
President Samuel Gompers, life-lc
bowman, founder of the American Fec
program of progress for so many year
the whole structure. is pitted against J
Mine Workers of America.
Each Confident.
AS your paper goes to press the is-
sue is not yet decided. Both candi-
dates, the one frankly avowing a de-
sire to continue as pilot of the organi-
zation he had foundered and fostered,
the other as frankly asserting his fit
ness for the honor, are mastering all
their forces for the ultimate struggle
of vote against vote.
Each claims victory, retaining con-
fidence that in the maelstrom of shift
ing, now to this side and how to that.
a majority will march to the polls in
his favor.
Won't Withdraw.
President Gompers today announced
in a public statement that he would
not withdraw his name as a candidate
for the presidency in any event. and
John l.. Levels. president of the
United Mine Workers, in a verbal
statement to the press, formally an
nounced himself as candidate for
the presidency. Mr.. Lewis's statement
was but a sentence in which he said
that he had decided to permit his
name to go before the conve ntion
President Gompers' statement fol-
lows: 1T. has been stated in the
Hearst newspapers and by the Hearst
press service that in the even there is
opposition to me for the presidency Of
the American Federation Of Labor I
will decline to be candidate and
will withdraw. . :
THAT statement is absolutely false,
My course will not be determined by
what any other Individual or group
may do. 1t has been notorious that
the Hearst newspapers and news serv-
ices have misrepresented the work of
the American Federation of Labor and
OF it's officers and have maliciously
and persistently issued false reports in
relation to them.
Flays Hearst.
The delegates to the convention
will determine who shall be their Of
ficers and if they see fit to re-elect
the president they will have that op-
portunity. My name will so before the
convention and it will not be with
drawn.
THE Hearst newspapers and press
- services seem to find it impossible to
report with any appreciable degree Of
accuracy the work of this convention
though others do not seem to be under
any such handicap. This can only be
because the Hearst interests are for
some reason which they do not care to
state, determined to disrupt the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor and to de-
r. stroy its chosen leaders. 1t is my firm
conviction that the Federation will
know how to deal with this situation
and I have entire confidence in it's
wisdom.
I'm any event the Hearst interests
cannot dictate my course. That can
be done only by labor. My life has
been given to the service of the wage
earners of our country. 1t remains at
their command"
One Big Union Dies.
One big unionism died in the first
round in the A. +. of L. convention.
1t had no supporters anG no mourners.
Resolution No. "a, not declaring for
One Big Cnionism. but opening the
way to the kind of action advocated
and practiced by that cult, went
where the woodbine twineth, without
a dissenting vote. 1t came to the floor
with an adverse recommendation and
the convention agreed with the com
nittee.
The resolution would have advo.
Gated changes in international and
- state constitutions providing for sym.
pathetic action and for simultaneous
termination of all agreements.
The convention on the same day or.
dered an investigation of wage and
working conditions in southern textile
mills and voiced its approval Of Z
campaign to organize so-called un
skilled workers.
- Galbraith's Message.
Quoting the late Commander Gal
braith as having said. "You must e
to Denver and say to the representa-
tives of the laboring people of. Amer
lea that the heart of he-Legion beat
for them," Col. Alvin M. Owsley, di
rector-seneral of the American LIE
gion, today addressed the American
- Federation of Labor convention.
THE time has come" said Colone
Owsley, when the men who defende,
this nation from foes from Rithou
mast join hands to defend it from tn
foes Within; and when the great labor
ing masses Of this country join hand
with their brothers in the Legion thi
nation will go forward. We believe
= in the Legion, that the harmony o
this nation and the best interests o
all the people can be preserved by up
holding and defending the constitutio,
(Continued on page A.. ~