The Washington times., 1921-06-15
VOTE:
WILL RISE
.UPAGA|NST
LAB0RHEAD
Road Men Will Dominate Meet
ing It Maintenance Work.
ers Are Reinstated.
By MILDRED MORRIS.
Interzationsl News service.

international News Service.
DENVER, July l5.---
The railroad unions today are lin
ing up for a test of strength in the
convention of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor. Victorious over Sam
uel Gompers last year on the issue
Of Government ownership and DEM
ocratic control Of the railroads, they
will again endeavor to wrest control
Of the federation from him.
TO LINE UP s0LIDLY.
They will line up solidly behind .
resolution introduced TO reinstate the
United Brotherhood OF Maintenance OF
Way and Railroad Shop employees.
With the organization allowed to vote,
II is claimed they will have suffi-
cient strength 70 dominate the poll
cies OF the federation and force re-
organization OF the administration.
A rupture in the ra9ss-ef The fed
GRAFTON IL thsssSDne<AIn svehtrcf fa-
Withdrswalsof the United Brother
hood ot Carpenters and Joiners. the
sSeond Er9Sst union ffS the ssderatiou
which was Suspended last Saturday
from the Building trades department.
Ii feared.
UNION WAS SUSPENDED.
The maintenance OF way union, the
second largest OF the railway labor
organizations. was suspended nearly
two years ago for refusing to carry
out the Instructions OF the executive
council in q JurisdictionaI dispute
with the carpenters. II was charged
at last years convention they were
suspended to prevent the railroad
unions from controlling the largest
vote In the federation.
III II had taken the situation in
hand IL might have meant the de-
struction of 4 few thousand. but II
would have stopped the war. The fall
ure of men to act at time of CRISIS
is faithlessneos to a common cause"
In his address. which was q response
to those. of fraternal delegates from
Great Britain and Canada. Mr. Comp
ers dwelt upon the attitude OF the
federation and himself both during
the war and since. during the period
OF reconstruction.
In putting upon organized labor of
Germany the blame for the war Mr..
Gompers said:
IL have nothing in my heart that
can be intimated or suggested OF feel
inss of antipathy tows-d the German
eople, toward the German labor
movement, toward then attempts to
induct a great republican form OF
government. 1t cannot be driven out
Of the minds of people who have lost
young men OF their nesh and blood.
fallen in defense of Tits great COM
ron cause, to maintail some degree
D. q self-determination in . demo-
t,stic form of government.
L MISTAKES OF A DEMOCRACY.
"You know that the American
labor movement has made its great
contribution to the great cause and
you know also. that I have tried to
do my full duty In the critical cir
cumstancee In which we are all
placed, and that at the peace table
wisdom did not prevail. think
that most men who have given the
subject thought quite agree with
that Judgment. But II Is always
hind wight that is so superior to fore
sight. and In the frame OF mind In
which the people were II 10 not diff
f,cult to understand that they
wanted to psnalize Germany in
some way. sf
1--WE know that the Representa-
tivea Of. democracy make mistakes
and that is the penalty we pay for
having democrscles-but we have tho
right to make mistake rather than
to yield to the dictation OF some En-
peror, Kaiser or King. II we want
democracy we must suffer the PEN
alties for the mistakes democracies
are subject TO.
"We have been with you and with
all the allied democratic nations in
the war" said Mr. Gompers, address
ing the fraternal delegates, "and for
the extent of time that we we're in
II we made our full contribution. We
have not done anything OF which we
find IL necessary to boast, and we
have no cause to hang our heads In
shame.
THE pity OF II all was that when
the crucial time came there were
some of those who had made nam-
boyant declarations who failed at the
crucial hour"