Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1921-06-24
NEWARK. OHIO. FRIDAY, JUNE "a. 1921
The A. T. of |.
Convention
(By Federated Press)

ZION Oh Lne AHlcllCdIl FeueIdIlOH VI
Labor in this city has been one of the
most active and progressive held for
several years, and a vast amount of
important business has been put
through in record time.
Various matters nave appeared
which created more than usual atten-
ton, among them being the address
delivered by j. H. Thomas, head of
the Triple Alliance of the British La
Dor movement. Mr.. Thomas hoped
the delegates would do nothing to
create dissention. He hoped they
would do nothing to disturb harmony
with the British Labor movement
He bespoke ballots instead of bullets,
seeming to imply thereby that radicals
believe in bullets instead of ballots
At the conclusion of his address,
President Gompers slipped paper
to him. He read it and arose again.
Said he:
81 purposely refrained from discus
sing, in my address, any subject on
which it might be said l was taking
sides in any controversy that l might
call a domestic issue. But your pres
ident has submitted to me question.
He asks me what is the British labor
movements position on Irish indie
pendence and says l may please my
self whether or not | answer it,"
Mr.. Thomas paid his respects to
the partisans of Irish freedom who
made hostile demonstration when he
landed in this country, accusing him
not only of hostility to the Irish Re-
public, but also of responsibility fol
the failure of the Triple Alliance to
strike in support of the British
miners. He described how he ad-
journed a session of the British Trades
Union Congress to prevent Mary Mac
Swiney, sister of Terence MacSwiney,
from making a plea for British labor
to strike to induce the British gov
ernment to release MacSwiney before
he died on hunger strike, and stated
that the British Labor movement was
for dominion home rule for Ireland.
He intimated that the Irish people
are divided on the question of main
tanning their republic
His speech so enraged delegates
who had prepared compromise reso-
luton on Ireland that they took out of
it whereas" which recognized
British labor as friendly to Ireland.
James Walker, the other fraternal
delegate from the British Trades
Union Congress, made quite a differ
ent speech. He demanded disarma-
ment and peace and said the working
class must unitedly refuse to be pawns
in wars. He said labor must fight to
abolish forever the commodity status
of mankind under which we, as work
ers, are living today. Said he:
$50 long. as you have capitalism
reigning supreme, labor will never be
treated as anything else but COM
modify. We in the British labor
movement expect the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor to show us the way
out of the mire Of capitalism"
When President Gompers replied
to the fraternal greetings, he also
bespoke a slow and gradual process
of progress.
Rev. G. S. Lakeland, pastor of Grace
Community Church in this city,
brought the convention in a whirl of
shouting enthusiasm to it's feet when
he made ringing speech denouuncing
big business for trying to subsidize
the church. They not only cheered
him during and after his speech, but
passed a unanimous rising vote of
thanks.
"We ministers of the Gospel" he
shouted, mot the ones over 35 years
of age, but the ones under 35, are
going to say to these folks: All right,
if you think you are going to bury us,
we will refuse to bury you; we will
refuse to marry you; we will refuse
to baptize you or take you into the
church.
1t was boycott and as such was
understood instantly by the delegates
who cheered until the speaker de-
SPARED of being able to finish his
speech.
To it he added: "They may think
they can get by with that down here,
but after awhile they will get to
place where the Supreme Court is on
the square"
He followed Col. Alvin M. Owsley