Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-07-01
GOMPERS WINS
BY z TO | VOTE
Aged Labor Leader WeepS at
Victory Over His OPP
ponentS.
NO ENMITY, DECLARES LEWIS
After Close of Convention President
Says Neither Hearst Nor the
earys Can Chart the Course
of Union Labor.

Denver, Colo, June %. = Samuel
Gompers, veteran American labor
leader, was reelected president Of the
American Federation Of Labor, defeat
ing John l.. Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers, by to l. The
vote was: Gompers, 25,022; Lewis,
1924. There were tears in Gompers'
eyes as he rose to thank the delegates.
ST can't begin to tell you how graft
fed / am at the result Of this cleo
tion," he declared. "This is the first
time in my official career in the labor
movement that / have expressed my
self in such language.
For, as a matter of fact whatever
honor has come to me, whatever con-
fidence has been placed in me. | have
interpreted It as a call to duty 1t is
little qualification to me to have de-
feated Delegate Lewis"
The labor leader said, however, he
was glad Hearst cannot control the
American Federation of Labor"
Il will speak out for the demands
that labor makes for it's services,
without which society would come to
a standstill," Gompers added.
81 will not speak in minor key
no matter if it be to presidents, cabi-
net officers, senators or even to daily
newspapers. 1 will try to speak, and,
come what may, / will take the con-
sequences. / prefer the characteristic
of holiness to any other.
81 will now do what / felt like do
ing rather than speaking; l will call
this convention to order"
This is the first time that Gompers
has been seriously opposed since 1894.
when he was defeated by John Nc
Bride, mine worker, at convention
in this city, but he was returned 10
office the following year.
Lewis was applauded when he re-
piled:
81 accept the verdict of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor without the
slightest tinge of enmity in my mind.
81 am a good deal like the young
man who told his mother he had been
called to preach. The old mother
asked him If he was not sure it was
not some other noise he had heard.
81 had had the dream of becoming
president of this great organization,
an aspiration which any member OF
the organization is entitled to. And
want to say here that l have used
no dishOnorable methods in my efforts
to realize my aspiration. | respect
the opinion Of those who opposed me
and tender my sincerest thanks to
those persons who supported me-"
Lewis denied that he had been the
candidate of Hearst
Gompers had been placed in noHli-
nation by George w. Perkins, Chi
cago cigarmaker, and Lewis by
William Green, secretary treasurer of
the United Mine Workers.
Most of the union delegates split
their votes that course being followed
by the miners and Lewis getting only
the solid delegation of the machinists.
The election of vice presidents re-
suited as follows: First, James Dun
can of Quincy, Mass; second, Joseph
f. Valentine, Cincinnati, o.; third,
Frank Duffy of the carpenters;
fourth, William Green of the United
Mine Workers; fifth, w. D. Mahon of
the Street Railway Employees; sixth,
Thomas A. Rickers, Garment Work
ers; seventh, Jacob Fisher of Indian
apolis; eighth, Matthew Vol of Chi
cago.
Daniel J. Tobin of Indianapolis
was reelected treasurer and Frank
Morrison of Chicago was reelected
secretary.
After the close of the convention
Mr.. Gompers said:
"Neither the Hearsts nor the Garys
can chart our course or select our
leaders.
"Our movement is united. 1t is pre-
pared to be aggressive in defense of
the rights of the toilers. 1t will not
be swerved from its course. 1t will
be a sad day for the aspirations of
the working people of our land when
corrupt and intriguing interests can
either divide our movement, change
our course or destroy its leadership.
The vote today has demonstrated to
the world that we have not yet come
upon that day.
''The whole work of the convention,
the resolutions and declarations
adopted, the policies indicated, mean
for the future a united, progressive,
militant movement, following upon
a progressive, fruitful and militant
past"