The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-06-18
CHIEF
URGES WORKERS
TO new Effort
Eorty-first Convention Is Called
Amid Impressive Ceremony.
Delegates Determined.
Official Press Headquarters,
American Federation of Labor.

American Federation of Labor.
DENVER, Colo, June 49,
With an. enthusiasm and deter
mination never exceeded, the
forty-first convention of the
American Federation opened it's
sessions in the Municipal audi
torium here.
The program provided by the
Denver committee on arrange
ments was impressive and beau
tiful.' The parade from the head:
quarters hotel to the auditorium
was led by 200 members Of the:
Musicians union.
President Gompers, in opening
the convention, delivered brief
address, but one that was well
calculated, to serve. as the key
note to the deliberations that are
to follow.
Labor Faces Test.
mo movement has ever been put
to- a. greater test" said President
Gompers, than the American labor
movement" But that movement, he
continued, "still faces the world un-
afraid, determined not to take one
step backward. not to raise a foot
except to plant it one step forward
for the progress and the freedom Of
the human family. ...,*--
"The campaign to destroy our
movement has been on for two and
a half years. and SO far as it's effect
Is concerned, I ask all to see this
convention, and the, reports that will
be laid before it and see if they can
find some ray of comfort from these
exhibits.
3.-: Near 5,000,O00 Mark.
"Our movement stands intact, and
before the next snow flies, we shall
have passed the 5000, 900 mark"
It is notable that in the re port of
Secretary Morrison the membership
figures for the federation show no
decline in membership beyond that
accounted for by suspension and un-
employment. AS matter of fact
the federation has more than held
its own according to the bare fig
ures and organized labor in America
today is numerically, spiritually ard
morally stronger than ever in it's his
tory.
In his address President Gompers
cited the: issues that confront the
workers. pointed to the necessity of
the most profound. careful delibera-
ton and expressed the conviction mat
service to humanity would be the re-
suit Of the deliberations. In part
President Comp ers said:
Faces World Unafraid.
Delesates, no movement of hui
mans has ever been put to a greater
test than the American trade union
movement. Tried through the fires
OF antagonlsm, bitter and relentless,
oy system Of corruption, OF sub
ordinatfon-an attempt at subordina-
lon, presumably under the Suise of
friendship and consideration, the drive
mas been made against our move
ment and our men. It is not neces-
sarv> FOR me to enter into details. but
our movement has survived all the
bitterness, all the antagonism that
could be leveled against it. It has
stood Its ground against corruption
OF the most gigantic character. 1t
faces the world unafraid, determined
not to take one step backward, nor
10 raise a foot in that direction. or
70 raise foot at all except to plant
1t one step further in the progress
and freedom of the human family.
either the theory or the practice of
the so-called "open shop"-not here
l have done so in the past and NAV
De required to do so in this conven-
ecpn- and after the convention is
closed. But I want to ask. not on]v
you, but whoever may feel interested,
is II not a strange feature in human
Econduct when we find that the en-
ployers' so many of them, all too
many OF them, business men, cham
oers OF commerce and boards of trade.
declare for, what they call the "open
shop? Isn't it strange that thew
should predicate their actions to es-
tablish the ''open shop" or non-union
shop on claim that it is to protect
the freedom of their employees?
I'VE Can't Retreat
When in the history of the world
did the: slave owner make any extra
ordinary effort for the freedom Of his
slaves?
I think we may adopt the declara-
ton Of our doughboys when they were
IN France and in a very tight fix
ana they were called upon by the
enc my to surrender. One of our own
men In command said IRE treat Most
OF them were raw recruits and had
only been in camp for few weeks
or months and they gave back the
answer We can't retreat. we are not
taught TO :retreSt. we only know how
to go ahead and forward, and ad-
vance, 3zte-,,., .. ~: T..
THE American Federation-the
American. labor movement and every
: ras1' III 4 -, :