The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-09-02

at that date. But the representatives |
of the great American labor movement |
then adopted unanimously a declara- |
ton that, come peace or come the bit
ter days of war, there was but one
place for labor and that was under the
flag for the flag and with the flag
The words of the conclusion of that
declaration will bear repeating, for no
expression like it has been uttered in
any other land. Thus spoke labor on
March u, 1917:
1--WE, the officers of the National and
International Trade Unions of Ameri
ca in national conference assembled in
pledge ourselves in peace or in war,
in stress or in storm, to stand unre-
servedly by the standards Of liberty
and the safety and preservation of the
Institutions and ideals of our republic.
I'm this solemn hour of our nations
life, 1t is our earnest hope that our
republic may be safeguarded In Its
answering desire for peace; that our
people may be spared the horrors and
the burden of war; that they may
have the opportunity to cultivate and
develop the arts of peace, human
brotherhood and higher civilization.
But despite all our endeavOrs and
hopes, should our country be drawn
into the maelstrom of the European
conflict, we, with these ideals of liber-
ty and justice herein declared. as the
Indispensable basis for national poll
eies, offer our services to our country
In every field Of activity, to defend,
safeguard and preserve the republic
Of the United States Of America
! against its enemies whomsOever they
may be, and we call upon our fellow
workers and fellow citizens In the
holy name Of Labor, Justice. Freedom
and Humanity, to devotedly and patri-
otscally give like service"
Labor In True Light.
With this emphatic pronouncement
Of labor's devotion to the republic, to
the great democratic cause Of the
world, and with other Developments
that came quickly in those days on
the eve Of war and in the days that
foil owed so rapidly when war became
grim and real thing among us, EN-
ployers everywhere came to see that
the American labor movement was
something more than had been pic
tured to them through the prejudlcia
, briefs Of their hired lawyers. They
. came to see 1t in something of Its tru,
light. They came to understand 1t a!
, one Of the great protecting bulwark'
Of democracy. More than that the.
, came to see 1t as great creation 0
, democracy.
Some critics of the American labo
: movement have said that 1t has n
r definite program, no formula that In
D dicates just where 1t Is going. know
}. of no more emphatic answer than t
: point to the road over which we hav
come In ten years. l suggest that
( shows the direction In which we ar
!. going; 1t shows. moreover. that we ar
t going.
: On June 10, carrying out the spir
o Of the labor declaration Of March L
an agreement was entered into b,
tween Secretary Of War Newton l
Il Baker and myself, as the represent,
g. tive of labor. This Is the agreemen,
NJ "For the adjustment and control
4. wages, hours and conditions Of labor
K. the construction Of cantOnment
a. there shall be created an adjustmel
Is commission Of three persons, appoin
III ed by the secretary Of war; one to re
ar resent the army. one the public, al