Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-06-16

.;r and SOLIDARITY elAiN oA.aAsy
q a. the ranks, the American
!, ITl,o5eration ia of Labor today
lle'ened its forty-second an
NAL convention.
D'',,l Ne convention has ever
nrasented a finer front to
ibs world. No convention
sos sc ever gone into session in
bigber Iay spirit or with great
er determination.
,..;asnf Gompers, replying to the
- ef welcome, struck 4 high,
49, 49, kevnote. the essence OF winch
s.gs are IN 10 mood to give up
st;.s saH no matter what power may
aOt.g - zeal them, or what subtlety
nav be employed
!. ejneinnati's big, cool armory,
re ~ tban a half thousand men ana
Dv.u ,rssn came to order as the gavel
nv There we're flowers on the plat
er en- Executive council members
ssnLe1 lo,J the president on either side.
raa nAa's below the platform and just
w. front sat lie largest newspaper
m.assstaticu that ever attended an
apeyiean Federation of Labor con-
"ntion Special wires ran IRON this
ME- 70 the flur corners o. the world
A. long tables delegates sat, cheer
INC now and 8gaia, all preliminary 10
t@o week d aard wcrk ahead.
For a minute e,tryene STOOD. IL
.ss tho Star Spangled Banner. For
'so.ber minL,e everyone stood. II
aas tribute to the veteran leader
s1J eresident. Then Mr.. Gompers
Ssoan 1 his short opening address in
which he said:
aIp a day like this it is most en-
.,uraginp to have come from your
beayts and minds the expression OF
Ione and the offer of service The
toaine masses of America have few
,yaditens Of the old, as have the
iailers Of older countries and older
civilizations, but in our own America
We have emerged from condition OF
ssritude to understanding by the
g,eat mass of the toilers of America
of the sovereignty of the citizenship,
Of the equality of opportunity which
must come to the great toillng masses
Of America.
We do not becloud our minds, nor
% we fool ourselves into any fancied
security as to the obstacles which
lave been and are being thrown
across our pathway of progress. On
the contrary, the designers and those
who carry the designs into effect to
weaken the spirit or to crush the
kuueS of American labor for absolute
ireedom-we understand them and
sAe:r purpose just rs keenly as they
d. and we are just as ready, and per-
taps much more so, than are the an
tagonists of the rightful course and
cause Of the American Labor move
ment We shall go onward and for
ward more determined than ever that
there shall not be imposed upon our
brow, upon our backs, the type of The
Man With the Hoe, but that as free
men, ordained by God and by nature,
declared in that sacred document, the
Declaration Of Independence, rooted |
in the Constitution of the United
States We are men and women Great |
ed with certain inalienable rights, |
the right of life and liberty and the
pursuit Of happiness.
And this American Labor move /
nent organized as it is, believes in
lhese great principles enunciated in
mat World-famed, historic and sacred |
document; and we are not in q mood |
. nave those rights and those prin- |
clples guaranteed to us by our con-
satutlon taken from us by any subtle I
reasoning or assumption of power, no
matter whence it emanates.
| shall not attempt to anticipate |
ue legislation, the proceedings of this
convention. | may be permitted to i
sN that these will be told in the /
report Of the Executive Council, which 1
VII oe submitted to this convention,
ana Oy the resolutions introduced or
aCVpted by the convention. But | may /
axe eognizance of just one remark
Maae BY His Honor, the Mayor,
smeh' IN my judgment-and l think I
wv VIII agree with me--is the judg
aSi mea. Of all, is the keynote of that
'Teh we have to do today.
Inc Mayor referred to this gather
ag as conference, and, if my men,
y! serves me well, he added that con-
lefenees are the great distinctive adj /
aNe which has been made by the /
" f'.ah lamly as against the exercise
M roice to compel obedience to the
An An ol one. Amen to that and to
ros ueciaration. This is conference
,a. congress of the chosen represen-
Hes Oh the rank and file of the men
,aS ~S women Of toll who are working
s.,! sa! IN all flelds of human industrial /
uily, and they come here with a
alaa.e ',;sne and credentials of their con-
srHsin aes 70 express the views and
Fsiples IN which they so heartily
,Ie, and the aspirations which I
@mpished.
~, we meet here in annual convention
vb;.l purpose of arriving at results
MI snail represent the composits,
4 ,age view of the toiling masses of
.enea In our trades unions. in
h e'ty Ssllsr sa.. iapor organizations, in our
4 tons 'ehsIai bodies, our state fedora
traSa oof national and international
s,s Unions, what we ask of employ
t,bls ulat they sit with US around the
Fen, ;.l uol IN any jug handle move
pSiSs l.1taugurated by themselves in
saT, s me- I1aey dominate in face and in
4 L ana ~ ~ 70 meet in conference with
emile lu mere around the table, they as
1 rlesst5 sis and We as workers, the
ew - representatives of the work
tsrm;r. so uiseuss, to ascertain and de-
Al lsan. Tor some reasonable period
nate an agreement governing the
a ipduSe,,,s, winch affect both factors Of /
3 nghte and not forgetting the
but ~ u employers and of business.
4 .-a.ssihg as the most essential CON,
= tastry ~ ehe human equation in in
~ a We want conferences.
'trm tbeir ~ snop' as our adversaries