Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-12-15

junction which deprived men of the
right OF trial by jury and substituted
Judicial government for constitution
al government. The case was ap-
pealed to the supreme court OF the
United States, and in May 1913, Jus
tice Lamar delivered the judgement
of the court reversing the judgement
Of the court of appeals and directing
that the contempt proceedings be
dismissed.
Under the leadership of Mr.. Com
pers In 1905 the federation inaugu-
rated a non- partisan political cam
paign to obtain legislation assuring
to the wage earners lawful opportu-
nifty for activities necessary to pro-
tect the rights and promote the in
terests and welfare of the working
people. According to this campaign
the wage earners used their political
influence to promote the nomination
and election of government represen-
tatives, regardless OF party, who
pledged themselves and announced
their approval of labors demands.
The result of that policy was the
formation of group in Congress
knowon as the labor group. the mem
bers Of which hold trade cards and
di o dihiAdSCA NAth AAbok
rization.
Framed Many Laws
Among the laws which Mr.. Comp
ers framed, supported or originated
were the eight-hour law for govern
ment employees, the various state
laws fixing the hours of labor, laws
establishing Labor day as the work
ingman's holiday, the federal work.
ingmen's compensation law, the law
limiting the use Of injunctions in Ia
Dor disputes. the law exempting Ia
Dor unions from prosecution as COM
binations in restraint of trade. and
the law regulating punishment for
contempt of court. He was also res
ponsible for the legislation which
created the department of labor as a
separate department of the federal
government, with cabinet minister
at its head.
Mr.. Gompers was the personal
friend of six American Presidents
Mckinley, Roosevelt. Taft. Wilson,
Harding and Coolidge; and was fire.
quently called into consultation with
them. Settlement of a number of
industrial disputes. some of them
reaching nationwide proportions,
was attributed to his wise leader
ship. to his conservatism and to the
trust reposed in him by the rank
and file of American labor. A
staunch advocate Of democracy, he
openly opposed socialism and just
as openly rejected what he called
1.-The false doctrines of Bolshevism. -
A member of the advisory COM
mittee of the council of national de-
fence from 1917 to 1910. Mr.. Com
pers served as representative of the
American Federation of Labor at
the Paris peace conference of 1915
10, and was president of the inter-
national commission on labor leg
islation ut the peace congress. While
in Europe he helped to- organize the
international labor congress, and
FIVE of the principles 1t formulated
were incorporated in the peace
treaty.
Wrote Many Books
experimenting his work for the
American Federation of Labor, of
which with the exception of a sin
gle year. he had been president since
its organization, Mr.. Gompers found
time to write many books. pamph-
let's and newspaper articles. and
was the author of such volumes as
Europe and America" American
Labor and the War" Labor and
the Common Welfare" Labor and
the Employer" and "out of Their
Mouths"
At the annual session Of the Amer
ican' Federation of Labor at Ell Paso,
Tex. in November. 1924. Mr.. Com
pers was elected president for the
4Sd time.