Evening star., 1925-02-22
Rail Unions Prevent Regular
Conference Action--Second
Meeting Formed.
BY the Associated Press.

The passing OF the old body, which
began as the successor to the Roose-
welt Bull Moose" movement and
wound up as backer of Senator
Robert NJ La Follette's presidential
campaign last year, resulted from re-
fusal of the delegates from the Ma
tional Socialist party, the Committee
of 4S and the various State organiza-
tions formed as part of the La Fol-
lette campaign to follow the rail
unions in advocating perpetuation of
c. P. p. A. as "a non-partisan poIit-
ical organization"
Declares Time Not Ripe.
No sooner had the convention or
ganiZed this afternoon than l.. E.
Sheppard of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
president of the Order of Railway
Conductors, presented on behalf Of
his brethren in arms a resolution de-
claring the time not ripe for the
formation of a new party.
There followed an amendment from
Morris Hilquitt, New York, Socialist.
declaring the opposite view and Of
fering plan for organization of the
American Labor party" based upon
group and geographical lines and to
be consummated at a convention naxt
October
Next came J. H. Hopkins, from a
committee of As men from New York,
with a proposal which had the in
dorsement of Robert NJ. La Toilette,
Jr., that Progressive party be or
ganized on strictly geographical
lines with group representation
eliminated. He said he spoke for Pro-
gressive party organizations In
Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, New
Jersey, New York, Delaware, Arizona,
Florida, Georgia and North Carolina,
and for the United American War
Veterans.
Much Oratory Flows.
Oratory of every degree followed.
1t was interrupted at one stage by
Harley Nickerson Of Milwaukee. who
offered substitute for the whole,
celebrating the Hopkins plan and
providing definitely for organization
OF state bodies, a national committee
and the calling of a convention in
Cleveland next Autumn.
Numerous delegates Joined in the
debate. The brotherhoods were all
ternately assailed and defended The
Socialists were criticized som metimes
by innuendo and again directly for
alleged failure to contribute their
fair share OF money to the 1924 cam
paign and the convention itself was
denounced by the brotherhood men
because the delegates had failed
earlier in the day to provide means
for liquidating more than half of
$4,000 deficit which faces the C. p.
p. A.
Such terms as "aristocracy of labor"
brought cheers from some delegates,
smiles from the brotherhood men and
outlaws from others
Finally Eugene V. Debs, making his
first political appearance in the con-
ference, took the floor and for an
hour ridiculed the idea of non
partisan partisanship," preached the
doctrine Of class consciousness and
argued for the proposed American
Labor party"
How He Would Divide.
Society is divided into two per-
petually hostile camps, the capitalists
and the workers." he said. I'm the
workers 1 would include every pro-
ducer of the useful, whether indus
trial or agricultural, mental or man.
ual. In the capitalist class l place
only the exploiter and the parasite.
The labor question is essentially
q political question. The exploiters
and parasites know this and they are
in politics, but not as on-partisans.
So we, who represent the great labor
ing class, must get into politics also
as partisans.'
After the Debs speech, Sheppard
again took the floor and moved that
the conference do now adjourn and
that those who desire to organize as
new or third party, meet here to-
night" Hilquitt seconded this and
1t went through without opposition. >
The railroad unions, as such, will
not be represented at the organiza-
tion of the new party" said william
Johnston, head of the machinists
union, and who acted as chairman
both of the Cleveland convention
which indorsed La Toilette and of
today's gathering.
Speaks Only ms Individual.
II shall, however, be present for
personally ] favor new political
alignment In saying that 1 am not
speaking as president of a labor
union, but only as an individual i
have no authority to bind our union
to any political course whatever"
speech that brought cheers from
almost every section of the conven-
tion except that occupied by the
brotherhood men came from Mrs,
Tex She started with a declaration
that she was "humiliated because the
first action of this convention was
the introduction of a negative reso-
luton"
IF the aristocracy of labor leaves
u.s." she declared between the wells
that her sailies evoked, I'VE shall
miss them, but we shall carry on new
ertheless. This Is the zero hour and
we are going ove4 the top now. Those
who bring in their negative resoIu-
ions can stick in the mud In the
trenches II they SO desire"
Defines Unions Stand.
David b. Robertson, president .,
the Locomotive Enginemen and Fire
men, summed up the case for the
brotherhood by declaring they were
going to confiae themselves ito for
warding the welfare of the workers
of the United States and Canada"
we affiliated with the conference
for progressive action because 1t was
non partisan. We will not go fur.
ther," he said. adding that by their
-partisanship the unions of this
country had accomplished more for
their members than had the labor or
ganizations of England, despite the
latters political victories.
I'VE wish to maintain the c. p. p.
A. now because In very large de-
gree we have maintained 1t in the
past" he said. "If some of these
other organisations and groups had
contributed half Is much as have the
railroad brotherhoods, there would
be a surplus in the treasury today
instead of deficit.''
Wife Asks Divorce.