Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-11-06

lAAN ~ iHARRA- Tie fNHNtNtlNfs AaNofNa
The formation of labor party based
upon the trade unions aed including
as affiliated Sceuens all other polit-
cal organizations ef a working class
nature
The committee On resolutions rs-
ported thar the resolutions unsi0uhtod-
lN advocated political cooperation
With the socialist and communist par.
ties and Went cut Of its way uojustlY
Il attack the lsfelleIte progressive
movement, movement entirely indie
pendent II the American Federation
Of Labor The resolutions also re
fertcd to the government a. thing
apart from the American people and
as having BEEN hitherto entirely cut
Of their control
President Green opposed the reselu.
tons and favored the report of the
committee. tie compared the succcSss
q of the American labor movement
IN successfully resisting waee rcdues
tions with the acceptance OF wage res
auctions by the British labor move
menL The American labor movement.
he said, relied upon its economic
power TO advance the interests of the
Magc earnerS while in Great Britain
practically all the efforts were con
fined TO attempts 10 gain political
power
"rhe chair would like the opPor-
tanity Of saying just few words up
ON this proposition said President
Green. Il desire 10 say 1t 50 that
thete may be no mistake as tn the at
titude of the president of the Ametls
can Federation ot Labor upon this
subject.
First of all. want 10 say without
reservation that | heartily concur in
tho report of the committee, | am
confident that every delegate Ia at
tendance at this convention Is inspired
b ythe same desire. We aia united
IN so far as our desires are concerned,
We wish to improve the conditions of
Of the tolling masses, raise their
standards. and make men politically
and economically free, 40 that | lay
at the very basis OF all this discussion
"A common desire on the part of all To
achieve the same purpose. We can
honestly ditter as TO means and meth.
ods, and so far as | can preside hon
estly and judicioualy over this CON
yontion | shall, that every ohe IN this
open forum, this great democratic
institution will have the opportunity
10 express his or her opinion.
| "But what has baea the axpsr,.aes
of the labor movement Experience
Is one of the best teachers men have
and our labor movement il founded
squarely and fairly upon the basis OF
experience. There are a great many
men and women who believe that
labor could advance is interests more
rapidly, If you please, through the
formation of an independent political
party, labor party u socialist party,
or call IL what you may, but "A party
that would represent labor. an indie
pendent labor party. Well, We have
respect for the opinions of all those
who firmly and honestly believe that
| through this method the workers could
advance their political and economic
interests, but the great mass of the
working people of America do not
believe that way.
"The delegates In this convention
reflect the sentiment Of the working
people back home, for IL they do not
reflect that sentiment. If they do mol
register the will of the maJority, the
majority will find a way 10 send men
TO this convention who will reject THEN
will and their sentiment.
There are those who extol the
political experiences OF Grent Britain
and they attempt TO persuade the
workers of America 10 follow the eNs
ample of the working people of that
country. We fear very much that
those who offer such advice have not
delyed beneath the surface nor have
they taken into consideration the DIFF
ference ia the social and industrial
life Of Great Britain aA compared to
the social and industrial life of Amerl-
ca They fail 10 take into account
the difference in peoples, the difference
In language, the difference in nation
ality and the difference In the formn-
ton and character of the country.
But even so. what has Great Britain
done through their political party that
Is in advance of what the American
workers have done through their trade
union movement
II read the report Of the president
Of the British Trade Union Congrtas
to the congress recently held al Scafz
boro, England, and the one distressing
note that stood out more prominently
than other distressing notes in thdt
address Was the reference 10 redue-
tons in wages that the British work
ers had suffered amounting 70 mil
lions Of pounds. And this Is In a coun-
try where "A labor party, an indepen-
dent political party has reached It's
highest state of perfection.
II wound indeed despair II in Amer
ica the workers we're forced 10 accept
the reductions IN wages as referred
10 in this report Of the president Of
the British Trades Union Congress.
There YOU can make the comparison,
there YOU can find out the efficacy o.
our movement az compared win the
movement In Great Britain and II We
have succeeded and have held ana are
/ holding our economic strength aud
our wages in a country where We had
IL more practical and successful 70
follow a non-partisan political policy,
a. COMPARED 20 "A country where they
emphasize the optical as above the
economic, then what should the amer
! iran worker %
Another thing. here in America We
tried the non-partisan political pro,
gram that was a very fundamental
policy Of our movement until the last
presidential election. We departed
| from that temporarily and commlttea
ourselveg for the moment at least 10
an independent political policy. Iae
candidate Of that party was tie
-. .nrdilaIn fhaf lablr cOmI.