Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-06

nation of Europe rising out OF wars
havoc.
In 1872 the labor union formed the
National Labor and Reform party, al
lied with the Greenback party. BY
1878 the movement had grown so strong
as to poll 100000 presidential votes,
but the following year G879) the coun-,
try resumed specie payments"-began'
paying off her promises to pay with
gold instead Of more paper promises,
and so sound was the prosperity fol-
lowing this resumption of good ma
tional credit that the GreenbackL Labor
party was faced with a tangible rebuke
for its prediction Of calamity, and by
1884 the party poled only l75,000 votes
and ceased to function thereafter.
There had been another labor or
ganizatiOn which started in 1869,
known as the Knights of Labor, but it
did not amount to much before 1886.
when it rather suddenly rose to men,
bership of 100000 under the leadership
of Henry George. 1t stood for educa-
| ton, the cooperation of producers and
the organization of all trades into lone
big union" 1t again made the blunder
of tying up its fortunes in partisan poll
tics, and at its height Of influence it
was superseded in 1885 by the forma-
ton of the American Federation of
Labor, comprising trade unions, mostly
of skilled laborerS, determined to keep
aloOf from party politics SO as to invite
the sympathy of wage earners generally
regardless of their party views or other
affiliations. The objective aimed at was
! to improve wages, shorten hours and
maintain collective bargaining
| This organization, from the first, was
| -, tn, l.
the strongest opponent of communiStc
theories of NietzSche and his successors
of Russia. In its manifesto, issued by
| the second convention it declared that
the A. F.. OF l.. flooks to the organza-
ton Of the working classes as workers,
and not as politicians.
While, as body, the A. T.. Of l..
opposed socialism, the Socialists began
| from the first TO seek its control by
| Systematically electng SOcialistic rep
reSentatiVeS to the A. F. of l.. conven-
/ tons. In 1893-the beginning of the
great panic of Bryan's free-silver agi-
| tation--this socalistic element urged
| the adoption of a platform of A. F.
of l.. doctrines demanding the eight
| hour day, etc, but also the municipal
| ownership of public utilities. and even
| the collective ownership by the peo-
| pie of all means Of production and
! distribution"
This Specialization of the American
! Federation of Labor was bitterly fought
| by President Samuel Gompers, but was
| Endorsed by a majority of trade unions.
| So bitter was the fight that in 1894
! President Gompers, who had been in
, office ever since the formation of the
organization, was defeated for re-elec-
| ton, although reaction and sanity re-
turned within one year. and he was
then reinStated and so remained up to
| his death.
In 1906 the federation issued a docu-
ment entitled "Labor'S Bill of Griev-
! ances," with eight pankS, chief of
which was a demand for restraint of
, the use of court inJunctions to curb
| strikes That remains to this day the
most insiStent clause of labor'S de-
mandS, At the same time, 1906, the
new constitution of the federation con-
! tanned declaration forbidding party
politics TO have part in any federation
convention. although the report at that
| 1906 convention, made by the COM
mittee on political policy, stated, I'VE
will stand by our friends and admin
lister singing rebuke TO men or
parties who are either indifferent,
negligent or hostile. and, whenever OPP
! portunity affords, secure the election
of intelligent, honest earnest trade
union officials, with unblemished union
cards in their possession"
* i
| Up TO the present there has been no
| official indication as to what the A. F..
F.! Of l.. will do or whom it will support,
/ In the 1873 presidential campaign 1t is
the general policy of its tactlcians to
withhold action until Just before cleo
| ton believing that such will carry more
influence From 1908 to 1920 the Of
tcial support was given to the. Demo-
| cratic party in presidential elections,
but the organization gave only mild
support to Woodrow Wilson In 1912,
stronger in 1916, but opposed the Wilson