The New York Times/1916/11/22/Labor Armies Join for Railroad Fight
LABOR ARMIES JOIN FOR RAILROAD FIGHT
Federationists Cheer Brotherhood Men and Leaders Prepare for Future Co-operation.
8-HOUR DAY THE GOAL
“Must Hang Together or Separately,” Lee Declares—Gompers Warns Men of Wealth.
BALTIMORE, Nov. 21.—Efforts to effect an affiliation between the American Federation of Labor and the four big railroad brotherhoods received a decided impetus today, when the federation convention here enthusiastically received speeches by the representatives of the brotherhoods and President Gompers of the federation favoring such action.
Encouraged by the friendly reception of the plan, the leaders of the two organizations tonight were preparing for better working conditions, particularly for railroad workers of all classes, and against all compulsory arbitration measures, just as if an official affiliation had been perfected.
Both sides hope that they will be able to gain much, particularly in the way of favorable legislation during the coming session of Congress and in preventing the breaking down of present favorable labor laws, by presenting a united front. They believe, too, that official affiliation only awaits certain formal steps to be taken by the brotherhoods at their next convention, to be held next year.
Other than to say that they would oppose all compulsory arbitration bills in Congress, the speakers were rather indefinite today as to what they expected to do for the great mass of railway workers. Federation leaders, however, said frankly that the primary object of the proposed affiliation was to bring about a universal eight-hour day.
Brotherhood leaders left here after the meeting undetermined as to what their next step would be. If they should decide to call a strike because the railroads do not put the Adamson law into effect on Jan. 1, they probably will ask a conference with federation officials. They also will seek conferences, it is believed, if the present injunction suits of the railroads are successful.
Joint Action Planned.
The only definite plan the leaders of the two organizations now have is to confer immediately upon the presentation of any proposed compulsory arbitration bill in Congress, or any other bills which they believe will prove detrimental to their mutual interests.
No conferences followed the meeting today. Shortly after the speakers had addressed the convention all of the brotherhood representatives left here for various cities. William G. Lee, Warren S. Stone, and L. E. Sheppard of the trainmen, engineers, and conductors, respectively, returned to Washington, whence they came by motor early today, and W. S. Carter of the firemen went to New York.
Mr. Lee, who made the chief address to the convention, sought to make it plain that the brotherhoods were not coming to the federation to obtain help specifically for their fight against the railroads over the Adamson eight-hour-day law. He said that the brotherhoods were willing to assume all responsibility in that struggle, but he held that the time had come when it was to the interest of all railroad workers to unite for their mutual advantage.
“We must hang together, or we will hang separately,” he shouted amid great applause. Continuing, Mr. Lee said:
“I am about anarchist enough, to say that we are going to work for the eight-hour day for all classes. If we can’t get it peaceably, we will fight for it.”
Mr. Lee said that some sort of affiliation should be effected to fight any proposed arbitration legislation which might be unfair to labor. President Wilson planned such legislation, Mr. Lee said, and it should be carefully watched. Congress had no right, he said, to pass any law compelling a man to work, provided he was not in prison, if he did not want to and Mr. Lee did not think it would do so.
Praises the President.
Prolonged cheering followed praise of President Wilson by Mr. Lee.
“It took more courage,” he said, “for him to write across the front pages of the newspapers of this country that he was for an eight-hour work day than it would have taken for him to have written that this country was at war with Mexico.
“Our principal object now is to help the President and the men in both branches of Congress to make good their promises to us. I believe they will do it.”
“I know that a large percentage of our members,” Mr. Lee continued, “will be glad to know that we have been here and spoken to you today. It is absolutely necessary for us who are organized to get together and I say that we shall go to the limit to obtain better conditions, particularly for men on lines that the railroads now will not permit to organize. We will not strike, or go out to help them, but we will use our best efforts to obtain better conditions for them.”
Mr. Lee paid his respects to the “Wall Street crowd,” and said that now that an election had been won without the assistance of New York, Indiana, or Illinois, labor should not fail to retain its power thus gained. Mr. Lee reviewed the conferences which led to the enactment of the Adamson eight-hour day law in September, and charged the railroad heads with playing unfairly with the President at that time. The brotherhoods, he said, had no desire that the Adamson bill be enacted into law, but, inasmuch as it had become a law, they were trying to live up to it.
W. S. Carter, President of the Brotherhood of Railway Firemen and Enginemen, addressing the convention, said that the danger that confronted all working people today was the “coercion or subornation of the public press by the master class.”
“The coming of the penny paper,” he added, “has done more than anything else to place the press under the domination of advertisers. Unfortunately, labor has but little to do with advertising; practically all the advertisements come from the master class.”
Mr. Carter declared that when the railroad brotherhoods began the eight-hour movement a year ago, “a few men in New York City who direct the affairs of all the railroads” undertook one of the greatest publicity campaigns the world ever has witnessed.
“I have positive evidence from one of the leading advertising agencies,” Mr. Carter said, “that provision was made to advertise in 3,000 daily and 14,000 weekly papers. Think of it—many millions of dollars’ worth of advertising to prejudice the public against the brotherhoods.”
Gompers Promises Support.
President Gompers, in the course of his remarks, said:
“We expect that the railroad brotherhoods will on Jan. 1 inaugurate the eight-hour work day, and I think I can truly say to you that whatever arises, whatever betides, you have the undivided support of the organized workingmen and women as represented by the American Federation of Labor.”
“When the money power of the United States failed in the attempt to corrupt the electorate, and when their plans were upset by the votes of the citizenship of the United States, the capitalists showed their colors. They met and gave out a declaration that they were going to antagonize every effort put forth by organized labor.
“But men of wealth, I say to you, be careful how far you go. There is a limit even to human endurance. You throw down the gauntlet and we accept the challenge. When the time comes, it will be another case of ‘lay on MacDuff and damned be he who first cries enough.’”
At the conclusion of his address, Mr. Gompers was overcome by his emotions, and was obliged to retire to an anteroom, where he lay down for fifteen minutes. He afterward returned to the platform.
Supports Injunction Report.
Andrew Furuseth of the International Seamen’s Union of America, Chairman of the committee which recommended yesterday that organized labor disregard injunctions based on the dictum that labor is property, told the convention today that the recommendation was “not a joke,” as some seemed inclined to regard it.
“Every word written in that recommendation was meant,” he said, “and if any member of the federation is not willing to take the consequences of disregarding such injunctions, the sooner he gets out the better.”
This statement was brought out during discussion of a resolution which Mr. Furuseth’s committee had recommended should be referred to the Executive Council for consideration. The resolution provided for the establishment of a central bureau for all legal matters affecting the interests of labor. One delegate argued for the immediate passage of the resolution on the ground that, if the recommendation that the convention adopted yesterday was obeyed, many federationists would need legal assistance to get them out of prison. It was then Mr. Furuseth insisted upon a literal application of the clause in the injunction recommendation, “let the consequences be what they may.” The legal department resolution, by vote of the convention, was referred to the Committee on Laws for immediate consideration and a report before adjournment of the convention.