Telegram-herald., 1888-02-24
GOMPERS' ADDRESS
ADVANTAGES or TRADES UNIONS
fhs rresideat sf tks American fsdsrs-
fies ~ TEasos Discusses tas Labor
PEobtent- " orklkg gna ga Urged
ts org4nizs for PFsteegloE.


large audience sSs gathered in Ths
Wonderland theatre lssl evening. 10 listen
10 the address OF President GOmpers Of the
American Federation Of Trades. The
speaker vas introduced by Andrew Schsfsr,
whD made brief address Sir. Gompe-s
after pointing cat some Of the instances OF
il astioe in tAe condition Of the working
e.sses. as compared with their smsloye-s
si'adsd 10 the treatment of oTones By the
" orkers among sses. he would not urge the
Angling TO death Of the psopie wno pro-
luce nothing but would compel them 20
work or 20 without eating. There should
be more honey for those who Isake II. 2nG
less for those who DO not help make il.
The tendency Of the employing class Is
to curtaii the privileges ef TIE working
class. Ia speaking OF the employing class,
the class as whole must be considered.
and not individual and exceptional in
stances. The employers take il for granted
that when their own wants are satisfied
those OF their employees are satisfied. Tie
nsn who can control the stomacAs OF men
can control also their votes.
The condition OF the womsn-workers had
been found 70 be such as 10 bring = blush
OF shame % the civilization Of this country.
| The Song OF the Shirt" fails 10 describe the
actual condition Of the WORKING women.
Rules we're enforced By the employers OF
women more inexelable than in our p-is-
| ons.
But the working peopls have their des-
| tiny IN their own hands and are deserving
OF little sympathy; put not so with the
| children which are dragged 10 work In
| snops where. often, the arms Of machinery
| seems TO reach out and clutch after the
| limbs of the children and tear them from
| their bodies. These children who are to be
| our future citizens. the protectors OF our
Government, but they are deprived of the
l privileges OF education. Many q working
man thinks he is doing q good thing.
| Don't you know that the R an who EN-.
ploys the child employs il because he can
make it do the work of q man aud does not
have 10 pay 80 much for its services; and
thus 1T sometimes bsppsns that the en-
pl.y ment of the child leads to the DISCHARGE
of the father. The child should not be put
10 work until al least IA years of age.
Not often do the psople of one country
become angry at these Of another. Wars
are fought because OF the interests Of the
men who speculate out of mems lives
The speaker would work out ref8I ms By
| practical methods, Dy gradual means. not
by a sudden effort. The employing class
all tell workingmen who form unions that
| the law Of supply and demand is absolute.
and that anyone who attempts to interfere
| with it will get hurt. Bat what do the cap
italists? They combine TO torn exchanges
and trusts. Now coal could be produce1 so
that il could be sold at from $I75 to $3.50 q
ton anywhere in this country. But the cor
porations combine are not afraid of being
hurt when they interiors with the law oi
| supply and demand The lesson i.
that workingmen should organize TO con-
troll the prizes of labor. Wild horses, some
times, TO defend themselves from wild
beasts put their neads together, and wheE
q beast approaches they kick numerically
This was what the working men ought 10
do. What they actually do is to put their
heads outside and kick each other
| One OF the most desirable of reforms is
the reduction of the hours OF labor
Men who work long hours have
no chance to improve themselves
they present q more deplorable appearance
than those who work fewer hours The
man who goes early 10 work and returns
late doesn't care about his appearance. H.
hasn't the time to think of bis appearance
, Ask MIN almost any question OF the char
acter ana condition oil the Government ol
I about politics, and he cannot tell you. Th,
| men who work the fewest hours get th,
j
4 because they have time to think. The pres.
has sometimes asserted VIXEN woTkinsmer
asked shorter hours that they wanted NOR,
| time to spend In the saloons. 1t could b.
| proved that the hours of labor bav'
been reduced, the men who heE
| enjoyed the reduction have become NOR,
sober. The habits of the people should b.
i'm proved, but they cannot be improved
| while their time is taken up by work. 81
long as there is q man or woman who want,
work and cannot gel it, the hours of labo
are too long.
4 reduction of hours cannot be reduced
with organized effort Ii every man ii
Grand Rapids should try oy himself to rol
| over big stone they could not do Ii, bu
| let ten OF them unite and lift together aud
tney would roll the stone. smal
force OF police could scatter a mol
Of ten thousand, because every 20
iiceman knows what every othe
man will DO. The best method OF orgsniza
ticn is that OF trades unions-aud skil il
organization pays better thsn skill in labor
AS to strikes. the speaker said tast hl
was not in favor OF them, but he asked 4
ne excused from denouRcing thsm. II ID
working people once deciaed never TO strike
the employers would do ali the striking 70
them. He believed in being prepared 10
| strikes bv a well filled treasury 70 mginfair
a strike if one comes. Those unions whicI
have the best filled treasures have leas
occasion to strike. To TAX Of arbitration
when one party is Al the nero
Of the other is absurd. Ton mus
be in position to defend yoursel
before you can arliirats SUCCESSFULLY. Th'
| trades unions did not want - have SOM
one order them 70 strike or order them bac
70 work. They vsnt chance 70 vots or
that subject themselves They don't wan
70 make ged OF any one rnsu.
In conclusion the speaker spoke ~ th
alTznfeee. Of the trades unions eys.sm
| He believed in democracy rather than 4
sTiSt OcTacv. There vas Dow tide whic
shonld be taken Advantage al. and il w0ul
lead to the emancipation ofisbor.