Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-15

wrong and the defenders of the right. So long
as man shall be guilty Of wrong against man,
long as wealth shall be useo against
the interests of the wealth producers,
the mission of the labor organizations mas not
been fulfilled They are the protectors of the
waCewurkers They are their school. their de-
tenders; and although the charge is made that
we breed discomfort, we DO not deny IT,
Just What They Do Breed.
ave do not breed discomfort with Justice.
right or the institutions of the country, but
with Injustice, corruption and the attempts to
drive the waGeworkers down and the attempt
10 rob them of their right and liberty.
''Conrentment Is one of the greatest tyrants
the world ever produced. The Gar OF Russia
once declared that there was peace at Warsaw;
but it was at the point of the bayonet and the
mouth of the cannon. We want peace, but 1t
must be based upon an improved condition
brought about by the masses
We are also charged with breeding dissatis-
faction. To this ! also plead guilty. Uaughter.)
We have never yet had enough TO satisfy us.
Labor Is the creator of all the wealth OF the
world. and possession and capital are nothing
less than the stored up labor of past ages, We
are told thatwe are better off than our grand
fathers were; that we receive more than last
wear.
1--WE answer that we want more. and we will
want Still more tomorrow, and more and more
until we have received the full product OF our
labor. You can measure 4 mans wants by the
position he occupies in life Take man that
earns 81 a dav and he is satisfied with 10 cents
of an advance. Aman who gets So wants about
50 cents more The man who gets $1,000 wants
about $500 of an Increase, while the man who
has millions wants all he can get his hands on.
He wants the earth. Applause and laughter.)
Reading the Signs of the Times.
- think I can read the signs of the times,
and thev are that the wage-workers have about
made up their minds to receive more. and there
is no necessity TO dress up our demands in
words that viii seem ambiguous.
The organizations of labor are charged with
continually fOmentinC strikes. To those who
are uuinitiated. to those who are not educated.
and who will not take the time to read, want
10 say that from my boyhood / have been an
opponent Of strikes. Ihave compared the strikes
of the organized against the unorganlZed
and have found that where labor is morgan
lied in modern society, there are the greatest
number of strikes: and wherever the working
people are organized, after they have given the
EMPLOYERS a demonstration that they are well
Organized, the number of strikes diminish
Mr. GOmpers here related some of the diff
culties representatives of labor encounter when
dealing with employers. The latter often re-
luse to confer with them because the agent
represents the union and not his employees. 10
overcome tins. Mr. Gompers would have the
employer impressed with the idea that the
union represents his people, and sometimes this
has 10 be done by practical demonstration,
which his audience inferred was by striking.
Ideas on the Subject of Strikes.
This brought the speaker to the subject of
strikes which was dwelt upon at some length.
He said the Federation of Labor proposed to
reduce the number of strikes to minimum by
preparing for them. The better prepared
wage-woTkers are for strikes" said he, 1.-THE
less they will have to indulge in that costly
luxury But we will not denounce strikes
entirely. Whenever we decide never
10 strike the corporatlons will
do the striking for us, by reducing our wages
and increasing our hours of labor. An organi-
hot rdleSS
they Will not strike. reminds me OF an Eastern
military organization that resolved when the
war would break out they would disband. We
are in this war so long as there is a wrong per-
petra;ed-so long as there is right not yet &C
hieved."
When Mr.. Gompers reached the subject of
arbitration. he grew humorous. SAID he:
"Nhen England has dispute with Egypt or
some other weak country, she bOmbards 1t.
When she has trouble with America, she is
willing 10 talk the matter over. When cor
uoration has a dispute with unorganized WORK
ing people 1t says, We have nothing to arbi-
trate' but when they are organized they are
always ready to discuss the difficulty.-zss
de then took up the short day problem from
the time the American Federation began its
agitation, discussing the condition of the
working classes in England as compared with
those of America, and answering the argu-
ments Of the opponents of longer work days.
On tins point he said: Il MAINTAIN tnat If
industrial and commercial progress depend
upon low wages and long hours OF
head of the nations of the world"
He ridiculed the propositions of political
economists and capitalists that when times are
hard, business must be tied up The best mar
ket is when the producers of wealth are largely
the consumers of that wealth, and L urge that
the highest wages should be paid, so they can
give an outlet 20 the overstocked shelves. and
draw the plug that stops the market Reduce
the hours of labor, so that the men
can cultivate taste. Reduce the hours
so that hundreds who are walking the
streets of our cities and towns will have a chance
to consume wealth and produce IL and become
part OF the human family and give renewed
impetus 10 the commerce of the world"
The Coke Region Troubles.
Taking up the recent COX. region difficulties
Mr. Gompers expressed himself in exceedingly
forcible language. He said he had hoped the
eight hour fight of the miners could
have been won without the shedding of blood.
He styled the killing of the men at Morewood
as a ''dastardly outrage" and upon the heads
Of the coke barons of Connellsville rests the
blood of these poor fellows" A voice from
the gallery: ~ on stand upon the same point
that the men did who freed the Southern
slsves''l Mr.. Gompers quickly caught up the
remark and replied: Il have profound re-
spect for the memory of Garrison and Wendell
Phillips. and if / can in any way emulate
in my humble way their deeds shall feel that
I have done some good" prolonged ap-
plause.l
Mr.. Gompers commented on the fact that the
workmen of Connellsville we're arrested "for
striking for bread and butter aud required to
give 81 OJU before the killing while the murder.
ers were only asked for $500 bail after the
trouble" He also referred to the statement
That the men killed were "only Huns" "Th4
operators are responsible for their presence"
said he.
Mr.. Gompers referred to the coming carpen-
ters' strike and the dissensiOn in the ranks of
the men. y know there are hogs that want
10 be roofing all the time and the
only way you can control them is to put a ring
in their noses" This was taken as hint to
those who propose the nine-hour mass meeting
Of carpenters that they are to be called down If
they proceed.
Sorry no Scale Was Selected.
He then took up the miners strike and
deplored the fact that the recent
conference was unable to settle upon the scale.
He said: u hold that the mines can be oper-
aEed for longer period throughout the
season by the adoption of the eight-hour
day. The miners will make their demands
MAY ]. and 1 appeal to the peace
loving people of the country 20 stand by them,
and help the wage workers to be better fed,
better clothed, their children better educated
and civilization advanced
When Mr.. Gompers had finished he was sur
rounded by a host of men anxious to shake his
hand. He leaves today for Philadelphia. He
would not express himself In an interview
the coming strike.
A SUBCOMMITTEE NAMED