The Globe-republican., 1891-02-25
FOR The ro,LEas.

FOR THE T0iLERs.
Address Of President Gompers, Of tn
Of Organized LaboP-The Sef1gElo Foe
Eight Hours
KANSAS CRY, Mo-, Feb. 90.-Samuel
Gompers. president Of the American
federation Of labor, delivered his first
address to the worl<ingmen Of Kansas
City at Turner hall last evening.
Mr.. Gompers was introduced BY
Frank Hall, president Of the industrial
council, and from his address the fol
lowing is extracted:
1T is not more than q decade in tho
history Of this country that men could
meet as we meet here tonight The
right of free assemblage and free
speech in discussion of questions affect
ing the laborer the hours of employ.
ment and the price Of labor, was limited
and the line was drawn at these ques-
tions. From time immemorial there
has been clashing of interests be-
tween employer and employed.
"Under ancient forms of society It be-
came the duty of the employer to look
after the welfare of the wealth pro-
Queer, that his health was good and
that he should not suffer the pangs of
hunger. When steam came to be en-
ployed the limits Of the hampered con-
dition Of trade were broken down. Il
was the third estate that broke the
shackels from enslaved labor. Under
the feudal system their banner was free
labor, free competition. Under the
old era men were compelled to
work. Under the new era it Is
claimed they can work or not as they
please. It is true that they can cease
to work, but it is an untruth to say they
can work when they please. Hundreds
of men are walking the streets looking
anxiously for work but can find none to
do. From the transition from the feudal
system to the free the result is that tho
wealth possessers are relieved Of look
ing after their employed.
1.-THE fact which seems to mo to stand
out to the human heart is tho crime
against the young and innocent chill
dren.
II think it damnable; blot upon our
escutcheon that children instead Of
storing up the food of useful knowledge
must be dragged into the factory or the
mine to have their blood and sinew used
as lubricator for the manufacture of
wealth.
"You should see to it that the young
and innocent children should be pro-
tected from the contemplate greed Of
unfair corporations as well as from the
selfishness of their own parents. lap
peal to You to have your own state law
so that no child may be en-
ployed in factory, mine or workshop
under IA years of aga
sour organizations to-day are not
protective but aggressive, not only de-
fensive but offensive. It won't do any
more to tell us our condition is better
than our forefathers. Never will organ
lied labor be satisfied until it receives
more of the products of that labor.
''There is a fable that q man once
owned donkey which was allowed to
Craze as far as the cord with which it
was tethered would permit Let it out
a foot said the donkey one day to its
owner, for have developed a wonder
full appetite why. your father said
the irate owner, was satisfied with
the rope I have given you
But don't you know sagely replied
the poor donkey. that my father was
an ass
$50 it is with the wagewDrkers who
are not content with what they have
to-day. We want more now. Next
week we shall want more, and continu-
lily more. Do they want us to lie down
and have them trample on rs? Do they
want us, after being the busy bee, to
cave the honey 50 that the modern
lrones of society may suck the honey
It their ease. We shall look the en-
oloyers in the face. and claim that we
have rights which we will compel them
10 respect.
''The first consideration in the strug-
gle for the wagelaborer is organization,
positive unequivocal organization
nave been a wagelaborer from my tenth
md a half year. When was IA joined
he union of my trade. I have never
been outside of that union since. hold
,ard No. in the Cigarmakers' inter
national union. have worked at my
;rade for twenty-five years out Of
ny forty-one. In creed, in national
ty, in politics, 1 am a work.
and as far as parties are
say a plague on all of them.
think that the farmers are doing ex-
actly as they should do. I sympathize
with the farmer. I see how fearfnllv
ne has been ground down. Our organ
cations are not committed to parties or
% men. Well snow all the parties un- |
Ter unless they stand straight on the
questions Of labor. The rules that are
enacted in our organizations, which
control our conduct in the workshop,
ire more important to the workingman
than all the laws passed at Washington,
Jefferson City or Kansas City.
1.-THE workingman's vote is said to be
purchasable- It is not purchasable,
but the DOOR fellow in RAGS who ekes