Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-03
PRESIDENT GOMPERS' PAPER.
He Reviews the History of the Struggle
for Better Paw.

loI btIIeT
Perhaps the most noteworthy of these
papers was that of Samuel Gompers, pres
ident. of the American Federation of La
Dor, on "Trades Unions Their Achieve
ments, Methods and Aims" Mr.. Com
pers said the influence of trades unions is
conspicuously shown in England and
France. The growth of French nationality
was due to these labor unions. English
labor laws were exceedingly oppressive.
Scarcely more than a century ago Scotch
miners We're transferred with the mines.
Owned by Their Employers.
They stayed in the pits until their
owners told them to come out, and if they
took employment elsewhere they were
brought back and Aogged as thieves for
having robbed their employers of thei-
labor. The power of the justices to fix
wages continued as late as 1912. Organi-
cations of workmen We're prohibited, and
as late as 1875 no workman could legally
seek for employment outside his own
parish. But restrictive laws and enact
ments to fix wages alwsys fail in the end
and trades unions are now legalized
in Great Britain and their funds protected
by law
no Politics IN Labor Unions
Where people enjoy most liberty trades
unions are most formidable. Political is
sues find the unions barren ground. There
has been a growing conviction that polit-
ical measures cannot satisfy economic de-
mands. In spite of present efforts TO
unite the toilers, both of farm and factory
upon platform of political demands, the
unions as such will not commit them
selves to any sucn programme. Strikes
are not the sole object of unions as many
think. They are but a single manifesto
tation of it, but being public and conspic-
uous, they attract much attention.
Strikes Should BE Avoided.
He believed strikes should be avoided
wherever possible, but denouncing them
will not prevent them. Against unions
are arrayed hosts guarded by special priv
ilege, buttressed by legalized trusts, fed
by streams of legalized monopolies, and
picketed by gangs,of Pinkerton ruffians
The lines formerly formed on religious
and political questions have been largely
obliterated, and the contest is now an in
dustrial one. Unions do not oppose capi-
tai They only regret that capital is 50
hedged in with monOpolistic privilege,
utilized to Cypress, that labor is forced
into seeming opposition for self-protec-
ton.
The Apprenticeship Question.
The third of the papers was on "The Re
lat!ons of Trades Unions to Apprentices
by Professor Edward w. Bemis. of Van
derbilt university, Nashville He said
much of the opposition of the general pub
lie to trades unions grew out of their sup
posed desire TO limit apprentices, yet of
the thirty eight trades unions in the
United States and Canada, with about
50), 000 memb ers, from which returns have
been received, only eighteen, with some
103, COO members, report any rules for such
limitation. Eight, with 5000 members,
report very poor success in enforcing
their rules. Five others, 1885, 900 members,
report restrictions in some locals, but not
in the national body
Only Necessary in n Few Trades.
The whole tendency of modern business
methods toward destroying the entire ap-
prentice system is too strong to be resist
ed. Trades are subdivided and machinery
is constantly superseding handicraft.
Once it took seven years to learn trade,
but seven weeks is the modern allowance
In the few trades, as printing. molding,
glass-working, hatmaking, and some
building trades where good workmanship
demands thorough apprenticeship, the
unions do not interfere. But few unions
restrict the number of apprentices and
they do it to compel skilled workmen and
TO keep up wages by lessening the supply
The habit of restriction logically leads to
the restriction of immigration which
many economists advocate.
&nTSr s SCR aS "