Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-12-23
GOMPERS HAS GRIT.
OF THE AMERICAN
FEDERATION OF LABOR
"TaIks Out Loud In Mcetin'" on the Sub
ject OF the Wrongs of the WorkIngman
and the Base Use OF state and Govern
ment Troops .'IIomestead Martyrs"

President Samuel Gompers opened
the twelfth annua. session of tho
American Federation of Labor in In
dependence Hall, Philadelphia. Among
the prominent labor men in the con-
vention besides President Gompers,
Treasurer John II. Lennon, of New
York and Secretary Evans, of New
York, were Samuel Goldwater, repre-
senting the cigarmallers; i. j. Mcguire,
of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners of America; John j. Byron,
Quarrymen's National Union; w. b.
Prescott, of the International Typo
graphical Union; EX-President Weihe,
of the Amalgamated Association of
Iron and Steel Workers and w. A.
Carney, his successor, came in for
share of attention, as did all the men
who are engaged in the Homestead
fight, who occupied seats together.
An address of welcome was delivered
by George Chance, of Typographical
Union No. ., in which in part he said:
sit is said that the blood of the
martyrs was the seed of the church,
1t is possible that through the blood Of
men who died on the banks of the
Monongahela river last July there may
come a realization of the true condi-
ton of affairs, and that the legislation
of the future will be in favor of the
masses rather than for the aggrandize-
ment of the few
President Gompers replied and later
delivered his annual report, portion
of which is, in substance, as follows:
Events have transpired on the field
of labor within the past six months
hi.h hat-n .,rAt,enl ,Ntahli.. a4fnnttnt,
because the incidents connected with
them have been more or less of an UNI
usual character. In each of those
labor struggles the employers, the cor
porations, have SIMPLY made request
and the armed forced of the states and
the United States were at their bid
ding.
At Homestead. where the iron and
steel workers were offered a wholesale
reduction in their wages, an armed
band of rnarauders, sailing under no
flag, owing allegiance to no state or
country land consequently by the law
of all nations considered pirates) was
brought by the corporation to invade
that peaceful town, to overawe and in
timidate its citizens and workers. to
aid in the effort to supplant their labor
by a poorer and demoralized set of
human beings.
In the coal mines of Tennessee.
where the miners were being gradually
but surely supplanted by the labor
of convicts, the miners pleaded in vain
TO the legislature of the state to stop
this nefarious traffic. Instead of hav-
ing their wrongs redressed they were
scorned
At Buffalo $50 switchmen asked to
be relieved from long hours at work
which was made dangerous TO both the
men and the travelling public by the
long and continuous strain. These men
were treated with contempt and
when they attempted to enforce
the law-providing for 10 hour day
in New York state-the troops were
called out and the men treated as
slaves.
At Couer d'Alene the men were given
the choice of greatly reduced wages or
giving their work to the horde of
cheap, foreign contract laborers, and
when they stood for their manhood the
United States sent her troops TO do the
bidding of the mine owners. The com
handing general Of the United States
forces issued an order that any en-
ployer who would operate his mines
with union men would not be allowed
to continue work. a United States
judge issued an order prohibiting the
union miners from holding a meeting
In other words. the constitutional
right of free assemblage had been
violated by United States Judge and a
general of our army declaring and en-
forcing an edict that the employer
shall not carry on his business because
he dare employ union men. ! believe
that an investigation by Congress
should be asked for by us
1t is plainly evident that the militia
of our several states are now never
utilized except for purposes Of ostenta-
tious show or as an element in labor
struggles There is not even n pre-
tense that they should be what they
were originally designed for IAN arm.
ing of the people, citizen soldiery. a
national guard Instead of being the
popular organization in defense of
homes and fresides it has drifted into
machine OF monopolistic expressions
against labor What the toilers need
at this time is 20 answer the bitterness
and vindictiveness of the oppressors
with organization.
Mr.. Gompers urged the restriction of
immigration and the repeal of the
law clOsinp the Worlds Fair on SIM