New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
,1p GOMPERS TESTIFIES.
PRESENTS HIS VIEWS TO THE Ma
r1oNAL LABOR COMMISSION.
THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABol
prF1,sED TO sTRIKE-CoMPULsoRY AR
FILTRATION CONDEMNED.

prr1,sED TO STRIKE-COMPULSORY AR
FILTRATION CONDEMNED.
z,,.oco Aug @.-Presdent Debs. Of the
.-,can Railway Union, recalled at the
H,,r,nr of to-days session of the National
- commission He produced a letter sub
,,a,ing his statement that the now famous
",oss,on save your money and buy
' - was not his. but that of his stenog
e 1 l.. p Benedict and used by the lat
r,v in a spirit OF badlnage. The letter declares
". the expression was a common one in the
' me- AT Butte Mont, from which Mr.. Benedict
came. 49,,
ri. n lie up the commerce OF the country in
"~sar % obtain redress for comparatively small
body of men,?
us repied THAT depends. For a small griev-
do not think II would be unsuitable; for
.a affecting large number OF men, i think 1t
would be-"
.po you think a railroad company would be
,rstfable in tying Up commerce in order to re-
s,. a demand made on one road?"
rrou that is the way the general managers do
the thing. 49,,
u,oo,ion which suggests that labor and capital
.oh he required to file a bond, TO be forfeited in
80 =, a refusal 20 submit any question to arbi-
-, TIE witness did not like the plan. He
ia No was opposed 10 anything like compulsory
: -S,,,a,ion. President Debs said he had no per-
,oaI knowledge Of a blacklist.
m then devoted his attention to denying state
ants maze by General Manager St John. first
a,ns hat there were only 200 members of the
ID T. on the Rock Island system.
samuel Gompers president Of the American Fed
...,,on Il Labor next took the stand. He said
go membership of the order was $4,000 Mr. Com
- to1 In detail about the meeting at the Briggs
House at which action was taken on the A r. L.
strike. -
.W, decided at this meeting said Mr.. Com
chat since the Prime Minister of England
"a deemed II expedient to use the great power of
r,r,nd 10 end the coal strike, II would not be be-
ab the dignity OF the President Of the United
Gees 10 take some action in this unhappy crisis.
w. this end we teegraphed him, asking him either
a. come 10 Chicago send representative. To
,,s telegram the President did not degn to reply.
r,a American Federation of Labor deemed it mex
,.disnt AT this time to recommend a strike
NJ Compers read an address to the public ex-
,a,r,ng why the organization OF which he is pres
asn, refused 10 order strike. He referred to the
,oun Of Pullman as "Pullman's Pharasaical para
disc"
90, would be very difficult thing for the Amer
tan Federation of Labor 10 declare strike" con-
,,nued Mr.. Gompers we could only do 1t in some
matter OF general interest, such. for instance as
the establishment OF an eight-hour day"
When asked whether he thought strike justih-
able al any time, Mr. Gompers said: Il believe
that labor has the right all times to better its
condition. II commerce or industry is incidentally
nsraiv.ed IL Is not the fault of labor but of the
Corporations which refuse to grant It's just or rea-
Wb.n asked how he would solve labor problems
Mr. iompers said so long as the present , CON con,
in this general denunciation Of strikes re.
cara the strike as the protest OF labor against
Seirg bound in slavery. But for the strike, labor
void never have been given second thought
except for the amount Of work II can produce
Wntten down TO be. Labor statistics demonstrate
that majority of strikes are won The reports IN
hat State have been gained by the strikers Some
tine ago out requests for reports on strikes
Federation Of Labor. These reports show that 80
cent Of the The rS S7 sss cs vs per when
strikes are lost they have their good effect. Ihey
show employers that if they attempt 70 PdsH Mill ar
least prove very expensive The fact that this
honorable commission was called 10 meet h sn4"s
beneficial effect. 1t at least called the afternoon
q the public to the grievance, Of ssS%a nave
been called during the strike instead Of , aier AMT
D Mr Goinpers stated that the Brothsrhood Of q
The American Federation of Labor and he i be
heved that the other railroad organizations ~o"'d
soon tbink the Government ownership of railroads
practicable If the ,b3He hnt it has frequently,
aona-it can certainly operate rallroad "hicn n, =
not bankrupt But do not believe any Tr pare are
Jus, like other persons they will always ask fot
more no matter how much they are getuhs. "a
man earning 81 a day will be satisfied for wnl ms
with 81 10 day man who earns 70 ce eay VI" he
viii want s. % or g 80 a day. II ne earns 49,
year he will want. an increase OF Mu r,b a year.
and N he gets $4,000 he Will want the earth -,
Nr Gompers presented many objections 70 arpi-
traton He under no circumstances iavo,eu nv
nusorv arbitration. In regard to in)uncuons "
courts Mr. Ciompers thought the courts OFTEN fiaue
law where the statutes were silent Ihe1e ~, ~.
laws were aftervard called precedents. In thls
way an Injustice will sometimes Work on me ,soI
ing classes by the courts. The witness thoukm,, s
law should rather conform TO present co"o'''
than present conditions to the law ,.o,.a
When he had finished the Commission adJour"eu