The Indianapolis journal., 1896-12-15
PRESIDENTS REPORT.
Mr.. GOmpers on Strikes, UniOntsm and
Politics and Fewer Hours Work.

After the appointment of committees.
President Gompers submitted his annual
report 1t begins:
with the cycle of time has come the
annual gathering of the representatives
of the organized workers OF our country.
We meet here to-day conscious of all the
sadness and all the pathos, as we'll as all
the righteousness. the heroism and the
with which it. is inalienably interwoven:
The wrongs of the workers have not yet
been oblterated nor their rights yet at
country observe with quickened and most
acute sense of the burdens they have TO
bear. Notwithstanding the marvellous prog
ress which should tighten them. We see
our country blossoming forth like rose.
through our handiwork. yet countless
thousands of number with but the
sting of the thorn for their reward or
their consolation. Encircled with the wiz
ard-like instruments, the result OF the
concentrated genius of ages. to produce
the necessities and luxuries of life still
the struggle of life most intense and often
excrutiating. Greed and inhumanity, pro-
yiding they result In acquiring wealth, still
regarded as human attributes of victory
and responsibility, masses or the young and
the innocent may suffer and decay In the
that the end. wealth's possession by the few,
is attained BY all the memories which
bind us to the heroic sacrifices of past
of the battles fought and won and the
wounds received in the battles of our day.
dom for which we strive for all. success
is as sure as that night follows day and
the day follows night: We. the represent
continent may well feel proud of the re-
sponsibility as well as the honor of being
chosen to this congress OF labor TO voice
the toilers, and to devise the plans by
which ultimate victory may be ours
The report says only fair progress can be
reported in the matter of labor legislation
by Congress. On this point Mr.. GomperS
says: aWhen it is borne in mind that
a vast number Of bills are continuously in
private nature. making concessions TO the
one. granting immunity, bestowing privi-
suTprising that much greater success can
not be achieved along the line of labor re-
form legislation. There are too few men,
distinctive labor issues or committed to
labor's interests. Hence the members of
Congress imagine that the special interests
of labor have small need to be considered.
Despite these influences, however, expert
ence has demonstrated that with persist
isiation in the interests of the workers of
our country can be secured. providing we
have at the halls OF legislation our commit
tees who will act regardless of results to
any party or TO any man, looking only To
success along the line of the labor legisla-
on the Industrial situation the report
says: "The present year has witnessed lit
tie Improvement over the two preceding
years. w nlie INDUSTRY ana commerce nave
just about emerged from the panics of
ls9S-95, the changes of improvements have
been very meager- There has not been
that industrial revival looked and hoped
for. and which we had a right to anticipate
after the crisis through which we have
passed. That our panic was not more
acute and did not do more harm than Ii
did is due more to our movement than TO
all other elements and forces combined.
Industrial crises and stagnation results
| from many causes. but particularly from
| the lack of opportunity of the workers to
! consume more largely OF the product of
| their labor. reduction in wages means
| lesser consumption of thess products,
thus rendering the labor Of other workers
Unnecessary. and throwing them out of en-
ployment. The crisis becomes intensified
and prolonged Whatever else the enc
mics OF our movement may urge against Il,
no one can dispute but that the organixa-
| tions Of labor have very largely. II not en-
tirely, prevented great reduction In
wages. which would have otherwise taken
place. Hence the world owes to the trades
union movement a debt Of gratitude which
| 1t can never repay. for the miseries 1t has
prevented and the opportunity that II pre-