The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-12

An audience Of 30U, persons, lnctuOinS
many ladies'. were present last evening
at Assembly hall to hear Samuel Com
pers, president Of the American Fedora
ton of Labor The speaker was enthusi-
astically greeted. and for an hour held
the attention of his audience. He spoke
in part as follows:
This is the third time I have had the
pleasure of meeting and addressing an
audience of working men and women in
St Paul. Great changes have been made
since 1 spoke in St. Paul eight years ago..
Changes in our body polite and in the
minds of the people, Today production is
going on faster than ever before in the
history of the world In a country so
favored by nature and natures law, peo-
pied with 100000 Industrious people, 1t
is a sad commentary that there ara mil
lions of men who have not the opportun1-
ty to earn their living. 1t is sad conf
mentary that we still see idle men and
busy children. Children are working In
factories and mills and their lives and
bones ground for the Unsuitable ones who
know no God but the almighty dollar,
A century and a quarter ago our forefa-
independence They gave to the world
new country and great republic Ihoy
said that man was entitled to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. There are
those who contend Jefferson was DEM
agogue. You might as well deny US our
life as to deny us the right to earn our
bread. A man who can work and is will
ing to work should have the opportunity.
In spite of all the wonderful progress ana
production, the man who walks the
streets without home or work IS certain
that life and progress is delusion. what
does any one imagine the conditions
would be if it were not for the benetcent
mower of organized labor? The wage
workers would have not even the faint
right accorded them today II 1t was not
for organized labor. The employing CLASS
have attempted to cut wages at every
nossible opportunity. We produce Wealln
faster than the people have the opportu-
nity to consume it. Merchants nave ire
shelves weighted down. Markets are
hocded and men thrown out OF work on
account of oVerproduction. Some OF those
who sometimes influence not only the en-
nIoving class but the employees, claim
that it is better to accept a reductoh
in wages of 10 or Is per cent When thlS
nroposition is accepted and the men are
H1orl,ino at a reduction of 10 per cent,
then it is suggested by the employing
class that the men work an hour or So
extra a day and make up the reductloh;
BY this plan industry IS 10 oe l t,oS
and the glut Of oyerproductlon releNeu'
80 1ooe+ that Is the argument used.
r. is due TO the trade union movement
+1,o+ oven the period of a panic was less
ecIta than it would have been Inc
+roda unions prevented the storage OF
nroductions and kept wages up.
Much of the evils from which we sur
fer is due to our own negligence, rather
than to the employers. GondltlehS 10
day are such that employers nlpole at
vases and with the result that the nib
t,ireg ooas on along the entire line, and
the result is no one Is lIJ"i0u 00P0 ~
Iaboring man.
There are many employers OF LABOR
who entertain the hope that American
1aboring men, must work FOR. less money
in order that we may compete with the
markets of the world. Our movement
ia founded on safe economic ground, ana
if we cannot advance on this we can
not carry our point. -----; .s.
The attempt is being made :ostens1bly
to ciyilize China, but in reality to sell
tho nroducts of America. If low wages
meant commercial success why then do
we want to sell goods to Cinnamon VINO
work for 6 cents per day? England and
America pay higher wages to labor1ns
men than any other countries in the
world.
If low wages and long hours of labor
mean prosperity then China should stand
as the first country in the world. The
greatest republic is now engaged in war
to kill republic in the Philippines. You
hear the imperialist and expansionist
talk about the civilizing influence Of gov
eminent in the Philippines If a govern
ment by and with the consent Of the
governed is right in the United States
why is it not right in the Philippines?
Scratch the skin of any imperialist or
expansionist and very close under the
skin you will find the dollar mark Of
trade.
Higher wages means the greater
productivity of the worker. An Increase
in wage is never permanent unless it IS
followed by a reduction in the hours Of
labor No greater proposition has ever
been presented to our people than the
one to reduce the hours of labor. The
reduction of the hours of labor does not
mean a curtailment of wealth It
means new inventions, new ideas, new
machinery, and the throwing of physical
labor on the machines. The increase of
juggernaut of chaotic industries. We
WOrKlnSman S wages, dQVdnCenenC OF
the workingman and progress Of
the the workingman is due
to the reduction of the hours of
labor. We are not satisfied with the
past or the present. We want more
for the laboringman The laboringman
is entitled to more, because he is the
HARD TO COMBAT.