The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-28

oue man. Their conference at Chicago
was a CHASTITY ceremony. There were
no IDEAS in their heads, and there was
no courage In their hearts. When they
nIEed about the plans of the campaign
FOR next year, and the issues upon which
the fight for the presidency is to be
made they made an exhibition Of their
hopeless condition that would be pltiful
II it we're possible. to feel pity for blun-
derlng Incompetence. ie
We are told that It was the unanl-
nous opinion of the committee that the
Chicago platform of 1888 must be re-
adopted I'm It's entirety" with anti
trust and antl-tmperialist planls added.
The structure and substance of the
Chicago platform Is free silver coinage.
fake that away, and there remains only
gelatInous mass OF sOcIallstlc proto-
plasm that cannot be made to stand
alone from the sustaining framework OF
free silver. But it is perfectly appar-
en-, that the Democratic committeeman
and managers want to poke the free sill
yer issue out OF sight into, the back
ground, where 1t will make no trouble
during the canvass next Year. They
have sense enough to sec that Issue VII!
defeat them II 1t is made prominent.
They have not as yet shown the capac-
ity to formulate any practicable new Is
sues to take It's place.
They ali talk about opposition to the
trusts and to Imperialism. Upon those
subjects their utteranceS ring hollow
and false. There Is no more spirit In
them than there Is In the remarks OF
an Imperfectiy educated parrot. A
musty and repetItIous flavor pcrvades
everything they say about new is-
sues" They do not believe In their
efficacy. They know as well now as they
viii know a year from now that they
cannot restore the Democratic party TO
power and the confidence OF the people
by an assault upon the trusts and upon
the policy Of the administration IN re-
gard to our new possessions. Anu-lm-
perIalIsm, indeed, Is already in Its last
gasp. The elections showed that the
people refused to take any interest In
it The wIplng out of Aguinaldo's lnsur-
rectlon and the endeaVors of our mill
tary authorities in the Philippines to es-
tablish civil government In the cities
ard towns where they have succeeded In
restoring order and obedience to law
viii quite make an end Of the issue, and
OF talk about Il before the candidates
ere nominated.
As for the trusts. 1t has been many
times pointed out that the dlabollcal
cunning OF the monsters in paying high
wages to their men would In a very
large measure Haralyze the campaign
attacks upon them. We are not aware
to which party Mfr. Samuel GomperF be-
longs, or whether he belongs TO either.
but II he Is a Democrat, 1t Is evident
that he Is not In the confidence OF the
present managers Of that Organized
party He appeared as witness be-
fore the Industrial commission ut Wash
Ington. the other day. and gave testi-
mony which Is thus summarized in the
press report:
Speaking OF the union label. Mr.. Com
perS said that there were thlrty-seven
dln$ent organizations now using the
label and that II was growing to PeP-
ulnrlty very rapidly. He defended the
boycott as legal and proper weapon
for the working man holding that what
he had right as an individual to do
he was justified in uniting with others
to do.
Mr. Gompers said that organized labor
viewed trusts simply as their employers.
There had been cases In which the Or
ganization had ben benefited by COM
hlnations Of capital. 1t was too early
TO decide whether men would be more
steadily employed by the trusts than
by other employers He had found that
these combinations have more influence
In securing legislation than had unor-
EanIzed capital,
He took position against co-opern-
tive schemes. saying that experience
had proved that lRborers secured no
greater advantages under them than
under the wage system. He had no
fear Of the future for organized labor,
The condition Of labor was better to-
day than ever before, and he attribut-
ed the Improvement to the Influence OF
organized labor.
Now, coming from the president of the
American Federation of Labor, this tes-
timony must be considered an authors
tative presentation Of the Views Of or
EanIzed labor 1t Ia highly significant
In two respects. In the first place, It
reflects no general opposition to trusts
and combinations Of capital, The work.
lnEmen look upon them simply as their
employers" II they get good wages
and are well treated they have no sentl.
mental. ethical or poliiicO- economic obs
lection to their continued existence. But
II the labor vote cannot be turned
aEaist the trusts. where ARE the votes
10 be found that will elect Mr.. Bryan
on that Issue? Votes must be- gained
that could not he had forzTree silver
Who Is 10 cast them2
The second notable qualify Of Mr.
Gompprs' testimony IL that It exhibits
organized labor ms the greatest OF all
trusts There IL no monster" In the
country q hundredth part ne big and
powerful rs the Crent Federation Of La
hor for which Mr.. GnmperS spoke when
hr appeared before tho industrial com
mission. He even defended IN" boy
colt ns legitimate weapon. What he
had RIGHT as nm individual u do he
was justified IN uniting With others to
DO" he said There If no other presi-
don't NJ trust or combination who
would dare In rreach that doctrine In
n'1In defiance of law II il tho doctrine
~ monopolv In lis oNtreme form. mon
on0lv established md maintained by
the forrlhle suppreFslcn scnmnetltion.
H"N wanif"S'Ir Tin restraint NJ trn'n y
mo hnvcotf II the weapon employed by
labor 10 maintain the supremacy Of the
nr'hn. It's chief usn IL IN DESTROY or
bring N terms concerns that employ
"'0-unlnn lnhNr NornllHts and Pnpu-
N"'s vim probably rot contend that F"-
sort ~ the boycott II any moro defcnsi-
VIC thar secret rebates, cutting nriccs
tho buying nrd closing M rival mills. or
any NJ the other means which the NAM
nrcr' NJ FRUITS employ to kill on com
petition.
Crrnnl7ed labor le not only tho biz
"oyt trust hut II about tho oldest. The
wnro-cnrncrs long AFRO learned the nd-
vnriaFcs NJ combination Their condi-
ton hns hcen Immensely bcitcrcd ny the
'"rmntlor ~ labor unions. Organization
II DerSNn,lv legitimate. vice and saupl
method NJ protecting their interests and