The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-11
GREAT LABOR LEADER
Samuel Gompers, President
of the American
FEDERATION OF LABOR
Will Speak in Wichita This
Afternoon.

Samuel Gompers OF Washington, D. c.,
president of the American Federation of
Labor, viii arrive this morning from
Hutchinson. Mr.. Gompers is now on a
tour of the west in the interest Of organ
lied labor, and IS delivering addresses on
economic questions in most Of the larger
cities. He has been invited BY Wichita
Central Labor union TO address the people
OF this city, and has accepted and will
speak at the Crawford Grand this after
noon at $3.50 o'clock. No admission VIII
be charged and everybody is invited to
hear him.
The American Federation Of Labor, Of
which Mr.. Gompers is president, is the
largest labor organization the wocld has
ever known, being at this time composed
Of seventy national and international
unions, eighty-three city central unions
and $50 local unions, numbering a mem
bershtp Of over 100000. Mr.. Gompers is
the recognized official of this vast army
Of organized workers and is thorough
student of economic questions, a forceIul
speaker and a brilliant man.
prominent local member Of the Ameri-
can Federation contributes the following
historical information on the subject:
The idea of universal combination Of
the toilers is the logical result Of indus
trial progress. For ages this has been
but a dream; today ii is nearing actual
realization. The emancipation Of the
serfs left laborers free, but weak and
helpless. On the other hand, the rising
class Of employers, the pOssessors OF capi-
tal. were also the possessors Of power.
The full history of England as nation
only begins with the rise Of the artisan
class seeking strength in union over
and over again statutes were passed regu-
lating not only wages, but dress, food,
hours Of labor, limits of travel, etc. These
were legislatively defined for toiers.
vigorous contest early arose between en-
ployens and employed; the former relying
on coercive measures, the latter forced
into voluntary combinations. In fact, It
was the combination Of masters which led
to the combination of workmen. An act
passed under Edward VI provided that
anyone refusing to work at statute prices
should be adjudged a vagabond and
branded with the letter V. If he had the
hardhood to seek escape by fight he was
branded with the letter S, and became
slave for life; if he still resisted his
fate, he was hanged. Artisans and labor
ers convicted for the third time of hav-
ing Joined 'confederaces,' determining
what labor they would or would not do.
had their ears cut off.
Against such arbitrary regulations, and
Notwithstanding such disadvantages, con-
federacies' Of workmen still increased.
And il is a fact now recognized by his
torians that both Englands greatness
and English freedom have resulted in
exact proportion to the success of this re-
sistance. 1t is also an established his
torcal fact that where uniOnism has been
weak wages have been low. BY this COM
bined resistance not only has political and
Industrial despotism been routed and the
area of freedom extended, but the hours
of labor have been reduced in some cases
one-half. With increasing opportunities
TO advantageously contract, with more
hours Of leisure, with a consequent high
er standard Of comfort, the toilers not
only rose in Importance and worth as
citizens, but with broadened vision and
keener intellect, rose above the restrlc-
tons Of single trade 'confederacies' to the
more comprehensive idea of general trade
federation. In this they have but fol-
lowed the line Of all progress sing
social relations, augmenting sympathy,
tnterdependence and fraternity.
Immediately following the late civil
war in the United tates two striking
phases Of industrial history began to as