The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-19

GOMPERs AND LUsIx LOCKED HORNS
OVER ARBITRATION.
New Zea1ander Made the American
Angry, and He Left the HalI-Oth-
er Speakers of the Day.

CHICAGO, Dec. 1S.-The conference on
arbitration and conciIiation, which passed
into industrial history with its adjourn
ment tonight, was enlivened during the
day by a debate between Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation of
Labor. and Hugh H. Lusk, ex-member of
Parliament of New Zealand. The venerable
New Zealander. during the forenoon, turned
aside from his prepared address to ex-
press displeasure at a declaration made
by Gompers in his address last night. The
labor leader on the occasion mentioned
asserted that he wanted to see labor or
CARNATIONS retain the privilege of striking
when they pleased. why they pleased or
merely because they pleased. THAT is not
liberty" cried Mr.. Lusk. ut is license"
AT this moment Mr.. Gompers entered.
the speaker proceeded: "Mr. Gompers
wants Cancellation and he says you can
never have any counciliation unless you
are ready to cut one another's throats.
Well. if that is the unfortunate condition
of the people Of America. L am sorry for
them. We are not so anxious to cut one
another's Threats where / came from. l
wish Mr.. Gompers had taken the trouble
to find out our compulsory arbitra-
ton law is before he told you about it.
but as he has not L am obliged to do it for
him."
During the afternoon Mr.. Gompers Sc
cured the stage and reiterated his as
sertions of the night previous. 1--WE do
not" he declared, clutch each others
threats unnecessarily, but l would rather
have the right TO clutch at a mans throat
tc have my arms amputated. The COM
pulsory labor law is equivalent to the am
putation referred to. L want labor to
have the strength of a giant. but to use
that strength gently
Following this two speeches were sand
wiched in, and then Mr.. Lusk again Sc
cured the floor. He explained at length
New Zealand, generally talking straight al
the labor president.
You're cut my. arms off in your coun-
try said Mr.. Gompers, speaking from
his seat.
If you were good we wouldn't ampu-
tate you arms" replied the New Zealand
er, but we might enlarge your head"
A lively exchange of questions and an
swerS which bewiidered the audience fol-
lowed. Mr.. Lusk explained that during the
hearing of a dispute between employer and
his unrecognized employees neither side
could, under penalty, change the condi-
bitration court. The hearing, during which
neither side had the right TO independent
action. generally lasted about a month.
I'D rather be at swords points in
America, In independent, than to surrender
my right to strike for one minute
shouted Mr.. Gompers. And with that he
left the hall.
Aside from the skirmishes between these
two men, and they took up considerable
time, there were numerous speeches, all
favoring voluntary arbitration. Even Mr..
Lusk declared that America was not ready
for compulsory arbitration. The principal
CNlQ Gorc NNorran a Rood nhairnn a n
of the Massachusetts Arbitration Board;
G.. W.. French, vice president of the Re-
public Iron and Steel Company; D.. ID. Will
son, vice president of the Internationa
Machinists; j. NJ. stahl. vice president OF
the Farmers National Congress; X. 5.
Taylor and Chauncy III. Castle; Edgar A
Gard, of the Glass Bottle lower execu-
tive board; Frederick =. Bagley, of the
Marble Manufacturers Associations; Frank
Buchanan, president of the Bridge and
Structural Iron Workers., and Benjamin
Ide Wheeler, president of the University
At the evening session the committee on
resolutions submitted its report. The
resolutions recognize the fact that COM
pulsory arbitration-aside from all other
objections urged against it's not at this
time a question of practical industrial re-
form, and that such systems as are now in
vogue do not seem TO fully meet the re-
quirements of the different interests"
The resolutions further recommend that
the presiding officer of the conference APP
point a committee to serve for one year, to
be composed of six representatives of the
employer class and six of the employee
class, to be selected as nearly as consistent
from the different sections of the country
for the purpose of formulating some plan
of action looking for the establishment of d
general system of Cancellation that vii
promote industrial peace. The report was
adopted
AT the night session ]. w Vancleave
vice president of the Bucks Stove Manufac
turing Company, of st. Louis. read a pa
per, in which he advocated a national com.
pulsory law for arbitration, as a neces
sity for the settlement of Industrial dis.
putes. AS suitable member of a committed
to draft such a law Mr.. Vancleave sug-
gested ex-President Benjamin Harrison
Gen. j. III. Gordon and Gen. Wade Hamp'
ton; or if a senatorial m be re-
quested, he named Senators Cockrell, Of
Missouri; Frye, of Maine. and Daniel, OF
Virginia. Mr.. Vancleave charged that the
existing federal and state laws are entirely
Inadequate to meet the questions arising
between capital and labor. Other speaker:
were Martin Fox, president of the Iror
Molders, and Grand Master F.. p. Sargent
of the Locomotive Firemen. The confer
ence then adjourned without day.