The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-07-20

try Is helping this, The workingmen
individually are doing well. and, as is
generally the case, prosperity breeds
aspirations. Doing well, they desire to
do better. Their thoughts turn to the
trade unions. Those who have been
delinquent pay up, and those who have
been outside come into membership.
For these and perhaps other reasons
the unions are recruiting as never
before. IT. +@
.'fhe suggestion is made that the
monopoly trust should be met with la
bor trust. The implication is that some
new kind of an organisation Of work.
men should be formed. desire to say
that whatever action the workers want
to take to protect or promote their in
terests can best be taken through the
American Federation OF Labor.
This. It seems to me. is better suited
to their purposes than any other form
Of organization that could be conceived.
In the first place, there is no limit to
Its freedom Of action. It's members
merely have to determine their course
and then act. Then there are twenty
years of experience in building up the
American Federation of Labor. That
experience is too valuable to be thrust
aside by the formation Of a new organ
ization. If such new body is to be
formed on the old lines, then it will be
an attempt to form anew what we al
ready have. II, on the other hand, the
proposal be to strike out on new lines,
that can with least effort be done by
the existing organization.
But first to be considered is the ques-
ton Of Justice. Labor must be right In
Its demands. It must possess might to
enforce the right, but it must be right
IN order to appeal successfully to public
opinion, which, outside of the strength
OF the organization, is a factor upon
which it may depend for much" help.
This can be done only on ethical
grounds; we must seek the broad basis
of justice. And public intelligence, as
well as public sympathy. is quickly re-.
sponsive. In a strike crisis the masses
Of the people, apparently passive at
other times, stir to thought and give
judgment on questions that are COM
placently ignored in normal periods.
.'Then there is another very import
ant point in considering any possible
struggle between the trusts and labor.
Behind the immediate questions of
wages, hours or the like is sure to arise
the question Of monopoly. President
Schwab said in his Industrial Commis-
sion testimony that his corporation pos
sessed all Of the best coking coal In the
country and eighty per cent OF all the
known ore deposits. There are great
many people in the world today asking
why 1t is that individuals are permitted
tn To monopolixe natural opportunities.
sonflic a. . tl,s 4. ! Mt Mi sht have
i ID
tensify this dnquir 81. 81 SIT
.'Che American Federation of Labor
has! in & repeated annual. conventions
passed resolutions favoring public
ownership and operation Of public utili-
ties, and many speeches are made in
support Of the principle by its eight
hundred organizers. Their primary
work is to strengthen the ranks of trade
unionism, but they are also instructed
to preach the principle of equal rights,
which is good not only for the trade
unionist, but for all mankind"
Samuel Gompers, a short, thick-set,
erect man. with
quick step and easy carriage, has enter
ed the f1fties. He Is a cigarmaker by
trade. He worked at that vocation up
to Ii years ago, when the American
Federation Of Labor had grown strong
enough to pay salary to its president
Of 1000 q year. That occurred In 1885,
Gompers had been one Of the men to
nurse the organization along for FIVE
years by voluntary service. He was
chairman of its legislative committee,
whose business was to encourage legis-
lation favorable to the organization,
and make war on unfavorable meas
ures. - NV = - = =.
The American Federation of Labor
in those first days Of it's existence in
1881 was, to say the least, extremely
unpretentious in. some of its aspects
The legislative committee often met in
the tenement bedroom Of its chairman
by night or on Sundays or holidays, for
n 49, ~ a.