The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-17
There Il No short Cut to Emnncipa-
ton of he Men and Women Who
Toll, He Declared.
GREAT WRONG IN THE SOUTH
AMEN GET RICH" HE SAID, "FROM
THE LABOR OF CHILDREN,
h Bones Are Ground Into Al
mighty Dollars" While Men Walk
the Streets in IdIeness.

MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK. Md, Aug. Is.
Several thousand persons greeted Samuel
Gompers. president of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. who delivered an address
to-day before the Chautauqua Assembly on
Labor and Capitalize orkma Side
OF the Story" President Mitchell. of the
United Mine Workers of America. was un-
able TO be present because Of the serious
situation in the anthracite fields.
Mr.. Gompers prefaced his remarks by say
ing that the average mind looks contrary
on the labor side of the question. 1.-The
newspapers. without any attempt on my
part to charge them with unfairness, usu-
ally present the labor question from the
standpoint of the employer. They either
get their information from employers or
their representatives. 1t is the same old
story. the men and women, the representa-
tives Of labor who suffer from the same
old wrong. There is no short cut to eman-
cipation."
Mr.. GOmpers declared that the labor Of
young and innocent children is the great
evil that needs reformation. Many States.
particularly in the South. have no law
whatever to prevent the practice. Men
get rich" he declared, from the labor of
children whose bones are ground into al
mighty dollars. 1t is a sad commentary.
Men walk the streets in idleness in the
textile districts while the mills are filled
with busy children Instead of labor being
crowned with honor ard dignity, it's right
ful heritage, it is a question of how much
labor can be squeezed out Of the labOrer
and how little wages he can be forced TO
accept in return"
Mr.. Gompers discussed the question of a
shorter workday at length, declaring the
countries of long hours were decidedly
backward. and denied the allegation that
the movement to decrease the number of
hours would mean the decadence of the
United States as a great producing power.
He declared that there was no greater con-
serVator OF the peace than the labor organ
ization- "One hundred and fifty thousand
men In the anthracite field have been en-
SaBed In a silent struggle for three months
and there has been less violence than is
committed at a picnic of ordinary people
upon ordinary occasions. The men strug-
glng to-day had been reduced TO a state
OF serfdOm. but in the past three years
they have been recast and their characters
remodeled- Their manhood is aroused and
i believe, as God is my Judge, the worst
the miners have to confront is past"
Mr.. GOmDers declared that the lawyer
was incompetent to discuss the industrial
question. The lawyer lives in and studies
the past" he declared. while being faced
physically forward he is mentally in the
dark ages" This observation was brought
out by the alleged remark of a Mr.. Ross.
Lackawanna * Western Railroad, recently.
That there can be no arbitration; that the
miners must first return to work and then
the companies will discuss the matter with
them. demand the right to be heard
by counsel" declared the speaker. Just
imagine the miner being forced back to
work with all the grievance he may have
had squeezed and starved out of him."
Mr.. Gompers declared against proposed
government compulsory arbitration. He
predicted the success of the anthracite
strike.