Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-08
SPEAKS OF LABOR'S CAUSE
Samuel GOmpsrs Addresses Large Audience
Of Omaha wOrkingmsn.
PLEADS ONLY FOR EQUALITY or RIGHTS
Declares that the safety of the
Nation Rests Now ana for All
Time with Organised
Labor.

President Samuel Gompers Of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor spoke to as many
people as could conveniently crowd into
Washington hall last night on the subject
of organised labor. At intervals throughout
his speech Mr.. Gompers was loudly cheered
and when he had finished round after round
Of applause went up.
W. d. Mahon Of Detroit, international
president Of the Amaleamated Association
Of Street Railway Employees Of America, and
Fourth Vice President Wilson OF the In
ternational Association Of Maehinists also
spoke.
President Gompers dealt with organized
labor upon a broad, national basis, tracing
It's remarkable development and influence
from the old trades union as the ceaseleas
struggle OF the men and women who had
produced the parent body and given 1t tho
great sphere Of usefulness In which he
said It moved.
Refers to Union Pacific.
Only briefly did Mr.. Gompers refer to the
strike of the Union Pacific employees In
progress In Omaha and other cities over
the system He said he had been asked
to enter into some discussion Of this sub
ject, and said:
These men are engaged In a righteous
struggle. They were doing q good and
honest days work when the management OF
the road sought to drive them beyond
their limit and power Of endurance; sought
to crush their very vitality by a system Of
piecework under which they could not help
but strain their bodies In order to earn a
fair living.
Against this these men protest and 1
glory in their grit and manhood. Nothing
n "a NAa1 -
but yourselves. Stand together, l beg Of
you, and help one another; your cause is
a Just one and the only question OF your
success is the proper assertion of manhood
and determination"
Extreme Physical ExertiOn.
Mr.. Gompers said the American workman
produced double what the workman OF
European countries did and in many cases
he was forced TO the very extreme Of
physical exertion which ultimately resulted
in nervous collapse. This, In his mind,
was the state OF affairs against which the
Union Pacific strikers were combating.
President Gompers described the move
ment OF organized labor and it's effect In
these terms:
This movement that Is sweeping over the
land is the pendulum Of Industrial progress
swinging our way. Organized labofNis the
product Of years Of ceaseless toll and strug-
gle and Il has come to stay. This has been
demonstrated beyond any question, and no
influence or mammoth wealth or political
potency can stop or Offset this tidal wave
of reform.
Industry within the last few decades has
changed it's character. Now the individual
counts for nothing, a company cuts little
figure. a corporation has some power, but
| fho tnAIHtG,,A1 .tAAE. - H-Sl0A..f -
panies within companies. the corporation
within a corporation composes the gigantic
machinery which propells the wheels Of cap
~italistic industry against which IL is che
melancholy duty. for labor to battle.
h Must Labor Dot
Now what must labor do In order to give
the individual any chance under such cir
cums.ances as these?
W realize II there is to be hope Of sue
cessful %fruition, II there is to be enjoyment
Of our natural liberty as citizens, II we are
to reach out and obtain the freedom which
is justly ours. we must stand together In
one great central organization. Under this
representative form Of government In the
United States the safety OF the people rests
now and for all time with organized labor
In the face Of these momentous facts car
you not understand, wage-earners, that Il
% NooShNAn ~ " " ohANO IL
maintain an indissoluble union7
"If men of millions upon millions realize
the good Of cooperation how much more Il
1t essential for you, who have nothing, Il
stand together?
Men tell us we have made progress. We
have, but not commensurate with our dues
We are not content and will never be con.
tent until we have acquired an equal foot
ing with the powerful forces with which w
must contend. We want equality Of right,
and nothing more and that we are going II
insist on until we get It."
About Street Railway Men.
President Mahon Of the street railway
mems organization made this assertion II
speaking of the persistency Of ORGANIZED
labor's efforts:
I'VE will not stop until we have gained
control, not only Of the industrial s~ituatior
Of this country. but of the political situa.
tion as we'll"
Mr.. Mahon told Of the progress among thu
street railway unions. From a day Of from
twelve to eighteen hours at IL cents an houl
he said organized labor had evolved q nine
hour day at from % to rs cents an hour
Someone in the audience cried out: "Not
In Omaha"
eft not in Omaha" said Mr.. ,Mahon.
then It is your own fault and not that o.
any union"
Mr.. Mahon made the assertion that cap.
itAl knows no boundary line, respects M
flag and worships no god except that o.
gold" He pleaded with union men to no
divide on political, religious or s~ectiona
lines.
/, MT. Wilson Speaks
| Mr.. Wilson spoke on 1.-THE Strike. con,
> lining his remarks chiefly to the situation
on the Union Pacific. He declared that tn
men would never quit until they had oh
. tanned 35 cents an hour and no piece woks
and that none would return to the shop.
unless all went back.
anANr-OIIAa 40 F0 aANF