The Minneapolis journal., 1902-11-14
InLabor' iieId
WARNING TO A. FL.
President Gompers Says Trades and
Labor Assemblies Are Threat
ened by Rival Claims.
He Advises Calmness and Modera.
tion in Order to Avoid a Great
Conflict.

New Orleans, Nov. 14.-President Sam
uel Gompers at the opening Of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor convention. de-
livered an impassioned warning to the
members that the future of trades and
labor assemblies was seriously endan-
gered by the conflicting claims of juris-
diction made by different bodies Unless
such things were approached In calmIess
and handled in moderation, he declared,
laboring men would fight with labOrlnS
men from behind barricades in the man
ner in which men deal with their mortal
foes In his annual address. Mr.. Gompers
said:
During and since the strike many
have been led to advocate the system Of
compulsory arbitration Of labor disputes.
But the remedy would be worse than the
disease.
I'VE make for industrial peace and
tranquility. We recognize these as es-
sential to our material and social well
fare; but we ought never to be asked,
and we never will surrender our right to
protest and resist wrong or an invasion
Of our rights. or to be hampered In a
lawful, peaceful struggle for ameliorat1on
Of our condition, and for the final eman-
cipation Of labor through the evolutionary
process Of building character, manhood,
independence, intelligence, which inspires
nobler aspirations.
1.-The men Of organized labor want ar
bitration, but only arbitration as last
resort after conciliation has absolutely
failed, and then arbitration only, volun-
tarily entered into by both the organized
workers and employers.
Recently the unfounded charge against
organized labor has been repeated to the
effect that trade unions violate agree
ments entered into with employers; and
the uninformed, and particularly those
antagontstio employers to organized labor,
urge as a remedy for this imagined evil,
the compulsory Incorporation Of the trade
unions SO that, as those referred to urge
the trade unions may be held legally re-
sponsible for the faithful carrying out Of
agreements, and to be liable in damages
in the event Of their violation.
ION the surface this proposition seems
fair, but when we bear in mind the fact
that often judges have deep seated preju-
dice against organizations Of labor; that
the far-fetched Interpretation in the Taft
Vale case, where an organization of labor
in Great Britain was mulcted In dam
ages for the actions Of an individual
member, under the law passed by The
British parliament as a concession to
labor, and that the enunciation of judi
cial principles is mutually interpreted and
held by the judiciary Of all English-speak-
ing countries, it is not difficult to divine
the purpose that the advocates of COM
pulsory incorporation Of trade unions have
in view.''
Membership OF Million.
Secretary Morrison's report, which en-
bodied much detail of routine matter,
was then read. It covered the eleven
months ended with Sept 80 last. The
federation's aggregate income for this
time was $144,498 and the expenditures
$119,0s6. OF the receipts $2o,423 consisted
Of contributions to the defense fund. In
the eleven months 1,024 unions were char
tered, a. larger number than for an entire
year. These additions increased the total
membership is 1,o25,3o0, a gain. of four
fold In six years.