The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-02-08
INDUSTRIAL PEACE
SAMUEL GOMPERS SAYS LABOR AL
WAYS STANDS FOR 1T.
Historical Development of Lab0r's
RiEhts-The Individuality of the
Worker Gradually Disappearing.
Rights of Capital and La Dor Shall
Not BE TOyed With.

Not be Toyed With.
The following speech Of Samuel
Gompers at the Civic conference in
New York should interest every read
er of this paper. It sounds the senti-
ments Of labor in the present struggle
for labor's rights. He very forcibly
dwells on the collectivism and indi-
viduality of labor.
1.-THE whole struggle of the human
family has been to secure better con-
ditioA for those who work. In the early
history of man, when his tools Of labor
were identical with his weapons of
offense and defense, the wars of con-
quest went on, but those captured in
battle were not retained by their con-
Querors; they were put to death.
The safety of the conquerors de
manded the death of the conquered.
They could not be made slaves and
forced to work, for this furnished the
slaves with the identical and only
weapons with which the conquerors
were armed, and always gave the con-
dom.
1T was a marvellous advance that
differentiated the weapon Of war from
the tool of labor. The first step in this
direction pointed the way to the
farthest and most effectual advance
in the history and development and
the progress and the civilization Of
the human family.
when that first differentiation took
place, the captives were no longer put
to death. They were made slaves and
forced to produce wealth while the
conquerOrs marched in their Warlike
armor toward new conquests.
II shall not attempt to trace the his
torical development of the workers
struggles for recognition of their
rights, except to say this, that the
change went on from slave to serf,
and from serf to wage-worker; so that
we now find ourselves in the condition
where the wage-worker is placed in
competition with his fellow wage
worker. 1t is the desire of the workers
to reduce the evil side of that compe-
tition to its minimum.
I'm our new twentieth century we
are living in an era Of the highest de-
velopment of industry. Concentration
of wealth and power is in the direction
of the securing the greatest production
by the fewest possible factors. What
are these wonderful productive forces?
1.-THE improvement Of machinery, the
division and subdivision of labor, the
application of new propelling forces Of
steam and electricity and WATERFALL
these great powers and motives and
influences converge to the one point
Of increasing the production of wealth
by the workers.
Let me say to you, my friends, that
even with that picture in mind, there
are still some in our day who speak Of
the individuality of the worker.
Il grant you that where, economic
and social conditions admit Of indi-
Vidual action, that is the ideal situa-
ton. But when we find on the one
hand a great concentration of wealth
and power, accompanied by a marked
concentration of industry, with the d.
rection of the great industrial and
distributing forces placed in the hands
of a few, it is as idle for the individ-
ual worker to attempt to obtain re-
dress for bad conditions as 1t is for
a vessel to survive hurricane with
out rudder or seamen to guide her.
What is necessary is that the work.
ers, so far as consistent with their
social and political liberty, shall merge
! their economic interests with those of
their fellow-workers, and by that
method endeavor to obtain considera-
| ton for the rights of both the elements
| in production.
I'm our industrial system of society
| I would not have the rights of an en-
ployer toyed with nor flagrantly vio-
! lated. Also, I want to say that I will
not tolerate, nor stand by, nor permit,
so far as my powers and opportunities
may afford, that the rights of the
weakest Of our fellow workers shall
be trampled upon.
| There is in our time, if not a har-
mony of interests-which I shall not
attempt to discuss at this time, be-
cause there is a divergence of opinion
upon that subject-yet certainly a
| community of interests, to the end
that industrial peace shall be main
| tanned.
IT will not joint have not joined
| tions of capital. I realize that that is
| d. Iudtlei u eCOuOI1ly ana OcVelOpIQent
| and strength.
But I do say, and I might say it
parenthetically, that I object to the
organizations of capital popularity
known as TRUSTS" when they at
tempt to interfere with the political
affairs of our country, and particular
ly the judiciary. I am speaking OF
them from an industrial and not from
a commercial point of view.
| Il want to see the organization OF
the wage-earners and the organization
of the employers, through their res
pective representatives, meet around
the table in the office Of the employ
ers or in the office Of the union, ii
you please, or, If that be not agreeable
to either, then in an office or room
upon neutral ground, there to discuss
the questions of wages and hours OF
labor and conditions of employment
and all things consistent with the in
dustrial and commercial success of ou1
country, that shall tend to the uplift-
ing of the human family.
Zone difficulty has been that en-