The Washington times., 1903-06-30
PRESIDENT GOMPERS
ON ORGANIZED CAPITAL
Discusses Spirit of Employers As
sociations.

tiee. President Samuel Gompers writes
an editorial inc the July issue Of the
American FederatiOnist." 4" in which he
says:
I'm several centers OF American in
dustry employers have organized. or are
organizing. to protect their rights and
interests against the encroachments Of
organized labor" The movement Is
worthy OF serious attention. whatever
we may think Of its future and possi-
bilities.
II Is hardly necessary 70 say that or
ganiZed labor does not dream of DENYING
TO employers the right IL has claimed
and successfully asserted for itself. II
they choose TO follow the example OF
labor and form trade and general as
sociations. there is nothing in law or
reason to prevent them from doing so.
Our attitude toward them will be de-
termined by their purposes and methods
in carrying out their desires.
There are organizations and orEaniza-
tions. Labor is strong enough to deal
with any sort Of employers association.
and the only question in each particular
case is whether we have a friend or
enemy to deal with. With the Parry
sort Of organization-that declares war
on collective bargaining or concfliation.
arbitration, and the recognition Of any
labor union-there can, Of course. be 10
compromise.
Ihe sort OF employers organization
that proposes to treat labor fairly. 20
respect its just claims. and to work
with it in good faith for Industrial peace
and harmony. viii be welcomed and met
in the friendliest spirit.
Unfortunately, some Of the employers
associations have one set OF princfpIez
for publication and another set for
application in business. These seek 10
gain public sympathy and support by
false pretenses, by misleading profess
sions and deceptive appearances. Be-
tween the theory and the practice Il
such there is a wide gap. OF which the
careless observer may not even suspect
the existence.
We may thus divide the employers
associations into three classes:
i. Those which will deal fairly with
labor. Such usually prove beneficial.
-. The kind we shall have TO fight as
open and bitter enemies Of organized
labor
3. The ones we shall have to watch
and expose when necessary. and Judge by
their deeds rather than by their SOFT
words
at is worthy Of note that the en-
ployers who are so violently opposed TO
sympathetic strikes have not hesltated
to declare sympathetic iockouts. that
those who decline 10 pay attention TO
union agents calmly proceed to organize
executive committees and boards OF
grievances to transact their business and
carry out their policies toward labor,
and that opposition TO collective har-
gaining goes hand in hand with asso-
citation for collective defense (or Of
fense). Consistency is not the charac-
teristic of the average employers asso-
citation.
Nor is this all. At Omaha. Kansas
City. and elsewhere, the organized en-
ployers have resOrtcd. or openly threat
encd to resort. to systematic boycotting
as means OF compelling 'non-union'
employers to join them or close their
establishments. In some cases they
have tried to prevent merchants from
delivering goods to 'non-uniCn' employ
ers; in others. to compel employers TO
break agreements with employees, and
still others insist that workmen shall
refuse 10 work for employers who are
not members Of their Masters % As
ISOLATION
These things go to show that there
Is much hypocrisy and humbug in the
righteous Indignation Of employers who
are shocked at boycotting. sympathetic
strikes. and so-called abuses of trade
unionism.
what is charged 10 be vicious in
labor cannot magically be transformed
into virtue when done by capital
"Will the press and public be as quick
20 criticise capitalistic boycotters. con-
tract breakers, sympathetic strikers Cor
q lockout is an employers strike) as
they are 10 condemn workmen charged
with such sins2 We shall see So Ear.
only few fair papers have called the
employers to task for doing the things
they bitterly condemn in unions. The
majority of the capitalistic papers have
no eyes or ears for employers faults.
But labor is neither blind nor deaf
We come back 10 the starting point-
70 the treatment Of organized labor by
these new employers associations.
no general rule can be laid DOWN,
owing TO the differences in the aims and
methods OF these bodies.
"AI must be closely studied and
weighed in the balance.
The honest variety is useful.
The other varieties may be blessings
in disguise.
We want peace. but those who pro-
pose to fight labor viii be accommo-
dated.
Deeds not words, viii count"