The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-14
PASSAGES WITH WORDS HEATED SPEECHES ON s-HouR . BILL. Exchanges Between Representatives of Employes and Samuel Com
 pers Before the House Com
 mittee on Labor.
Advertiser Bureau.
 Colorado Building. Eah- 1a.

Ono -ot the most interesting Heeiih1 . ever given on the eight hour labor nili was held Thursday morning before tne House Committee on Labor and in the course of it there were many heated ex- changes between the representatives or employers and Samuel Gompers Pres'- dent of the American Federation or La bor. l
 Gompers left here in the afternoon for Porto Rico, but delayed his journey long enough to denounce the "representatives Of capitar' whom he charged with refer | ring to the labor leaders as "blather- skites." ''incendiaries'' and socialists. At one time 1t looked as though there might be personal encounter between MT. Gompers and Judge McCammon, rep resenting the Cramps, and Daniel Daven' port of Bridgeport, Conn.,. representing the anti-boycott association of the United States.
 MT. Davenport made the dearest state- ment of the dangers attending the oper- ation of an eight hour bill that has ever been given to the Committee on Labor. treating the subject from a philosophical and practical standpoint" He quoted certain soctalistic resolutions which had been adopted in substance by a large number of labor organizations and which tended to incite collisions between capi- tai and labor. The resolutions called upon the .laboring men to use their political in- huence to protect their interests against the employer. The interests he represent ed had been alarmed at the growth of such socialisticN doctrines and the ques- tion of the relations between capital and labor transcended all local interests.
 If God should call you tonight. gentle. men of the Committee" he said, "could you go with your minds easy as to the welfare of your children if you knew the doctrines like these were in existence and spreading?"
 Many if not all of the labor leaders were avowed socialists, he declared. using the labor organizations to advance the cause of socialism. They teach the widespread disregard of the rights of others to the protection of society, and the disregard of law. and instill hostility against capital in the minds of labor. They demand dis eliminating legislation and in times of strikes demand the discharge of men who stand by their employers and tho rein statement of others dismissed because they opposed their employers.
 They bring the courts into disrepute, he said. and attack them publicly, and in their journals. The recovery of the right to employ and to be employed without re- striction, he considered the most import- ant political question ever presented to the American people. Secession and slav. cry were local issues. while this is "eat- ing like a cancer into the vitals of our in- stitutions. We change our cooking, our language. dress, religion or form of gov- ernment;" he said, turning to Represen- tative Hearst, "but we cannot change the fundamental relations of employer and employe. They are like those of husband and wife, parent and child, guardian and ward-the fundamental relations of socI- ety."
 Mankind could be divided into two great types-the men who fight and the men who work There always will be armies commanded by great men," he said. "Co- operative armies are an impossibility and 1t is the same in. commercial life. There must be some one to buy and sell and to give orders; there never will be a time when a few will not control the imple- ments of production and command tho armies of workmen. "All attempts to get away from this fundamental law" sail Mir. Davenport, shaking his head at MT. Gompers, 'are all humbug-all quackery. Society will never abandon this principle"
 Referring to the eight hour bill. MT. Davenport sarcastscally said: We are told labor wants 1t. Before Madame Ro- land was executed she turned to a statue of liberty and said: How many crimes are committed in thy name!' I ask. how has labor come to Congress to ask legis- lation to deny the individual workman the opportunity to labor?''
 He told of the origin of the Anti-boy- colt Association which had sprung up because of the persecution of a hat man ufacturer of Danbury, Conn.,, whom or ganized labor tried to ruin by putting in practice the teachings of MT. Gompers in his journal" In the course of his work in this connection he had visited many factories and had heart to heart talks with the workmen.'"
 "I put to them this question" he said. Would you be in favor of law which deprived you of the privilege of working more than eight hours a day if you wanted to?" I never found one who fa- vored it.
 Glancing around the room and finally addressing Representative Hearst, in particular, he said: No greater risk was ever assumed by any party or man than to put itself or himself on record as de- nying the workman the right to work. If you want to test this put such a plank in the platform in your Congress | sional district and see what happens, but don't attempt to put through such a | tyrannical law as this without giving the American people chance to express their opinion"
 He anticipated endless litigation be- tween the government and contractors and between contractors and sub-con- tractors in the attempt to enforce such law. He pointed out that the sub | contractors would have the right of trial
 by jury which would be denied the con- tractors whose suits would have to be | brought in the Court of Claims.
 You have been plastering the poor contractor and whaling him in every way" he said; If 1t is a question of ele-
 vating the poor working man by pre-
 venting him from working, don't do 1t
 by such an abortion of a bill as this. MT. Davenport was very sarcastic in
 his reference to the reDort of Senator Mo
 Comas. chairman of the Senate Commit