The San Francisco call., 1904-11-22
WHAT GOMPERs SAID.
He spoke IN substance as follows:


7 regret that as I was acting as chairman 1
did aor have the opportunity OF discussing the
merits OF tEs resolution as introduced ana rec
commended 10y The committee on resolutions. but
] want in particular u answer the statements
ans arguments cf those who, under the guise
a. simple and deceptive resolution, attempt
10 introduce the question Of politics and po-
-itlcai creels into the American Federation Of
Labor
Il is alt simply the arguments that wish
o. answer. hur the personal attacks that I
would have preferred 10 meet The opponents
Of true trades uuionism have been dreaming
beautiful dreams that they could only improve
We are asked 10 follow in the lead Of the po-
ltical movements Of the wcrkingmen Of Eu-
rope ] pray that the day may never come
when we are compelled 70.
a Few months ago. as a delegate from the
miners. John Mitchell studied the conditions in
Europe. and nine years ago J. 1s delegate 10
The british Trades Union Congress. saw the
conditions there. Three months ago the dele
gates from France visited this country To learn
" the conditions Of the American workingman
ans they spent almost an entire day in my Of
nee asking questions and being interrogated in
return by me. From them I learned that the
condition OF the workingnan IN France has not
improved during the last twenty years
Last October members ~ the American
Federation ri Labor. including myself. at
tended The International Peace Congress on
the platform sat FOutaigne former Senator
OF Belgium who expressed regret +hst me
Anlerican wOrlzlnEman had not followed the
lead Of the continental wOrkingTnan and IN
the same breath announced that the condition
that of any other nationality in Europe
No man can say that the condition OF the
American W0rkingman has become worse since
1850 Look into your own homes and see II
the statement IS borne ont
Do you know claim credit in arousing the
public judgment of The trades unfonisfs OF
the country - bring their influence 70 Ike
rha Socialists of Colorado ashamed of them
selves or they would have procured the re-
election N Peabody? On the t-sin in Colorado
q Socialist SAID 70 ne that 1T made no dir
ference whether Peabody vas elected or not -
81 Colorado ror N TIE United States They
1--we f. a sphere al BY themselves. ethereal
farci1ul
in oouDec-io1 with my previous statement
q the T'sitors II The galleries have repeat
edlv regue<tE1 thai they refrain from demon
strations ~ approval or disspprJval / have
always maintained that conventions Of the
American FedaratiOn Of Labor ought 10 he
conducted by The delegates-
Il has beer the custom al rperffrvS ~
the trades Un3onlsts for the Socialists to have
lzrEe numhETs - their followers present ~
pack the galleries and assiss IN r1ote- d-r7o-,-
GtrauCnE- NoE suppose should say thar
would have good clean-cut trzdsF unfurfsf !
pTesert whenever the Socialists met and mar
nest their feehnRs by applause or hssses
Referring 70 the nomination Of trades union
lists 10 legislative power some months ar
Vic1u- Berger wrote an article over his own
signature on the logic Of the Socialist uosstfo,,
in sntaEUnizing legislators even though they
b. trades unio-ists- II consent to NEE,
-ruT-eeerrz1frue - even though they Fa fr-,r, -
r1fll ownerE- Il may be something toward me
good o. trades unioui5tE may assist in
reaching agreement
EXCHANGE CLUB DINNER.
We went 10 the Exchange Club in Boston