The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17

Correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-"Do you know
anything about work YOURSELF"
did you ever work for wages2
/ asked these questions Of Samuel Com
pers as we chatted together in his Office
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Gompers is I'M
crowned king of organized labor in the
United States. He is president Of the
American Federation OF Labor, which en-
braces more than 24.00O different labor
unions, and has a membership Of 100000
workmen. representing the Drawn and
muscle of the country.
work / have never known much else
but work, was the reply. 81 have been
working all my life, and most of it at my
trade. My father was a cigarmaker.
went into the shop at ten years of age. and
In time became a journeyman, and 1 con-
tinued TO work at making cigars for TWEEN
ty-six years"
What kind of a workman were you. Mr..
Gompers?"
81 think / may say I was a fairly good
one. i was never out of job except at my
own volition. and 1 received as high wages
as any of my fellows"
could you make a cigar to-day2"
Il made some at Boston a few weeks ago
while attending our last annual convention
there. At the noon recess L went to the
largest union cigar factory in the world.
which was not far from the convention
hall. One of the men asked me the same
question you have asked. In reply took
off my coat, sat down at the bench and
made three cigars. / have son who has a
cigar factory near here, and If you wish
will go there and make you one now.
I did wish and Mr.. Gompers went with
me TO the factory, sat down at one OF the
benches and rapidly rolled out a choice Ha-
vana. IL took him less than two minutes
by my watch to put the tobacco In shape.
and the cigar which lies before me as I
write this is as gOod-loOking an article as
any cigar sold anywhere I'm the United
States. IL is a big, fat cigar, and contains
pers rolled cigar for himself, and smoked
this while we talked. He told me that he
still retained his membership in the cigar
makers union, and showed me his union
book, with the stamps of his dues paid to
date. He has been a member OF that
union for thirty-nine years, and pays his
regular dues of 80 cents a week to keep
up his membership
THE EVOLUTION OF A UNIONIsT.
when did you first become interested in
the labor movement" L asked
when was fourteen years DID, was the
reply. My father had been member OF
the union, and at that age Joined. 1 have
been a union man ever since"
Have you ever been on a striker"
Many times. Sometimes when 1 approved
Of the strike, and again when 1 did not.
Some OF the strikes were hard ones, and
have actually suffered from hunger dur
ing such times, but / have never regretted
them When L went on a strike consid-
cred the shop closed, as far as L was
concerned, until that strike was settled
and for that reason did not want to
strike without due cause.
do you think strikes pay the working
man?"
"They most certainly do, although they
should be avoided If possible. Still l hope
the time will never come when We shall SO
lose our manhood to refuse to strike.
Strikes are an element of civilization. In
barbarous times and barbar0us countries
the people did not strike There are no
strikes in China. The wages there 10
cents a day, and the workmen live in mud
huts and feed upon rice and an occasional
rodent"
When has the laboring man the right to
striker?
''He has the right to do so at any time
and for any reason or for no reason at all.
Strikes are an evidence of liberty and free
10 strike at any time. L am not discussing
the policy. We have the right"
What Is the present outlook to labor.
Mr.. Gompers? Times have been good There
have been many strikes, and wages have
gone up. II is now said that times are be-
coming bad; will they not go DOWN.
las TO the times said the president of
the American Federation, my information
shows me that there is a change for the
worse. We have number of unions which
pay benefits to their unemploye1, and there
fore keep track of those out of work. These
unions embrace different branches of trade
in many parts of the country, and their re-
ports form an excellent barometer of in