The San Francisco call., 1904-11-16

-a
had kept on and consumed my time as
l would never miss q chance to hear
them.
We who are in the trades union
movement on this coast have no apol-
Ogies 10 make for being on its side. We,
have no reason TO hide having been in
Jail for this cause as others have to
hide the reason for which they had to
serve time.
Colorado certainly has spoken, but
never so distinctly as California will il
II is ever put TO the test and has to
wipe out the anarchists in this Golden
Gate Of ours.
When the Citizens Alliance takes il
upon itself to dictate to the employers
and TO the emDloye 1 say that il is
more than the people of this country
viii put up with, and the leaders Of this
organization are destined TO the great
est defeat that ever was meted out to
any set Of men.
Have you ever considered how much
better il would be for US who have to
eat and wear clothes and wear them
good IL we made them ourselves? It
would do away with the strike and the
lockout, the boycott and the picket
This is what we must look TO for our
salvation, and when we get possession
OF WHAT we eat ana hndl We wed " =
won't care what the Citizens Alliance
does during its working hours"
LENNON SPEAKS.
John B. Lennon was cordially re-
ceieved. He said he had met many trade
unionists who seemed discouraged
over the situation. But the speaker
asserted that as a fact to-day there
was a better understanding Of the real
meaning Of labor unionism than ever
before in the thirty years he had been
a union man. He thought the agita-
ton about the open shop" had i'm
pe lied wOrkingmen TO solidify them
selves In his own trade-journeyma
tailOr-there were more union shops
than a year ago. He insisted that the
open shop" means a closed shop" TO
all labor unionists. Said he: The
father Of the open shop. D. NJ. Parry,
could not have had a hearing if trades
unionism did not exist and exist TO
some purpose cannot understand
the economic theory OF the man who /
organizes TO lower the wages Of the
people upon whom he thrives.
"On this coast you have to be the
pickets to prevent the influx of cheap
labor from across the Pacific. We viii
give you all the help we can. But IL
is essentially the duty of the people
or California, Oregon and Washington
to make that fight. We depend upon
you TO see that this country is not
flooded with this Asiatic labor"
Great cheering followed the intro
duction of the Little Giant of the
labor movement" as Samuel Com
pers was styled by President Petry
when he escorted the leader to the
front Of the platform.
GOmpers said there was some salts
faction in trying to live the life in
which one believed He declared it
was the lesson he was trying TO in
cUlcate, that lesson in unionism Of try
ing 10 help fellow men, He continued:
The movement of organized labor is
so vast that much time would be nee
essary 10 present il. The enemies of
labor are constantly attempting to in
still the virus Of prejudice and ignor-
ance in the minds of our fellow toilers !
You notice clearly ringing through all
Of our speeches the advocacy of man
hood that shall make stalWart intel |
ligent men of the American working
man
I believe there is not an organiza-
tiOn OF men or women that can be so
easily persuaded TO do the right as
organized labor. There is not an asso-
citation whose sympathy can be so cas-
ily touched as the hearts of trades un- |
ionists Labor has meekly submitted |
~ WAD-A6s 444JADllLE. oppression ana DTu- /
tality for centuries.
1t was not so long ago that when a
workman discussed questions touchfng,
his hours Of employment his labor or /
what not along this line he was brand /
ed with an iron, cast into prison and |
hanged. If It is the idea Of the Citi- |
zens' Alliance 10 crush out the spirit |
Of organized labor they ought to have /
begun with our grandparents. Men
2 n "
these mean and Httle-minded people /
foollshly think they can crush them
out. The struggles Of labor have been /
from time immemOrial, but in our time |
the struggle has taken on new form. 1
Now the worker uses his reason and his /
The workman has the duty first to |
perform a fair days work and he ought |
10 have an influential voice in de- /
termining what fair days work con- |
sists Of. The trades unions do not limit |
output. The trades unions do limit the /
hours Of labor and expect during the ,
hours Of employment that the work. \
man shall give a fair days work 1t /
comes with bad grace from the employ-
ers OF the United States to charge that /
the trades unions limit and restrict the |
output when II is borne in mind that in |
the whole world the workmen do not /
work with half the speed and the skill /
Of our American workmen. It comes \
with i'll grace, I say for such a charge /
to be made in the light Of this fact"
Gompers spoke Of the decision Of an |
Illinois court which declared the Illegal |
ity Of the contract between labor /
unions and employers. He said that /
until the Supreme Court of the United 1
States had passed upon that contract it /
could not be declared illegal. He said: /
L have the greatest respect for the |
Supreme Court Of the United States, |
but il once rendered a Dred Scott de- /
cision of which we are not proud. It |
Is COMPOSED of human beings like our 1
selves. I come to you TO preach the !
gospel that you be true to the cause of /
uniOnism. Be proud to be a workman 4
With your diploma of honor in your /
clear card Of membership in your /
union. You are the grand army Of /
peace To you ii is given to work /
out the solution of the greatest problem
IN the worlds history. This great labor
cannot die out. it cannot be
crushed out. Work and pray, pray and |
work that success shall usher in the
day whose full noon sun shall proclaim
DeacR on earth good will To man