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

SAmD Ell JUMPERS,
President Of the American Federation of Labor.
country and of all the members of our
organization
''Win the day come when all labor in this
country will be organized?'
Il think so. replied Mr.. Gompers. 1t is
coming fast"
But will not a combination such as you
have be a menace to the government? You
have two millions now, embracing, / should
say, one-seVenth of the voters of the
United States. At the present rate of in
crease your organization might soon be so
welded to dictate candidates. inaugurate
policies, and rule or ruin the country"
Organized labor will certainly increase
as an economic force" said Mr.. Gompers,
although, as at present organized. labor
is not affiliated with any political party. 1t
would be far worse for the United States
however, if there We're no such thing as
labor organization. Suppose we had no
concerted effort 20 protect our working
men from the eXactions of the capitalists
Let greed grind the worker down to the
utmost, and millionaireS increase even
faster than they are now by the develop
ment of our material resources. Let the
rich grow richer and the poor poorer until
be the result? 1 tremble TO think of the
possibilities. We might have a second
revolution more terrible than that of
France. 1t is the labor organization that
keeps the peace, that forms the corner
stone of our republic. The unions are
among the greatest of our educating forces,
and they stand for almost everything that
is good in our government and institu-
tons.
LABOR LEADERS HONEST MEN.
ut makes some difference, therefore, Mr..
Gompers," said I, what kind of men the
labor leaders are?''
Indeed it does" was the reply, "and L
can say from a personal knowledge of most
of them that they are on the average equal
in honesty and integrity to the members of
any profession or business. l mean the very
best men of the legal, medical, or even the
THE most of the labor leaders are not
in the business for money" Mr.. Gompers
continued Take our salaries! The high
est of them, outside of the heads of the rail-
road unions, is not more than $1,000 a year,
and many men receive only $1,000 or 1900,
and some less. Nearly every one of
them could make more outside of the labor
organizations, and if they were corrupt
they could enrich themselves where they
are. John Mitchell, for instance, the head
the United Mine Workers, is paid $1,000 a
year. Don't you suppose he could have
made 100000 during the anthracite coal
strike had he been willing to sell his men
out to the capitalists? He fought for them
and was true to them. The same l believe
to be the case with ninety-nine hundredths
of the leaders of the unions. There are bad
men in all ranks of life. Sam Parks was no
toriously SUCH but Sam Parks is not typical
of the labor movement In any respect
How about yourself, Mr.. Gompers? No
one has ever questioned your fidelity to or
ganized labor"
IF so / do not know it. 1 have been pres
ident of the American Federation of Labor
for more than twenty years. For the first
five years L received no salary, and worked
at my trade to support myself. doing my
union work at night and on holidays. AT
the end of that time L gave up cigar
making and devoted my energies to the
American Federation, receiving $1,000
year AS time went on my salary was
gradually increased until it reached 81, 100,
and it is only within the past year that ii
has been $1,000 / think l may say honestly
that am not in the work for the money. /
do il because 1 love 1t. i have no amuse-
ments or anything outside of it. and my
happiest hours are when / work the hard
est" FRANK CT. CARPENTER.