The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-05-27
TWIN CITY PAPERS ARE
STUCK ON Mr.. G0MPERS
Throw Some Splendid Boquets at
Great Sage of the American
Labor Movement.
Even Opposition Daily Papers Re-
cognize True Worth of La
boris Great Chieftain.

DOT GTeaC CQ1e1Ca10.
Mr.. Gompers was this week the
guest of organized labor Of Minnesota
That he is respected and admired by
those who are not In sympathy with
the work of the trade unions of Ameri-
ca is evident from the editorial COM
ments in the greatest daily papers in
Minnesota. Trade unionists both adj
mire and love Samuel Gompers. No
other man in the labor movement best
represents the sentiments of the
movement than he. No other man Is
more capable Of discussing the phil
osophy and purpose Of the movement.
Read what the Minneapolis Jour-
nal publishers in It's editorial column:
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, was
charmed with his reception In Minne-
ence which greeted him at the enew
reciprocated the feeling. It was
charmed with Mr. Gompers' person.
ality his oratory and his forceful, frank
way of putting things. Mr.. Gompers
is an advocate; he believes In his side
the earnestness of counsel.
Startling with the proposition that
this Is an age Of organization and that
in getting together the laborers are but
doing what they see done all about
them, Mr.. Compers defends the move
ment as constructive and not destruc-
tive. He must, perforce, slide over
a good many serious mistakes in the
| u hnr mr. h,,t
1t is not his business to point those
out; the other side will attend to
that.
The weakest point in Mr.. Gompers'
speech last night was his denial OF
the existence OF disorder in Chicago.
Unquestionably he is truthful and
sincere in saying that in the week he
spent there he saw not single en-
counter. The time was one OF lull
in the strike situation and his pres
ence in the city as possible peace
maker was known and no doubt he
found Chicago in better condition as
regards order in the streets than has
been the case before or since, but
this fact does not give Mr.. Gompers
license to say that the reports are
| A~OA AS~IAOAo AALCAuCu ~
The facts are too we'll attested to be
laid to imagination or malice.
The strong points Of Mr.. Gompers'
| plea, and there is not a man living
who can make them more forcibly
than he, are that the general trend
! OF the labor movement has been up
| ward. 1t has taken into It's ranks
the brightest and the dullest, the sell
| fish and the unselfish, the bad and
the good, and has more and more
guided itself by the golden rule. AS
| one OF the men. who has done much
to bring about this condition Mr..
Gompers is deserving OF the highest
praise.
Born in England f1fty-f1ve years ago,
emlgrated to America, employed as a
c1garmaker, imperfectly educated, al
ways pressed by the problem of exist
| ence, Mr.. Gompers is one Of those
men who have achieved leadership in
this country OF opportunity by his
! own exertions. Now in middle life
! at the head OF an organization which
; is power, we believe Samuel Comp
ers has the disposition and the ability
to make 1t and keep it power for
| good. The record of the American
Federation under his quarter century
OF domination is good. 1t has made
lew serious mistakes, and we take it
| that its leader is not disposed to spoil
a record which has made him a trust
ca man among labor men and an hon
ored man among employers.
The Minneapolis Times, Tom LOW
rvs official organ, was obliged to
| bury it's venom during Mr.. Gomper's
visit and pay him this tribute:
Samuel Gompers is the last of the
old leaders Of the labor movements
who is still recognized by organized
labor and by the public as an actual
power. OF all the old leaders, going
back as far as Torrance V. Powderly
and Hays Of the knights of Labor and
including such men as Eugene V.
Debs, Martin Irons, John Mitchell
and John Williams, Gompers alone
has stood the test Of time He seems
fitted by nature for work which no
other man in the country was prepar-
ed to accomplish.
Labor leadership is largely pyscho-
logical. 1t is true there is a form of
organization, amalgamations and fed
I
whole population Of working people in
to a harmonious body, but on final an
alysis, 1t is found to be a very brittle
structure, which any sudden jar may
scatter into a thousand fragments, or
a little Machiavellian malevolence may
turn into warning factions.
Human nature is not changed when
man joins a labor union. He does
not go from narrow selfishness to
altru1sm at one bound; he does not
change his point of view Of the great
! question Of mine and thine by going
through an initiation ceremony.
| The practice Of calling man
"brother" in union meeting does NOT
I insure the institution Of the golden
| rule.
All this the labor union seeks to &C.
| cOmDliSh. IT tries to TOO nh g.. ,,,o~,h...