The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-26
ELIOT'S PLEA FOR FREE LABOR
SiMTEL GOiIPERS REPLIES 70
THE HARVARD PRESIDENT.

by LAVISH How OF red lnmC made. the CIVIC
Federation In the Park Avenue Hotel last
evening discussed bread questions Of
political economy and Industrial ethics.
70 speak accurately, II was not the Civic
Federation proper, but tho Industrial
Economical Department OF the federal ion
that held the meeting.
August Belmont. the recently elected
president Of the Civic Federation, presided,
and the regularly appointed speakers Of
the evening we're President Eliot Of Harvard
University Samuel Gompers, president Of
tho American Federation Of Labor; Prof.
Z. r. A. Seligmal Of Columbia University:
Francis l.. Robbins. president Of the Pitts
burg Coal Company; Louis d. Brandeis,
lawyer. and Frank X. Foster. a member
Of TIE Typographical Urion from Boston.
President Belmont was threc-quarters Of
an hour late and the dinner. which was TO
have begun at . o'clock, did not get under
way until quarter TO 7. Mr.. Belmont
before introducing President Eliot as the
first speake Of the evening made a brief
address in which he announced that the sub
ject set down for the discussion was, How
Far Does Associated Effort in Industry
Involve the Curtailm ent Of Industrial
Liberty
All the speakers named had prepared
addresses more or less in line with this
text, and all we're present in person save
Mr.. Robbins, who sent on his paper, which
was read by Ralph W. Easley. II was
originally planned that after the set speeo hes
there should be a running discussion by
volunteer orators, but by the time all
the papers had been read it was 40 late
that Mr.. Belmont's call for volunteers
did not meet with a single response.
Mr.. Gompers was the most aggressive
Of the speake n Of the evening. He refe rred
with much sarcasm 70 President Eliots
plea for industrial peace with liberty He
criticized the Supre me Court Of the United
States respe ctfully but firmly for its recent
decision that the ten hour law as applied
10 the hakeTg was unconstitutional and
de manded with much emphasis of the
Civic Fede ration what II was going TO do
With the bakers who are 30 80 short Of
sleep from long hours that they lie down
on their dough and rise with Il.
President Eliot began his address by
laying down the proposition that the real
foundation Of American progress and
prosperity was the efficiency OF the AmeH-
can at work, This efficiency President
Eliot attributed largely to American freedom
Of the individual, the freedom which feeds
hope and ambition. Continuing, he said:
now IN Lne Industries OF our Country
this principle Of liberty for the individual
ought TO be the chief promoter Of good will
and content in labor and therefore Of eff
hclency. What prevents this natural felic-
ity, The opposing interests Of workmen
and employers and the consequent organiza-
ton Of labor on the one hand and of capital
on the other for attack and defense. When
ever large bodies Of men organize to fight,
individual liberty goes to the wall
! hese lighting unions and associations
all dislike and try to prevent competition.
Unions and associations alike seek 20 es-
tablish and maintain controlling monopolies.
and some OF them succeed. Thus they
strike another blow at industrial liberty
by destroying free competition.
industrial liberty is not to be lost; 1t Is
only impaired temporarily. Trades unions
and associations OF employers or capitalists
are natural and useful products OF demo-
cratic society, and any nation which har-
bors one OF there forms of industrial COM
bination must harbor the other also. They
will endure, but they will create great dis
turbances and do much harm until they
give over the pursuit Of monopoly. recog-
nize that competition il Indispensable 10
industrial and social progress and see in
Ill erty for the individual the handspring
OF efficiency
Mar. Gompers when called upon referred
at the opening Of his remarks TO the COM
ments upon President Eliot's remarks he
had feltcalled upon to make at the last
meeting Of the Civic Federation. He said
that President Eliot had then insisted as
he insisted this evening, on indust rial peace
with liberty. But our conceptions OF liberty.
like our conceptions Of just ice. were changed
and modified 10y changed conditions.
@Ibeg to submit, continued Mr. (iompers.
to our friends who assert that in labor
unions men lose their individuality. that
which have specialized and divided and
subdivided industry, the laborer is
deprived ofhis individual liberty the moment
he enters a modern industrial plant"
Mr.. Gomlers then took up the case Of
the recent United States Supreme Court
decision on the ten hour law, and said:
I'VE are told TO make our appeals 70 the
law and there find the means by which
We secure the rights 70 which we as work.
men may be entitled. or relief from the
onerous conditions which may result in
any particular industry. May ] he per-
mitted to call your attention 10 a fact Of
recent occurrence? The United States
Supreme Court within the past week de-
clared the ten hour law for the bakers Of
the State Of New York unconstitutional.
"It Is neither my desire nor my purpose
10 criticize the highest judicial tribunal Of
our country, but one cannot always deer
even TO the judgment Of the Supreme Court
Of the United States, when. as we have seen,
the court, divided by a vote Of s 10 I, de-
clared a law such as have indicated uncop-
in the State OF New York for decades. That
law, tested through the various courts Of
New York and upheld as constitutional the
Supreme Court Of the United States now
decides as void
Without discussing the merits or de-
merits Of the opinion upon which that de-
cision is tased, let me call your attention
10 the fact that the four dissenting Judges
designate that decision OF the majority
opinion Of the court a. the most far reach
ing that has teen handed down by that
court i'm over one hundred years and now
there IL no law upon the statute books Of
the State Of New York limiting tho hours Of
labor Of the lakers.'
Mr.. Gompers then, with much vehemence,
announced that were he the bakers and
were the boss bakers To attempt 10 enforce
the ten hour day, he (Gompers) would strike,
and strike hard.
Among those present at the dinner were
Frederick d. Underwood, president Of the
Erie Railroad; Clarence II. Mackay. presi-
dent of the Postal Telegraph COMPANY,
Henry Phipps, director Of the United States I
Steel Corporation: c. T. Emmons general /
mana ger Of the General Electric Company; /
James Speyer Of Speyer a Co b. J. Green !
hut Of the Siegel-Cooper COMPANY Prof !
Ienlis OF Cornell University Nath n Stauz.
Of X. II. Macy A Co; Warren S. Stone, grand /
,hief Of the Brotherhood OF Locomotive /
Engineers; Frank Buchanan. president OF I
he International Association of Bridge /.
md Structural Iron Workers; Joseph r.
II i. a. p - D b