The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-09-15
MAPOR OF SPOKANE
IS LABOR SPEAKER
Chief Executive of Western
City Discusses Union La
bor and Politics,
Says if it Were Not for Union
Labor Workingmen Would
Be Out.

Spokane, WASH. Sept. 13.-'1 stand
squarely for organized labor. In no
other way can labor protect itself from
organized capital. No one questions
the right of capital to organize, but
capital questions the right Of labor to
organize"
These words formed the keynote to
the Labor Day address made by Floyd
of Spokane, at Manito Park, where the
other speakers were Clarence S. Dar-
row Of Chicago. counsel for Meyer,
Pettibone and Haywood, charged with
the murder of former Governor
Steunenberg of Idaho, and D. c. Coates
of Wallace, Idaho, formerly president
of the Western Federation of Miners.
Mayor Daggett's remarks were Wig
orously applauded by the thousands
who turned out in the demonstration.
He spoke on "the Relation Of Organ
lied Labor to the Body Politic," the
latter, he said, including every form
Of society and every occupation. He
said in part:
This Is the day Of organized capital
or corporations, and the claim Is that
by this means raw material Is purchas-
ed In larger quantities at less cost;
that by this means raw material is
grown more extensively; that better
equipment is provided, lessening the
cost OF production, concentrating the
management lessons the cost, and that
all this tends to lessen the cost to the
consumer-the desired point.
But what do we find: Under this
condition labor is developed into a
machine and the result is the smaller
manufacturer is driven out of business
or into other lines by the trust ccm-
binat1ons. The point desire to make
is that under the conditions obtaining
today the laborer is, dependent for his
daily bread and that Of his family
upon capital interests, and the selling
of any arti icle for less than it can
reasonably produced means so many
dollars and cents to the producer. II
lessened cost means low prices for
raw material this comes out of the
laborer. 1t means child labor, it means
wife and children in the sweat shops
to assist the father in eking out a
living and IT mea ms many other things
to the ,detrinienf ofsths WorK irir man
and working woman Tiais cry for less
cost is an endless chain. It efrects
every one and none can escape. =.
That is why I stand for organized
labor; for: living wage and living
cost Of production, and I can see no
permanent prosperity for this or any
other nation without it. This is a
community interest and every one of
the eighty or ninety million people is
a part of this community. Let us be
Christians in the true sense. This is
an excellent time to apply the Golden
Rule; we are our brothers keeper
and we are interested in their well
fare.'
Mr.. Darrow declared he has no
quarrel with the trusts but with the
manner in which they are conducted.
Combined labor Is labor trust, he
said, and combined capital is capital
trust, and the man who does not Join
one or the other will be crushed, He
urged the workers to vote intelligent-
~ and send their own to legislate for
them.
The parade was one OF the largest
In the history of Spokane, more than
$500 men being in line and there were
several hundred on floats and wagons.