Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-13
Mr.. GOMPERs SPEAKS
INTERNATIONAL LABELS IN
PROPER SETTINGS.


dress last evening at a labor meeting held
under the auspices OF the Central Labor
Union in Typographical Temple. on q
street. The subject was .'The International
Labels" and the remarks OF Mr.. Gompers
were supplemented by large number or
attractive pictures. representing various
trades union labels in appropriate settings.
flashed upon canvas. The lecturer COM
mented In facetious terms upon the pc
lures. He told his hearers to ask for goods
bearing trade labels
The auditorium y as well filled, and much
enthusiasm was shown throughout the
meeting. This was especially evident when
reference was made to the effort OF the
striking printers OF Washington to secure
an eight hour working day Mr. Gompers
opened MS address by welcoming those
present In behalf OF the Central Labor
Union He said the selection OF the even
ng-the anniversary Of the birth Of Presi-
dent Lincoln-was a happy choice for a ia
DOT lecture. 1t was emfnently fitting he
said. In view OF Lincolns great work in
defining and esta bHshing the common
rights of mankind.
Ours Is a rough struggle" Mr. Gompers
said, out we see In the rough struggle
nobility of purpose transcending any other
movement In the history OF man. All noble
eHofts are rough struggles. From our civil
war to the sympathetic strife of the Ameri-
can people for the Independence of Cuba
all worthy efforts of the people were
rough struggles.
Conditions of misery poverty and de-
praVlty among the great masses of men re-
quire rough struggles for their alienation
ne iapor movement protests against
the doctrine that there is some proprietary
right In the employer to the labor of en-
ployes To those who entertain this belief
! would say. You have started too late
Nowadays the workers, the wealth pro-
ducers. have attained some Information
enough to know the meaning of right and
wrong, CT justice and injustice of bond
age ana liberty and humanity. And, hav-
ing conceived the meaning of these words,
they have determined to enthrone the right
and root out the wrong. Those who advo-
Gated the doctrine l have mentioned should
have begun with our grandfathers: now
they are too late.
Good Old Times.
In the so-called good old times, when
the workman had but few TOOLS which he
owned himself, and was in position where
ne could move from one employers service
u that OF another as he chose, things were
d'ferent Now. with the classification and
subclassidcation of industry. with machines
making machines. a workman on entering
any plant becomes mere atom in the in
dustrlal hive. To meet these modern indus
trial conditions labor unions have originated
and grown. Did workmen not associate
themselves with other workmen they would
now. in an indus Rad sense WHO " lose their
individuality.
Organization is the order of the day In
all phases Of life" said Mr.. Gompers in
meeting attacks made upon the conception
and spirit of labor unions. This great
country, he said, Is one mighty union The
civil war. he declared, was but a great
strike wherein the strikers after a hard
struggle, were not permitted to get out
And now, he added, there are none who de-
sire to get out less than those who then
made the attempt. This remark elected
hearty applause.
Not only trades" the speaker said, but
pr DECISIONS have their unions. They have
their unions and their codes of ethics. Did
you ever hear of a sef-respecting physician
taking another physicians job? The law
yers' call their union the bar association.
evidently believing that it sounds prettier
Haven't they their apprenticeship? They
call it their student life, evidently under the
impression that 1t sounds prettier.
''If one were to attempt to defend pris-
walking delegate, would ask him II he had
his union card The judge wouldn't put it
that way. but he would ask the if he
had his diploma, and If he didn't he wouldn't
be permitted to work In that lawyers shop.
Even the ministers have their unions.
Every clergyman belongs TO some minis
terial union or else he is branded as a
hereto. They all have their code and we
have ours. One of the cardinal rules of
our code of ethics is Thou shalt not take
thy neighbours job.
ours Is no trust he added we throw
wide open the doors and invite the world
OF working people to enter
Paid Respects to Critics.
Mr.. Gompers paid his respects to those
critics who assert that some labor unions
contain a large element OF the low, the
ignorant and the vicious. He denied that
the labor unions are responsible for the ex-
istence Of such conditions, If they do exist.
The unions. he said. take men as they find
them to help to make them better work
men and better citizens. He thought criti-
cisms of that sort came with i'll grace from
the capitalists, who import all sorts of types
to work in the mines and factories of this
country They bring them here and the
labor unions try to make them better. he
said He denied that trade unions ask for
equal wages for all men who work at
trades What they desire is that all work
men may at least receive living wages.
Mr.. Gompers referred briefly to strikes.
ION the question OF strikes l will say
word" he said. because. like the poor. we
have them with us nearly always. We
strike because we have to, not because we
wish to strike. We recognize that there
are some things worse than strikes We
don't want to strike, but realize that unless
we reserve the right TO strike the employers
will do all the striking for us il the shape
of longer hours and shorter wages. The
better we are prepared to strike the less
necessity VIII we nave 10 liiuuiSc III Thai
luxury"
He said the time for long hours of labor
had passed. The trade union had declared
against any increase in the hours of labor
and had taken position In favor of uni
versal labor day.
From a few remarks wishing the coal
miners well Mr.. Gompers turned to the sub
ject of the striking printers of Washington.
He stirred the audience to long applause
by stating that he firmly believed in the
ultimate success OF the strike. Il can say
this to you," he said. shat out of the 47000
| members Of the international Typographical
Union. Approximately $4,000 are now work
ing eight-hour days. or less. So when the
typot1letae people say they are going to de-
feat the printers In the fight for the eight
| hour day It is simply absurd and out of the
question.
In closing Mr.. Gompers said eve hope
to live long enough to help much In the
work of saving men and women from the
fate of having their bones ground into COL
lars to satisfy the almost Unsuitable greed
| of the modern Moiochs.
Women Have Eyes Examined Just for
Fun.
From the jewelers. Circular Weekly.
4