The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-11-22

iic lOllO"lHS dEe d lew eSUrlCtS
rom the annual report of President
Samuel Gompers to the American
Federation of Labor now in session
by constant, consistent and
persistent application and concen-
tratiOn of our efforts along trades
union lines we have steadily but
surely advanced onward and up
ward, and have aided in the sub
statial improvement of the material,
moral, political and social condition
of the working people-aye of all
the people.
81 am quite sure that all will
agree that am safe within the
limits of the truth in stating that
at no previous convention of our
great movement have hopes, cour-
age, expectancy and interest been
50 thoroughly aroused and centered
as upon this gathering-consum-
mating as it does the quarter of a
century of the existence of the
American Federation of Labor.
loo many of the burdens and
the wrongs of ages, the result of
prejudice, bigotry and greed are
yet borne by the myriads of work
ers. Despite the progress and
achievements. it is the mission and
the bounden duty of the much
abused, misunderstood and mis-
represented organized labor move
ment of our country and our time
to tighten burdens, abolish wrong
and attain the rights too long
denied.
"Despite the bitter antagonism
OF the worst elements in the capi-
talistic forces and the relentless war
upon our movement which they
undertaken to wage, as well as the
attempt of those who mask under
pretended friendship for labor, and
their efforts at undermining
and dividing our organization
our movement steadily forges
to the front, is augmented
by large numbers of the previously
unorganized, and by affiliation
brings into the fold of our brother
hood international, State, city and
local unions.
Experience has invariably
shown that with the reduction in
the hours of labor has come ma.
terial, intellectual and moral i'm,
provement in the condition of the
workers. Despite this self-evident
TACT, however, our opponents have
never halted in their claim that
more leisure from the burdens OF
daily toll would prove the incen.
tive to its abuse and the indul.
gence of intemperate and immoral
habits.
"If we adhere firmly to the pol.
Icy, establish and maintain it as &
liked principle in the industrial
affairs of America, that at any and
all hazards we will resist any at
tempt at wage reductions, we shal
establish not only new economic
principle, but new philosoph,
by which industrial panics anC
crises will be obliterated. and We
shall set an example for the Who'll.
world to follow.
while no federal statute correc
i've of judicial excesses in the us,
Oh the 1njunctive process can be re
ported, yet there can be no doub
That progress has been made to
ward that desirable conSummation
Most of the State courts and som,
Oh the United States courts are nov
giving more attention to the EN-
phatc protests of organized 1abo
and weighing more carefully TIL,
arguments presented by attorney.
representing labor, as we'll as thos
Oh publicists, against the disposi
uon to interfere by a resort to thi
extraordinary process in trade dis
puteS.
but we must not, as we valu
our dearest rights and most impor
Unit interests, relax our efforts be
cause of the check thus given b,
our educational word.
Our political campaign has ful
hIed one of its most importan