The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-24
GOMPERS ON TRUSTS
LABOR LEADER SEES HOPE
OF REFORMING THEM.
Expects to See It Done Through Crea-
ton of New Public Attitude Toward
Corporate Influences.

form that Samuel Gompers. president
of the American Federation of Labor,
sees hope of a solution of the trust
problem. The belief was expressed by
Mr.. Gompers during the course of an
address before the conference on trusts
and combinations being held here. He
said this reform, to be effective. must
come from another source han that
now generally accepted-that it must
come through the creation of a public
opinion which will see to II that The
will of the people and not the mandate
of corporate influence shall be para
mount. He believes this could be
brought about through organized as
ISOLATION of the masses.
The problems which confront us are
serious les indeed, but they are not
hopeless" said he. I'm intelligent and
associated use of the powers of the
many will be found the solution. Dis
organized and violent denunciation is
more harmful than helpful. Construc-
tive n associated effort must check
and correct the abuses which have
grown so rapidly in this era of concen-
trated methods of production and dis
tribution. We cannot, If we would,
turn back to the primitive conditions
of industry which marked the early
- - A0 10
idle chatter to talk of annihilating
trusts. The trust is, economically speak
ing, the logical and inevitable accom-
paniment and development of our
modern commercial and Industrial sys-
tenn.
Asserting that the trust is a logical
and inevitable feature of our modern sys-
TEN of industry is merely stating that
our modern plan of production, which
for brevitV and ronvpnianra una coll rho
trust system, is the most perfect yet at
tained." continued Mr.. Gompers. I'VE do
not. however, mean to imply by this that
the individuals who form trusts, who
manipulate them, who profit by them, are
logically and inevitably right in many CT
the methods they employ OF the lengths
to which they go. Neither do we concede
the argument that these individuals who
form and manage trusts are so superior
a class of beings that they are entitled
to the enormous largesse which many of
them Lain from the profits of economical
production. Quite the contrary is the
fact. Much of the protest against trust
methods is justly and legitimately based
on the fact hat trust promoters, man.
ayers and owners seize and keep for them
selves a far greater share of the profits
of modern production and distribution
than that to which they are entitled.
VhdhS VI lucSO 6eAticuuCn aiG liiClciJ
fortunate accidents in the capitalization of
a new era." he went on. '"They too often
forget that they are bound to give account
ing, to do justice to that great force which
makes industry possible-the people-in
their two capacities, as producers and con-
sumcrs. 1t must be remembered hat the
trade union. while not a trust, is just as
inevitable and logical a development as the
trust Itself. The trade union finds its
greatest development under the same
economic conditions which produce the
trust: that is the introduction of ma
chinery, the subdivision of industry, the
adoption of vast and complicated systems
of production which obliterate the indi-
vidua1ity Of the worker and thus force him
into an association. but not a trust, with
his fellows. in order that collectively they
may protect their rights as wage workers
and as citizens. and also guard the inter-
ests of all workers. The trade union is
the voluntary association of the many for
the benefit of all the community. The
trust is the voluntary association Of the
few for their own benefit.
1.-The workers of the country" Mr..
Gompers said further, have pretty thor
oughly mastered the broad economic truth
that organization Is the watchword of
modern industry. Labor comedies the right
of organization among employers. 1t is
perfectly willing to deal with such asso-
Citations, provided its own rights are not
denied or invaded-to put it more strongly
provided its rights are recognized n
conceded. When we take up the case of
the worker as a consumer, still speaking
for the masses, the situation Is more COM
plicated. The worker has not yet de-
veloped the same capacity to protect him
self as a consumer that he has as a pro-
Queer, or, rather, to put it more accu-
rately, trust abuses are more pronounced
In the realm of distribution. The control
of vast distributing powers by certain
trusts has been acquired through means
which are only beginning to be under
stood by the people at large-the con-
sumers.
"If our constitution must be construed
literally" he declared further, "in order
to meet new conditions, let it be construed
to give the masses the greater liberty and
freedom and happiness to which they are
entitled under the most wonderful indus
trial development the world has ever
known. We need not be afraid to trust
the people. On the contrary, we must
trust them more and more. Let the aggre-
cations of wealth which seek to control
our industries remember that in the last
analysis they must depend upon the labor
and the intelligence and the willingness of
the masses.
Let the trusts remember that they will
be required to give an account of their
stewardship to the people. AS assumption
of divine right and trusteeship is not
enough, the accounting must square with
the assumption said Mr.. Gompers in con-
clusion.