The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-05-30
TRIBUTE RESPECT
TO AMERICAN T0|L[R.
Noble Words Spoken in American
Congress by Hon. William
Sulzer of New York.
Labor Not Of Today, Or Of Yes-
terday, or Of Tomorrow, But
Is Eternal.

alton a bill making appropriation for
the support Of the malitary academy,
Representative w. H. Sulzer Of New
York took occasion to pay the follow
ing tribute to labor:
- Mr.. Speaker: I shall take advant-
age Of this occasion to speak for the
toilers Of our country-for the rights
of the men who create the wealth of
our land, for those worthy citizens OF
the Republic, the American working
men-who have made us all that we
are, and will make U.s. II we are true
to ourselves, all that we hope to be
the greatest and the grandest and the
freest and the most prosperous people
the world has ever seen.
Only Creative Force.
No man, in my opinion can pay too
high a tribute to labor" It is the
creative force of the material world,
the genius of accomplishment of IN
brain and the Drawn Of the land, the
spirit OF all progress, and the. mile
stones marking the advance Of man.
Civilization owes everything to labor
to the constructive toiler and the
creative worker. Labor owes very
little to civilization. Mother Earth Is
labor's best friend. From her forests
and her fields, from her rocks and her
rivers, the toiler has wrought all and
brought forth the wonders of the
world.
Labor is not Of today, or Of yester-
day, or Of tomorrow. It is eternal.
Dynastics come and go, governments
rise and fall centuries succeed centu-
ries, but labor goes on forever. Labor
is the everlasting law Of life.
Tear down your palaces and your
temples and labor will replace them:
close every avenue Of trade and COM
MERGE and labor will reopen them;
destroy your towns and your cities
and labor will rebuild them greater
and grander than they were; but de-
stroy labor, and famine will stalk the
land, and pestilence will decimate the
human race If every laborer in the
world should cease work for 80 days,
it would cause the greatest catas-
trophe that ever befell mankind-a
tragedy to the human race Impossible
to depict and too frightful to contem-
plate.
Justice to Labor.
Mr.. Speaker, let us be just to labor.
Let us do something for labor. I am
now, always have been, and always
will be the friend of the toilers--of
the farmers, and the wage earners Of
America-of those who earn their
bread in the sweat Of their face. The
record of my life, in the legislature Of
my state, and in the congress Of the
United States, will prove the truth
and the sincerity of these words.
My sympathies are all with the
poor, with the oppressed, and with the
unfortunate. My heart goes out to
those who toll and struggle. I know
in the long race Of LIES tempestuous
battle only. the few win, that the many
lose heart, become discouraged, and
give up the fight In hopeless despair.
During the five years I was mem
Der Of the assembly Of the state Of
New York, I introduced and passed
many bills, which are now laws, in
the interest of labor, and for the
amelioration of our workmen. I am
proud of that record, and I am glad
to know that my efforts in the New
York legislature, and In congress-, for
the wage earners have always been
appreciated by them.
have been g. member Of the House
Of Representatives for nearly IA years.
During that time have done my best
70 rthe workers Of Amortization the
brain and the Drawn Of our land.
Unfortunately, since have been a
member of congress, I have always
been in a hopeless minority, and while
I could construct and urge the passage
Of beneficial legislation, demanded by
labor throughout the country, I couli
not always succeed in writing the
laws desired by the producers on the
federal statute books. However, am
never discouraged-the battle for the
right will go on and on until justice
is done, and the cause Of the right
triumphs over prejudice and might
and cunning
Rights Of ToiIers.
l stand now where I always have
stood, and where I always will stand
for the rights Of the toilers. for
justice to the workingmen Of our
country whose labor creates all
wealth, and I will continue in the fu-
ture, as I have in the past, to do all
in my power to advance their pros
perity and to promote their material
welfare.
Ever since I have been a member
of congress I have struggled to pass 4
bill which I introduced making eight
| hours legal. working day. Organized
labor from one end Of this land to the
other favors this bill, but the opposi-
ton to it has been so great that it's
true friends have never been able TO
pass it. 1t is good bill and it ought
to pass.
In my judgment no man in this
country ought to be compelled to work
more than eight hours day. ! want
to see, and hope the day is not far
distant when we all shall see, an
eight-hour law written on the statute
books OF our land and rigidly enforced
In every state, III every city, in every
town. and in every village in tie
country. II believe it VIII be bene1cial
to the laborer, advantageous to the
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