The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-29
GOMPERS MAKES A THREAT
Conditions Under Which Labor
Will Work in Sworn Secrecy.
Will Do So Unless Congress Amends
Antitrust Laws So That 1t Shall
Not Apply to Unions.

Washington, D. C.-Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, who appeared be-
fore the House Committee on the
Judiciary to urge a favorable report
on the Civic Federation bill intro
duced by Mr.. Hepburn, Of Iowa, pro-
posing amendments to the Sherman
antitrust act, made a threat in be-
half Of organized labor which he did
not attempt to veil or conceal. He
told the committee frankly that in
view Of the intolerab!e conditions
that nov surround laboring men it
would be necessary for them to fur
Their in secret the cause for which
they stand if the inherent rights
which he alleged they possessed were
taken from them by the application
of the antitrust act. He made it
plain further that if the pending bills
were defeated labor would hold the
party in power responsible.
Suppose injunctions are obtained
against u.s." said Mr.. Gompers. Sup
pose our funds are taken from us by
damage suits. Our spirit cannot be
killed. The organization of labor
has lasted for centuries and it Is here
to stay. Nothing can abolish it. We
may be driven into organizing in Sc
cret, but we will never be extermin-
ated.
And" continued Mr.. Gompers
with great elaboration, gentlemen
of the wisdom possessed by members
of this committee know that men
who are allowed to combine in the
open, free and unmolested. are more
careful and circumspect than those
who are driven into secrecy-oath-
bound secrecy. In my judgment no
question before Congress equals in
Importance this proposition to so
amend the Sherman law as to give or
ganized labor it's rights-rights that
it has enjoyed for a century. 1t
ought not to be postponed until q
hereafter. The Workmen feel that
they have been outraged by the
Sherman law, which has been con-
strued so as to interfere with
the inherent right of going on
strike in protection of their
rights and their very lives. If l
Judge the temper Of the workmen of
this country correctly, and I think l
do, we cannot wait much longer for
relief. And it is certain that we will
hold to a strict accountability the
men or the parties responsible for de-
lay in our securing that action to
which we are so plainly entitled"
Mr.. Gompers, in reply to questions
pronounced by Mr.. Littlefeld, said
that he believed in the boycott. After
explaining that the right to strike is
the only great weapon labor has in its
struggles for it's rights Mr.. Gompers
pointed out that while he favored the
pending bill as a whole he would like
10 have it amended so as not to re-
quire Federal registration by the la
Dor organizations.
In the course of his address Mr..
Gompers referred to an unsuccessful
effort he made in 1902 to have the
Sherman act amended.
Mr.. Littlefield-"I was one of the
seven who voted against it,"
There were nine" corrected Mr..
Gompers. Some Of. them are not
members of Congress now"
Representative Littlefeld opened
the hearing by reading a score or
more kilograms received from bust
ness men and representatives Of cor
porations interposing serious objec-
ton to several features of the pend
ing bill. among the messages re-
ceived were the following:
IF this bill, which legalizes the
boycott, is passed, the country will
be handed over to the Democrats"
"For Gods sake, kill the Hepburn
bill"
Kill the bill, or all confidence in
our intention will be destroyed"
Representative Littleield, who has
had two or three skirmishes with or
ganized labor, smiled grimly as he
read these kilograms.