The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-10
Workers Won't Starye
and It's Treason to Be
Idle, Leader De-
cIareS.
Morgan Interview Calls
Forth Heated Denuncia-
ton of Stand Taken
by Capital.

whether or not J. Pierpont MORGAN
made the statement attributed 20 Lf-,
that the workmen must submit or
| starve, do know that thar rbo-s4,+
has been IN tho minds Of MANY en-
ployers Of labor for a consider H.
/ tiiIis- l want TO say now that the labor
movement has declared that we viii
neither submit nor viii we starve 4"
IN this manner President Samuel
/ Gompers, addressing the deIegates as
+ senbled IN Washington this morning TO
/ form an International association Of
I building trades. answered the now ia
I nous interview purporting to be from
/ J. Pierpont Morgan, whom Mr.. Conn
ers credited with being the ereatest
| lnancieT in the world.
Thinks Denial True.
Mr. GomDers said that he had has,
besieEed by newspapers YESTERDAY, fo-
| IN expression OF his views IN arSyver
TO the remarks OF Mr. Moran b-.+
informed his hearers that he had r.
served his opinion. He also said that
De could not believe at first that "a
man Ike Mr.. Morgan would ssv al,
the things attributed to him. ana rl,ar
he now noted that Mr.. Morgan reDudi-
! ated the interview, and he believed
Mr.. Morgan's statement. NevertbeIass
ne said, TINS was the thought Of man,
large employers. and he warned hfs
hearers that the labOriDg men faced
crisis.
After expressing his approval Of the
pan ID IoIIn an International assocfo-
tlon OF the building trades as u So
sldlary bOdy 10 the American F7e5e-9
tlon OF Labor. Mr.. GOmpers said f5s-
ld ne mad another thought he wished fo
Begins Reply to Morgan.
The other thing want 10 talk 70 Won
ABOUT said Mr. GOmpers. lis our now
hlent against society. There has a73es--
60 N the newspapers an interview with
). FleFpomt Morgan. the greatest 6nar-
cieT OF our country. and viii saw of
tAe world a man upon whose word rtre
"hoie world waits with more anxfous
anticipation that upon the word or sn,.
other living man
IN this interview Mr.. AFor1ar fs -.f.7
20 nave stated that labor must la.rD
mat IL cannot control industry rhs-
lederatlons are powerless 10 prevent re-
uucuons IN wages, so what can they
40 Dut submit OF starve. I received a
IeiIegTam embodying these Statements
-iI -It-iI Let'o 20 you, from q neWsD9DaF
which asked my opinion of f6er5
tiSo received call from the ron
ing the interview The ssnfJ-,1..,it( - ~ ~
ING at variance with what I had rs..4
ana peHeyed 70 be the attitude OF afr
Morgan, / was half inclined tn 5o71f,t
80 IS, utCeF1Le7s- tS sl Today see repudia-
non OF the interview on the D5rr -
Nr. Morgan, and ] believe him MS
views ana mine may diveree Iarpal,- -
hlinDeF OF things, but when be sayS
rs cid not make this statement sbr1,r
word VIA accept MS
Workmen viii Not Starve.
But whether or not Mr.. Morgan said
the Things attributed to him. we l-Dor,
tnat such thoughts have been IN -.
lllhd o. many Of our large EMPLOYERS
Tor a considerable time. Thar f. a.,
1hlng that they have IN mind-tbat fb..
"oFkingmen must accept q reduction {r,
wages inst the employer may take adj
vantage Of the opportunity now ,,-e-
sehted' and that we, the laborinp ~
hlust submit or starve. And the IabaT
movement has declared thar We LII
neither submit nor starve. "'t
On the same page of the same .nara,-
II winch Mr.. MOrgans intervfav- fs
printed IS the story Of thousands Of
ScnooI sen children IN New York going hum
gry 10 school, no meals at recess -
not only unable TO study, but ac+usiIiiJ-
so weak from hunger that they fairf
at their desks. A''i-'
Treason to Race.
There is another story v-bi-L s.-
that one out Of every three union men
IS Idle. For what? The machinery is
there, the Drawn and muscle is there.
the need Of the people is there-and We,
the men are idle, with their children cry
ing for food. I say 10 you, that in the
tace Of such conditions it IS not Oily
inhuman and brutal. but il Is treason to
our country and to the human race for
any man to say that the working DeopIe
shall submit or starve.
The American workingman has come
to the conclusion that the conditions
which prevail in other countries where
there is a perpetual army OF the un-
employed will not be tolerated in the
United States. If we permit IL, it will
be our own fault You and I will be
10 blame just as We are true or un-
true, as we are sentimental or practical.
earnest and honest citizens OF the
United States and true TO union and la
Dor.
And I believe that the American
worl1ingnan has fully come to the con
cluSlOn that he viii not submit 10 any
reduction in his wages. There is no
necessity for ii, there is no excuse for
It. 1t is not helpful. but on the con-
trary harmful, injurious. and destruc-
tive.
President Gcmpers prefaced his re-
marks by assuring the delegates CT the
support Of the American Federation OF
Labor to the object of the convention.
namely, the forming OF an international
association of the various building
trades, which has heretofore been at
tempted, bur on account Of various in
ternal dissessions, been abandoned.
He warned them that a great deal