The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-08-15
President Gompers UrgsGsv Re.
quests all Unionists to w
to Secure Tangible Results.
VITAL ISSUES INVOLVED :
IN PRESENT CAMPAIGN
It is Expected That Every Man
in This Crisis Shall Do
His Duty.

The working people of our country
are confronted by condition unpar-
alleled in the history Of labor in the
past century. The courts have inter-
preted the Sherman antitrust law SO
as to make all our labor organlza-
tions to come under its provisions,
declaring that our unions are illegal
combinations and conspiracies In -un-
lawful restraint of trade. Under that
decision every man of the great rank
and file Of labor may be sued for
three-fold damages and each member
prosecuted, fined to the extent OF five
thousand dollars or imprisoned for one
year, or both such fine and imprlson-
ment. -
From President Gompers. .
President Gompers of the American
Federation Of Labor, by authority OF
the executive council has addressed a
communication Ito organized labor
and friends in the United States
from which we take the following ex-
cerpts:
Abuse Of Injunction.
We take it that 1t. is not necessary
to recount the abuses Of the injunc-
ton writ by which the workers are
made the. special class to be discrim-
mated against and denied the consti-
tutional. guarantee of equality before
the law; by which men are fined and
sent to Jail for the doing Of things
which are perfectly lawful, but which
they are unjustly enjoined from doing
by the abuse of the injunction writ.
We do not address you as parti-
sans, but as fellow workers.; to us you
may be Republicans, Democrats, or
you may owe fealty to some othr poli-
tical party, but as fellow werkmen It
is our bounden duty to stand man
fullyvin defense Of our rights as wealth
producers and as citizens of our COM
mon country without regard to PARTY
affiliation. -
Duty of the Hour.
In the. effort to secure justice for
labor and TO safeguard it to all our
fellow citizens, and to be able to hand
down to our children our republic un-
impaired, where equality of opportun-
ity and equality before the law may
be there safeguarded, we must be up
and doing and perform our whole
duty. No man can fail to bear the
responsibility towards himself and his
fellows today and for generations to
follow, without being recreant to his
own conscience and the moral obliga-
tion devolving upon him.
The working people of our country
have placed upon us the duty of see
ing to 1t that the demands which labor
makes upon modern society for right
and justice shall be carried to their
legitimate conclusion. This involves
the activities of all so that our eff
forts shall be crowned with success
Issues Involved.
It is expected that every man in
this crisis shall do his duty.
-ou can re. Idly understand that we
shall have to depend almost entirely
upon such financial contributions In
the present crisis as our union men
and our friends can give. To secure
tangible results not only members OF
organized labor but all the workers
must be Informed through the medium
Of speakers and by the distribution OF
literature and large quantities OF
printed matter as to the issues in
volved. The real issue in which the
vital interests and rights of the toll
ing masses are involved must be set
of labor and all others will neither be
confused nor divided.
Funds for Campaign.
The Executive Council of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor has. author
lied the issuance Of an appeal fol
tunds to carry on the campaign for
labor's rights to a successful issue
In the name of the Executive Council
and In the name Of all labor and OF
our common people, we appeal to YOU
to contribute something to a fund
which shall make it possible TO wa %
campaign of the most intense In
terest for the establishment Of labor,.
rights. - ~
Every union man is in a position
20 make some financial contribution:
Ind 1t Is hoped that the contributions
may be as large as the means Of the
anfon will afford: In addition to this
an1ons are urgently requested to an-
point committees to appeal for and
:ollect funds and to forward them to
this office.
The Ensmy Alert.
We cannot expect "the interests
and those who are hostile to labor
to aid us In OUT just contentious.
The forces of corporate power and
The Van cleavites are sinking their
differences and concentrating their
light against labor. An opportunity. Is
now presented to the wage earners of
0ur country to administer stinging,
sffectty and lasting rebuhe to our
antagonists and to secure the justice
Ind the rights which are ours BY ev2.
8sry constituti guarantees and by
Continued On page q. |17s