The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-26
SAMUEL GOMPERS
UTTERS WARNING
Serious Labor Uprising Is Pre-
dicted in Near Future
LAWS ARE CRITICISED
Mr.. Gompers Declares That Present
And Pending Laws Are Inimical TO
Labor and Threaten the Ex-
istence of Labor Unions

Washington, February 25.-Samuel Com
pers, president Of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, told Attorney General
Wiekersham today that If the present
American wage-workers' movement,
which he said is constructive and con-
servative In character is outlawed and
crushed out of existence by unfayor-
able legislation and court decisions, it
will be followed by another movement
which will scarcely be constructive
For two hours Mr. Gompers and Mr..
Wickersham discussed legislation affect
ing labor.
Opposition was made by the labor lead
er to the Moon bill, now before the
judiciary committee of the House, on
the ground that it is a pro-injunction
measure. He said/it did not fulfill the
republican platform promise on the in
junction question: that the bill would
give statutory authority for the issu-
ance of injunetions," which is the thing
that the American Federation of Labor
has been fighting so vigorously to pre-
vent in the Buck Stove and Range COM
pany case, the Danbury hatters' case
and other similar cases, he stated.
"At the present time" said Mr.. Com
pers, there is simply an assumption of
authority by the courts in the injunction
cases, but If the Moon bill were passed
there would be statutory authority for
these unfavorable court decisions"
Mr.. Gompers called the attention of the
Attorney General to the status of the
labor organizations of the country as a
result of the decision in the hatters' case
and told him that labor here should be
dealt with as fairly as 1t was In Eng
land as a result Of the Taff-Vale decision
against the railroad employees. which was
wiped out by the trades dispute act,
passed by parliament in 1905.
The relations between employer and
employee are personal, said Mr.. Gompers.
They cannot be properly rlghted unless
it is held that there is vested right
by the employer in the labor of work.
men. He declared that the term labor
is an abstraction, a short expression used
in place of tabor power" which is an
attribute of life inseparable from the
person. and, therefore, he added, not to
be owned by anybody as material tnlnS,
and that it cannot be a possession I'M
less the man or woman is property.
Mr.. Gompers discussed with the Alto
ney General the principles of the Sher-
man antitrust law which law in the
hatters' case decision by the supreme
court of the United States, had been
given a construction never intended by
Congress.
1.-The labor union is not trust" he
asserted 'None of its achievements in
behalf of its members and society at
large can properly be COMPOUNDED with
the pernicious and selfish activities of
the Illegal trust
In an editorial in the current number
of the Federationist Mr.. Gompers de-
clares the Sherman antitrust law should
be amended or ended"
In reviewing the decision of the SUI
preme court, when it sent the Danbury
matters case back for another trial, he
says: 1.-The supreme court took the amaz-
ing view that the Hatters' union at
tempted to force all manufacturers
against their will to make agreements
with the union" He declared the law is
being trained against the unions to their
disadvantage in opposition Of the purpose
for which it was intended by Congress.