Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-15
GOMPERS MAKES HIS REPORT


the great progress made is apparent This
iEadons they represent, and, at a Rianoe.
does not account for several hundred CEN
trail bodies and local unions affiliated. but
unrepresented by delegates.
Pursuant to law and custom your presi-
dent is directed to make an annual report
to you az to his stewardship Of rights and
interests Of the workers which you have
placed In his keeping. He is to give an &C
counting on his acts to protect and advance
the sacred cause of labor and he is to offer
such advice and make such suggestions as
commend themselves to his Judgment as
being promotive Of the welfare of the work
ers and as making for the common veal.
Among the myriad matters whaoh have
come before me for action or which I have
initiated, 1t is exceedingly difficult to dis
criminate as to which are the most import
ant to be submitted to you While il Is true
that every event or project in the labor
movement is In its way important all the
issues are not vital or imminent, and vet
all subjects must receive careful and con-
Bcientious attention. Time may render
some matters only relatively important.
Considerations such as ther4 have deter
mined my course both in past and in max
ing this report, which now have the honor
to submit"
UniOnism Not in Groove.
Denying the assertion that trades union
ism works in q narrow groove. and that
union workers are mere cogs in a big ma
chine, President Gompers enters into the
discussion at great length, as follows:
" The nRrrowness Of trade unionism.
This phrase passes current, at full face
value in every camp and even Ia every
grouplet OF 1ntelleotuals.' In going the
whole round Of the 1sms,' sociological
ethical, legal political, refoTmatory, played
out popular craze or Just-out social pan
aceas one will hear expressed by the leaders
sentiment that the trade unionists are
hide-bound conservatives-because they de-
cline to rush in a body to take the magic
medicine for social ills offered by the
particular ism advocated by the critic in
each particular case.
'Tt 10 q fact that trade uniOnism in
America moves on in Its own set and de-
nberate way. In so doing, Il has outlived
wave upon wave of hastily conceived So
called broad movements that were to re-
construct society in a single season. And
It has sufficiently good cause for con-
| tinuing its own reasoned-out course.
"A full defense OF trade unionism against
the charge OF narrowness would require
many volumes, were each to be separately
devoted to oounter-statements and argu-
mentation addressed TO every critic ad-
vocatng his own special ism as against
trade unionism. But there is one brood
bottomed fact underlying all the criticisms
OF trade unionism based on its alleged mar
rowness. That fact Is that trade unionism
is not narrow.
The locomotive engine is not narrow
because II is not fitted TO run on high
ways and byways and waterways as It is
for railways, nor is the steamship mar
row because It can not be made TO run
on land. But steam. the motive power,
can be 80 applied that It Is effective on
both land and water. An engine is adapted
to a special use; steam in its applications
is universal.
Similarly, a trade union in not a ma
chine fitted TO the work OF directly affect
ing all the civic. social and political
changes necessary in society. But II first
OF all teaches the working classes the
power OF combination. Thenceforward II
disciplines them, leads them 20 perform
tasks that are possible. and permits the
members Of any OF its affiliated bodies to
attempt any form OF social experiment
which does not imperil the organization
as a whole. The spirit OF combination hai
thu immediate effects OF self-oonfideno'
for the democratic elements In the unions
: OF growth in the loyalty OF worlingman
OF constant progressive achievement moi
confined 20 restricted limits. II Is there
! fore a motive power continuously and
variously applicable az the masses mov'
forward and upward in their individual
J and collective development
4 Spirit OF UniOniam.
The spirit OF combination In the wage
Z workers has as a motive power many point
OF resemblance 70 that OF steam Cor 70
Z that matter electricity in the mschanica
! world. one OF these points Is that IN,
I machine 10 be moved must not be too biz
. or too complex for the engine. Theoris
social refOrmers beyond enumeration hav,
In vain Offered their utopian inventions I,
the masses becaupe the latter endowe,
! with common sense, have, on due observa
ton, refused 20 supply the needed waste
ful power 10 make the inventions go.
they had done so for a time. they coul,
but have exhibited the folly OF going q
!. greater pains and troubles than the pres
: ent social machinery requires. The his
, tory OF the United states IL plsnufuIll
b illustrated with millSnisi experiments