Arizona republican., 1911-11-14
Statement Issued by Samuel
Gompers, of the American
Federation of Labor,
Deals Largely With
Politics.
SAYS HE'S READY
TO BE JAILED
Declares for the Principles
of Direct Legislation
Which he Says Laborers
Will be Expected to Sup
port.

ATLANTA. Ga. Nov. 13.-President
Samuel Gompers formally opening the
! thirty first annual convention OF the
| American Federation of Labor today.
| declared he, and the other two labor
| leaders sentenced 10 Jail for contempt
OF court. are ready and willing to
serve tine sentences if they must
If any man in labor is guilty
OF violating the law" he declared. he
should be indicted. then tried by
Jury of his countrymen. | deny the
right Of any judge To issue an in
junction denying me my constitu-
tional rights 1t is not so much an
assumption of power as an assump
ton of jurisdiction that we object TO.
This semi -deificatiOn of judges
he said in defense of his endorse
ment. this canotimoniouS cant about
mob rule some of which was in
President Taft's message Vetoing the
Arizona statehood bill is mere drivel.'
President Gompers' report, which
covers so closely printed pages and
would makes more than 80 columns
in newspaper. says it leaves many
subjects untouched or inadequately
presented.
In the main. the report declared
for. and says organized labor de-
mands.
The referendum the initiative and
the recall.
Passage of the so-caned anti
injunt tion bills at the next session of
congress.
Restriction Of immigration.
Further restriction of convict labor.
Legislation 10 relieve civil service
employees from the executive orders
Prohibiting them to petition congress
Uniform laws for protection of life
and health in factory buildings
\ department OF labor in the fed
eral government.
Employers liability and workmen's
Compensation acts throughout the
states
Severe arraignment is made of So
called scientific management or ef-
ficiency systems.
With its membership now more
than l.750GG0 the greatest in its his
tory. and its financial condition eX-
Cellert. the organization often called
the greatest altruistic institution of
the times enters the thirty-first year
Of its work
Despite all opposition of the most
relentless kind the American labor
movement grows and thrives: it's
beneficient influence for the common
uplift of labor and of all our people |
extends To all fields of useful activity |
and is becoming more generally rec
ognized. The power which labor |
holds within its grasp is understood |
by our opponents perhaps better than |
many of the toilers The fact is that |
labor's opponents. like the Tories of |
the past. many Of whom are still with |
us. are afraid To- trust the people.
With power i'm the hands Of labor |
and of the people generally comes |
sense Of responsibility And |
though errors are liable to occur they |
bring experience. and an avoidance of |
recurrence The errors of encroach- |
ments of the few or of an autocrat !
teach them no lessons and are recti- |
fed only by the peoples revolt. How !
perfectly safe freedom is. is truth |
rot yet fully understood" says the |
report
LabOrS contentious of many years |
have become merged. or have rather 1
co-ordnated with those of the pro-
gressive of all parties. The people as
a whole. irrespective of class. condi- |
tion, calling or partisan alignment /
have declared for freedom i'm fact. and |
rot merely i'm name. They are taking /
affairs political into their own hands /
They will no longer tolerate the sale |
OF legislation to the highest bidder |
or the granting of franchises to the
richest bribe giver. Under the COM |
ing regime. assuredly there are to be
no more court decrees entered as pre-
pared in advance and ordered by the
attorney for the stronger party
stronger politically or financially.
In lieu of the political boss and |
his machine. we shall have leadership
Of intelligence. pleading for public
justice. with adherentS proportiOned |
(COntinnad on Eona