The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-09-09
REPUBLICS MUST Be
ETERNALLY ON GUARD
Dangers from Within More to Be
Feared Than Those from
IL - Without.
Civilization Cannot Long Con-
tinue Except Through the
Agency of Labor.

DENVER, COIO, sept. l.-\0PeC1di
to Labor World)-While speaking to
an audience in this city, President
Gompers startled his audience by
sounding a significant warning note.
Speaking of the fall of republic, he
said: LAS Americans We have been
fortunate; we have faculty for
overcoming obstacles. Through all
turmoils and despite national uphea-
val we have somehow landed on all
tours safely. From the time of the
framing of the constitution, net
work of difficulties has been over
come. We have become a nation of
optimists and self sufficient and for
that very reason we often fail to APP
preciate the dangers that confront us,
dangers not so much from without
as from within. The common con-
ception is that Rome fell victim to
Marauders outside; in reality, that
republic fell, as others have done, to
growing weakness and dangers with
in.
THE decadence of fallen republics
was due to men of wealth arrogatine
to themselves first power, then titles.
charters, concessions, privileges and
immunities. They took away from
the masses their means of protesting,
and in doing so they resorted to is
suing edicts and making laws deny
ing to the people the right to associ-
ate. All laws and statutes and the
heroic pages of the ages show that
when the people were deprived OF
the right to associate they became
docile and servile.'
At Salt Lake City.
Addressing monster gathering in
Salt Lake City, Utah, President Com
pers electrified his audience. An
excerpt from his address follows:
"Organized labor has always con-
tended for equality of opportunity,
equality of rights equality of the
hours of labor and equality of remun-
Grafton for men and for women.
There is no greater question be-
ing considered by the people of today
than the labor question. The great
unrest among the people is world
wide. Here and there uprisings
among the workers are tangible evil
dences of the importance fof his
question.
Some there are Who would dodge
the labor question, who would doom
1t to oblivion and consign the agita-
tors to warmer place. What
there is that is wrong and
that occasions this unrest and
these uprisings is not because of us,
but in spite of us. Should the man
VINO discovers the fire and sounds
the alarm be condemned as the man
who starts the flames? No man be-
lieves present conditions are a fin.
atty.
Products of Labor.
Great wealth, magnificent struc-
turesm, stately mansions, beautiful
paintings. wonderful statuary are all
the product of toll. Money pos
sesses no intrinsic value until it re-
celves the magic touch of the hand
of labor. The greatest thing in mod
ern. life is labor. The productivity
of labor means greater opportunities
and larger enterprises. The world
cannot live, progress cannot be made,
civilization cannot continue except
through the agency of labor.
The men and women who toll
are beginning to ask if thew were
brought into this world simply to
produce wealth; if they are simply
human machines without an element
OF manhood and womanhood in them.
They are beginning to feel that their
Creator endowed them not only with
life, but with sensibilities and feel
lngs of love, hopes and aspirations.
Men and women who toll are begin
ming to consider that all the gifts OF
the toll of those bygone days shall
not be for the exclusion use of those
who do not toll and do not produce
wealth.