The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-11-21
PACKED HOUSE
HEARS GOMPERS
EVERETT THEATRE PACKED
FROM STAGE TO GALLERY
LONG HOURS AND LOW
WAGES GO HAND IN HAND.

At packed meeting of the Everett
theatre last Friday evening Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor told his audi
ence what organized labor has accom-
plished. Mr.. Gompers organized the
A. F. of L. and was it's president for
number of years without salary, and
he has been found in the front ranks
fighting every inch of the way ever
since for those who toll
The meeting was opened by E. P
Marsh, president of the Washington
State Federation of Labor, who intro
duced Miss Sadie Gompers, daughter
of Mr.. Gompers, who sang "The Star
Spangled Banner" and the audience
joining with her in the chorus and
rose to their feet.
Charles r. Case, past president of
the State Federation of Labor, gave a
short address of the union movement
Mr.. Case was formerly an active union
worker in Everett.
President Gompers was introduced
by Chairman Marsh and spoke in part
as follows:
81 can't understand" said Presi-
dent Gompers, "why the men who
dominate an industry in your city fail
to attach themselves to our organi-
zation. They work an hour or two
longer than members of any other
trade and for less wages than is paid
eight hour workers. Long hour
workers are always those who receive
the smallest pay. All reduction of
hours of labor comes from the coop
Grafton of men who toll"
Continuing in that same vein the
speaker explained to his audience
that in primitive days the work day
was a short one, as it ceased with the
setting sun. AS time advanced coal
was discovered, and coal made gas,
then electricity and by means of the
artificial light the work day was car
ried far into the night with the in
vention of machinery, when toilers
worked so long as to become weak
ened physically and mentally An at
tempt was made to destroy the ma
chinery, until in the light of better
education an improved method was
discovered to reduce the hours of
toll, for a concentrated effort, through
the medium of organization, was start
ed and pursued to lessen the labor
hours of all people who worked.
"This is the day and time of the
organization. Everything is organiz-
ed; the city government, the boards
of trade, the trusts and even the pro
fessions. Perhaps you never heard
of minister of the gospel going on
strike, but have you heard of him
receiving a call higher up? The med
ical profession is organized into
county association and fixes its min
imum wage which it calls its fee.
"And then the lawyers who are al
ways attacking US. They are very
eloquent. but their consistency is an
other thing. They have their organ
ization, called the Bar association.
They serve their apprenticeship
which they call student days; they
carry their working cards which they
call diplomas The law is the closest
corporation ever known in the his
tory of man.
ut is not the spasmodic eruption
of protest that counts but day after
day and year after year tagging zeal,
pressing home our rights. II is only
by formation through unions that we
can attain our end, but we cannot
permit the union to advance faster
than the people.
Some say that the American Fed
Grafton of Labor is conservative and
that the Grand Old Man Of Labor
is conservative. We want to be Of
some benefit to our fellows now and
not engage in ghost dancing and
cloud chasing. Our first duty is to
realize the union must be the deter
mining point, the ethics of the men
and women who toll. The labor
movement does not predicate claims
upon poverty and misery, 1t has out
grown that age. The men Of our time
stand erect and look the whole world
in the face, demanding a square deal
on the ground that they are pro
ducers of wealth.
1T is true we make mistakes, but
! the chances are we viii not make
the same mistakes again. The right
to make mistakes is the penalty we
pay for our freedom and democracy.
Every person should acquaint
himself with the great public ques-
tions so as to be able to deposit his
Continued on Page Two.