The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-06-16
WILL GIVE SUBSTANTIAL AID

Tells Workers They Are Not Fighting
For Themselves Alone, but For All
Wage Farmers In Like Situation--if
ToiIers Are True to Themselves and
Their Cause Victory Is Sure.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, who
has been In New York to help the cloak
makers win their strike, in his first ad-
dress to striking garment workers
made an attack upon the Cloak, Suit
and Skirt Manufacturers Protective
association, paying especial attention
to it's president, e. j. VILE
He pledged the unstinted support of
the federation to the strikers and rec
commended the establishment of com
missary stores in the districts where
most of the garment workers live from
which the International Ladies' Gar
ment Workers union could distribute
food and other supplies to the strikers
in manner to conserve It's funds.
Mr.. Gompers said the cloak manu-
facturers were about 500 years behind
the present. time In their moral and
social ethics.
"Mr. Vile objects to dealing with
you as an organized body" he said,
upon the ground that you are not suf-
At IN with
the manufacturers association, the
members of which have attained de-
gree of Americanization.
"Now, for forty years | have come
In close contact With the workers In
the cloak and suit industry l remem-
Der when | used TO talk to you
couldn't make myself understood In
English, and what | said had to be
translated into Yiddish before you
knew what l was talking about And
then to see you here today, to hear
your speeches and reports, | venture
to say that If Mr.. Vile had been pres
ent here he would have understood
clearly that there has been an Ameri
eanizatioi among the men and women
of your industry Of which he and his
associates could well feel proud II
they themselves had attained It,
"When Mr. Vile spoNe about youl
lack of Americanization he was ad
dressing convention of men upoI
whose willing ears his words fell like
harmonious music, the National As
sociation OF Manufacturers. They be
lieve that the workingmen Of today
have no more rights than the slaves
and serfs of the fifteenth century. You
are fighting not alone your own bat
tie, but that of every other worker III
America who is similarly situated.
"They want an end TO your union
and say you will be as well off. Whel
and where did the manufacturers il
your industry voluntarily make a re
duction in the hours of labor? Whel
did they offer to increase your wages
! have yet to see any Of these benefits
except when forced by the demand
OF the workers"
Mr. Gompers then condemned tn,
manufacturers for not attending the
and said:
~ think it Is unnecessary for me t.
say that everything within the powe
OF the American Federation of Labor
with whatever power or influence !
can bring, with whatever it is possible
for me as one of the trade unionist'
to do will be given you without stin
or limit of any kind. If you propos
that this strike shall be continued t
the finish we Will map out the cam
paign to fight 1t out until the end.
"Now, the manufacturers understand
that 1t would tax the treasury of th
United States to pay strike benefits t
100000 men and women. | sugges
this: That as soon as possible you es
tablish q series of commissary stores
places from which you can give th
men ON strike and their families some
thing to eat, something upon whic
they can live. You must remember tha
soldiers in a great campaign must
willing to live on hardtack If need bt
Give the men and their families som
-four and some vegetables, and you ca
make your money go ever so muc
further. Establish your commissar
department and serve notice thereb
on the manufacturers that you are |
the fight to stay and to win.
upon yourselves will depend SUE
cess op(defeat. If you have commo
understanding of what Is the duty c
the hour | have no more doubt than {
the rising Of the sun in the mornin
that absolute triumph will perch upo
the banners of your organization. | al
free to say now as a man and as ci
izen, as well as president of the Anne
lean Federation of Labor, that | fin
the sentiment of the organized labC
movement throughout the country wit
you We want to fight war, industrii
or otherwise, but we are not going
have peace at any price"
Milwaukee Favored.
Milwaukee Is looming up for I'll
1917 convention of the Wisconsin Stat
n IL. IL