The sun., 1918-12-02
Gompers's Address.

Mr.. Gompers said in part: ALREADY
the reactionaries are at work. There
are some people who will never learn
anything; there are some people for
whom a lesson, objective or otherwise,
10 of no account, and among them
are the reactionaries and the Bour-
bons whom / have been maligning.
Can men of the reactionary type
understand why the American people
responded with such alacrity and
earnestness to the call for defense of
freedom and justice? Surely not for
the mere term freedom nor the term
Justice, for they are meaningless un-
less they are the principles or our
every day lives. And 1t might as we'll
DO understood that in fighting politi-
cal autocracy We do not want and
won't consent to have an industrial
autocracy take its place. All the
Bolsheviki are not In the ranks OF Ia
bor." "
Referring to his recent controversy
with william H Barr, president OF the
National Founders Association, Mr.
Gompers said:
II know OF no more dangerous utter
ance made during this entire war. dan
gerous to the very safety and peace
and progress of our people and OF our
republic, than was uttered by Mr.. Barr
about two weeks ago. Mr. Barr to me
is no more than any other man, and
think II is fair to say that when give
utterance to any view that / at least
represent the views or hopes or as
pirations or protest OF labor. and
ct 70 ho r
Barr. when he gave forth his utter
ance, that he represents that type o!
employers who wish to cut wages, &c
lengthen hours and take away the
eight hour day.
well. it was said of the French
Bourbons that they never forgot any
thing, and that they never learned
anything. And il Is true of the type
Of men in America-industriall they
want to live in the year 191S-l919, blu,
mentally they are living in the six
teenth century. They have in mind
they are masters OF all they survey
that IL is the position OF baron and
serf-of master and servant. Well
that may 60 somewhere, but II doesn't
go here. Here We propose TO make
the conditions of life such that every
woman shall be queen and every
man a sovereign.
Speaks Even for Unorganised.
THE American workers. think
know them as well as any other mar
can or does 1 speak not alone fol
the men and the women Of the organ.
lied labor movement, / speak even fol
~
And l say with a full knowledge Of
the responsibility which my words
carry that tho working people
Of the United States will resist ant
make any sacrifice which may be nee
%essary to prevent the Industrial baron.
riding on horseback over the massei
OF the people.
Our movement IL not destructive
our movement Is not an Irrational one
our labor movement Is one founded
upon the truth of history and of his
toric development. Our movement II
abreast Of the times and ahead O
many OF those who pretend to thinl
that they are up to date.
II would not turn over II coul(
with my hands our system of Govern
ment to replace II by a fanciful no
toned, already outlined, patented ides
Of a panacea for all the ills of human
kind think am possessed of tina
knowledge and understanding that tn,
course OF the human family Is one o
growth and development, and that III
ira revolution brings reaction in IL
wake"
The italian labor mission took seat.
on the stage as Mr.. Gompers wa!
speaking and later received an oYa
ton as the members were introduced
Resolutions Adopted.
Charles Edward Russell spoke ant
a set OF resolutions were adopted II
part as follows: THAT we comment
and indorse the emphasis laid by tn,
American labor movement upon tn,
following propositions: There mus
We no lowering Of the present Amer
lean standards OF life; on the con
trary, these standards must be bet
tered so that the working people o
our country may be advanced with tn
continued progress of industry an,
civilization.
There must be no lowering o
wages or frightening OF working
nourS
There must 10 relentless ana I'm
mediate curbing Of profiteerinE and n