davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

to justify your reputation Of me
with your people and the country
"Of course the story goes on.
"Sam had four aces; he knew where
the great rank and file would stand.
Those who opposed him had busted
hushes. They signed on the dotted
lines where they were told to sign
and the word went out to the world
that American labor was as one man
behind the President. 1t ought to be
said that there were only a few who
we're not with Gompers all through.
Had they not been in a minority he
might have lost"
A man Of less force Of character,
less sure of himself than Gompers,
might easily have messed the situa-
tion, or allowed those not for the
war to have messed it for him.
t 1t was not the first time that
Gompers had faced and fought men
prominent in the labor movement
who in one way or another had
sought to do things that would help
Germany and weaken the Allies.
They clashed first in Bridgeport
when the war was young, and the
Connecticut city was beginning to
blossom as the Essen of America.
That was in August, 1915. On tech
rical grounds q strike was called on
a building Of one Of the largest
makers of munitions. This was made
the excuse for calling other strikes.
The troublemakers also had the as
sistance of an obstinate official who
sought to run things with an iron
hand.
There was, in a word, every ele-
ment there that made possible the
great Lawrence disturbance of 1912,
and more than a lively suspicion
that German money was at the bot
tom Of all Of the trouble.
1t was situation that Gompers,
had he wished to do so, might have
easily kept out Of. Any one of a
dozen excuses he might have made
would have passed muster. Instead,
he jumped into the middle Of the
fight, publicly declared what others
suspected, that German money was
being used, and restored peace. He
did it by bringing the executive
council of the Federation to Law
renee to break into a meeting of the
strike leaders in the old Atlantic
House, where he laid down the law.
"You've got no business coming
here and turning a hose on the pa
rade," one Of the strike leaders told
him.
81 have business wherever the
welfare Of the American worker is
involved" said Gompers, standing
his ground. Two days later, the "war
correspondents" quartered in the
Hotel Stratfield broke camp and left
town, closely followed by the NAL
content leaders.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

mates of his establishment. lnr;nr
sailors to part with their savings. Then
Allen went upstairs for his little how
showed off his various ACCOMPLISH
ments, ranging all the way from a
knowledge Of history and geography to
that of clog dancing, finally having the
lad recite the Lords Prayer, the while
his father interspersed it's supplica
tlons with blasphemous comments.
shocked immeasurably at Aliens de-
graded conduct, the visitors neverthe
less made up their minds to work his
reformation. They frequently called at
his place and assembled the girls, who
would join them in singing "There Is
Rest for the Weary" and other bvmns
They often urged him to let them hold
a prayer meeting in the dance hall, but
Allen drew the line at that.
When Dyer published his article
there ensued what became known as
the John Allen excitement" Re
ligious workers focked to the Bowerv.
as did scores of the merely curious,
many of them society folk Converts
were made here and there among the
men and women Of the district and the
dance hall business began to expert
ence falling off.
On August 20, 1868, "the wickedest
man in New York" himself profcssed
conversion and closed the doors of his
dance hall for good. For while he
threw the premises open to PRAYER
meetings, and evaneelists came from
ali over the city to preach at them.
Shortly afterward Kicking Jack" an
other Bowery character, took over 3O4
Water Street, and opened another
dance hall there. Allen went into the
grocery business in Roosevelt Street.
Ihe mission which had been started
at No. 3o4 after Aliens conversion was
then moved to 316 Water Street. where
it was firmly established.
1t was there Jerry McAuley. cx-con-
vict, bounty broker and river .hief. first
gave testimony that he had seen the
error of his life and where nc subse-
qucntly started tho McAulcy Water
Street Mission.
The McAuley Mission proved for
midable enough foe 10 the vicious re-
sorts 70 put number Of them out Of
commission, but on the whole condi-
tions did not materially improve be-
tween 1863 and 1880. This statement
OF fact Is In nowise intended To under
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

the federation, and their subsidiary
locals. Some Of these internationals
and many of the locals were strongly
Socialist and anti-war. The Ger
man element as we'll as the pacilists
who honestly opposed all war saw in
them an opportunity to hinder Amer
ica's preparations for war if not it's
actual entry into the struggle. By
sending the question Of where labor
would stand to referendum they
would at least secure delay, and in
the end present the spectacle to the
world of divided America.
This referendum they expected to
secure after war had been declared.
That was their position when in
March, 1917, Gompers issued a tele-
graphic call for the heads of all of
the internationals to meet in Wash
ington. At the same time he invited
the "big four" railroad brotherhoods,
not members of the federation, to
join in the conference. When this
was called to order Mr.. Gompers ex-
planned that, as the country was on
the verge Of war, it was fitting that
organized labor should declare it's
stand with the government. To this
end he suggested that statement of
principles which had been declared
be signed by the heads Of the various
organizations.
"Immediately,' in the words of
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

er, and he had all the faith in the
world. He did not have any money
of his own, and the organization did
not have much more. Many's the
time I've seen Gompers come into
town, plug hat and all, work for
few days and then, getting one of
the boys to one side, borrow ten
spot to get to the next town. The
ten always came back. So would
Sam, for he sure was a persistent
cuss.
''He was game, too. More than
once he went into halls where he
was promised a beating if he dared
show his nose, and on at least one
occasion that | recall he faced
gun in the hands of a hired bully.
Sam didn't yell for a cop or take it
on the run. He just walked up to
the lad and made him hand the gun
over, while his companion, there to
fix Sam if the other fellow failed,
retired to what the Germans would
call "a prepared position Had he
as much as batted an eyelash he
would have been little more use in
the labor movement, whether he es-
capped with his life or not. AS it
was, the incident helped make him.
Cup to that time folks, at least
some folks, were inclined to say
Sam was good talker, but that he
stopped right there. When they
found he had CUTS they were
stronger for him. There were not
as many white collars in the labor
movement then as there are now.
The movement was primitive, and
it appealed to the more primitive
passions Of men. That man
would fight was a point in his
favor"
Those who knew Gompers in
those DAYS agree that ne was
more often than not in need of
money. He had large, growing
family-he married very young
his union activities cost him both
money and the opportunity to earn
it, and they brought in very little.
The balance, as a rule, was alto
gether on the wrong side of the
ledger. This poverty, oldtime
friends say, offered Gompers's oppo-
nents among the employers whose
men he was organizing another
avenue of attack. They had no
better luck than with hired gun
men.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

by the following night There were no
passenger trains that would get hin,
there in time, so he boarded a FREIGHT
tram. All night and half the next day
he spent seated in foot of snow in an
open coal car.
AT half-past two Sunday afternoon he
was conducting street corner meeting
IN Rochester. At half-past seven that
night he had been arrested bv the
Rochester police. Monday morning he
was sentenced to ninety days in jail.
Joe the Turk" one of the most
noted of Salvation Army officers and
now holding the rank of staff captain
has been jailed over fifty times for
his lnsistence upon spreading the
Gospel in his own way.
Colonel Brengle, we'll known as q
writer and evangelist, was so ROUGHLY
handled by mob on Boston Common
during the stoning of Salvation
Army band that it required five years
of continuous medical care before he
In Minneapolis lassie was knocked
to the pavement and kicked by ruffians
being so injured that she died about q
year later.
One of the worst riots ATTENDING
Salvation Army gatherings occurred in
skating rink at Danbury, Conn.
about 1886 The day the corps was
ordered to establish post in that
city arrived, their coming was widely
heralded in the newspapers, with the
result that 5000 jammed their way
into the auditorium, while thousands
more thronged the surrounding streets
The city's whole police force had been
marshalled on the scene and the warn.
ing had gone forth that the Salvation
lists would be arrested If they at
tempted to hold their meeting.
Tho threat did not deter them. But
barely had their service got under
way, amid tho kissing and catcalls OF
the audience, when gang Of dis.
turbers extinguished tho lights and
then blew tho gas pouring from the
Jets back into tho panic stricken
crowd. Horrible scenas ensucd
Women tainted, children wore trampled
upon and verltablo riot took place IN
the dark, gas-hlled hall. Many OF the
lassles and their malo companions
were beaten severely,
Yet that night In Danbury they con-
yerted sixteansYnar-old gIrl.. now the
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
The Little Giant
Takes a Chance

"Finally, Gompers took the bit in
his teeth and played his last card.
No one knew better than he the risk
Of what he was doing.
"'Gentlemen,' said he, this coun-
try is on the verge of war. The
place of organized labor is behind
the government. l have pledged the
American Federation of Labor to
support the war to the ultimate end.
You must either approve my action
or place the American Federation in
the position of not being with the
country in it's hour of danger. That.
in my opinion, is not the position of
the labor movement. You must
either stand by me or be prepared
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
Riot Creates
A Sensation

This was intensified when a husky
police officer struck lassie in the
breast with his clenched fist.
"Oh, you hurt mel" she exclaimed.
but her cry was drowned in the mad
dened roar from the onlookers. Thew
rushed the police and it was not until
several heads had been broken that
the "enforcers" of law and order were
able to hustle their prisoners into pa
troll wagons and take them to Jail.
This riot created n sensation all over
the United States, and sympathy nearly
everywhere was with the Salvation
Army. George S. Graham, former
District Attorney, defended the Saliva
tionists when they wero brought to
trial and he experienced no difficulty
IN arousing the sympathy Of the jury
toward them.
This Is the city of PHILADELPHIA. )"
he said. ut is tha cradle Of liberty
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
Progress OF
Fnfy=f0ur Years

Compared with now, the labor
movement il this country fifty-four
years ago was puny infant. There
were many trade unions local in
their extent; a few that were more
pretentious. Of great national
unions there were none, perhaps be-
cause there was no real need of
them. The nearest approach would
be sort of working agreement
trade freemasonry would be better
term-whereby the wandering me-
chanic in one town would find well
come in the association of another
town, perhaps hundreds of miles dis
tant. This was particularly true Of
the shoemakers, who, by the way,
had the first strike in America; the
carpenters and shipwrights and the
men of less numerous trades, such
as the cigarmakers.
1t was the shoemakers who
formed the first big union-thc
knights of st. Cyispin. This spread
after the Civil War until it became
a national institution, but failed for
various reasons, only to be succeed
ed in the late '70s and early sos by
the powerful knights of Labor.
This organization fell of it's own
weight and because of inherent
flaws in its structure about the time
Mr.. Gompers began to be recog-
nized as coming man in the labor
movement, through his work in or
ganizing the cigarmakers as they
are now organized and his fight to
make the famous blue label of the
union stand for something in the
eyes of the consuming public.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
THfing at the
German Dragon

Within the labor movement
Gompers found opposition at times
as bitter as in the ranks of the en-
ployers. 1t came sometimes from
those merely seeking power and the
opportunities power would give, but
more often from what Gompers
himself describes as "the reds"
AS is well known to all labor men,
MIR. Gompers, as president of the
American Federation of Labor, has
less actual power than the walking
delegate of the newest union. He
cannot, as president, order strike,
nor can he order men not to strike.
That power is vested entirely in the
international unions, which make up
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
TraiIed BY
Persecution

There, briefly sketched, is the his
tory Of slum evangelism up to March,
1880, when Commissioner Railton and
his seven English lassies landed at
Castle Garden. Their introduction to
Bowery conditions through the chance
of their first Sunday night meeting in
Harry Hills; their determination to
concentrate their efforts toward the
spiritual reformation and physical
comforting of these outcasts, and their
defiance of the persecution to which
they were subjected by the authorities
and those whose profit from vice they
threatened to destroy spoke we'll for
the heroism of old General Booths
eXpeditionary force.
But not in New York alone were the
Salvationists bounded and harassed
Persecution followed them from city
to city. Yet nowhere were they
routed. Wherever they went they "due
in" and remained. Ard always they
progressed, gradually and by ever so
little, in the estimation of the public
uc pOllCc III one hdlSdS comm unity
arrested Salvationist for persistinc
in conducting a meeting after they had
forbidden it. They hung him up by
the thumbs. After enduring the ex-
cruciating pain Of this mediaval tou-
ture for half an hour, he was locked
up with vagrants and common Grim
inals.
Captain Ida Bennett. lassic noted
for her piety and zeal, was one of
the founders Of the corps in Spokane
Wash. One evening the Salvationists
there were greeted In the hall they
had engaged for meeting with an
immense throng. Captain Bennett was
closing It with prayer, though her
suppication could hardly be heard for
the din raised by the toughs In tho
audience.
Hardly had her "Amenl" sounded
when the report Of revolver rang
out. Captain Bennett fell to tho plat
form dead, shot through tho heart.
Tho career Of Colonel Clifford and
his wifs, now engaged In Salvation
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

\HE Salvationists in America
were the martyrs of the last
quarter of the nineteenth CEN
tury. Even during the final
decade OF the century, when preju-
dice against these evangelists of the
Sums no longer commonly took tho
form of actual violence, their brethren
In the United States ran the risk NJ
life and limb every time thew. with
drum and tambourine and garbed in
their queer uniforms, went upon the
public thoroughfares.
New York was the main battle-ground
OIL Raiiton's forces in the bepinn;no
and an idea of the conditions exist;n.
on the Bowery, main field of the;r
aoors IN that day during the ten
or Twelve years preceding their COM
ihg' VIII serve to show just what thew
were up against
IL the East End of London was IN.
seat Of misery, squaior and degrade.
,'oh raised to their utmost conceivable
degree New Yorks Bowery and the
ao'acens neighborhood in the SOS and
Vs ran 1t close second. More than
one-haif Of the city's population Of
l'ooo,o0o lived below Fourteenth
street. These lived huddled in filthy
tenement rooms and foul cellars. Manv
nad no roof TO call their own. but men
women children, whites and negroes
crowded at night into public LODGINGS.
wnere for few cents one might curl
up IN pile Of sawdust and shav;nox
on the floor. The chiIdren's days were
spent in the gutter, those Of the adults
IN 'ew rum holes. called bucket shops.
Public awakening 10 conditions in
The siuns Of New York was first
brought about in July, 1868, when
Oliver Dyer published an article in
"Packard's Magazine" entitled "The
Wickedest Man in New York" The
"wickcdcst man in New York" was
John Allen. who ran dance hall at
10l Water Street. He was an educated
man, had once been a school teacher
and mad three brothers who were clergy
men. This only accentuated his own
debasement.
One night Dyer, the Rcy. r.. &. Beach
End Albert G. Arnold, philantbxopixt,
visited Aliens dame hall. He welcomed
them, digcnssed Win them intelligently
the topics Of the day, and then proud
" exhibited the twenty poor female in
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
GOn1perS on
GOmperS

"There is,' said he, "no change
in me. | am the same Sam Gompers
l have always been, the same Sam
Gompers my friends have known. If
at this time many of my fellow
Americans who have not been my
friends see fit to acclaim me, the
change is in them and not in me, and
is due to the fact that, meeting on
the ground of common interest, we
have become acquainted. l am no
better an American now than have
always been, no different kind Of an
American. If some folks think bet
ter of me than they formerly did, it
is because they know me, and per-
haps in their appreciation of what
little | may have been able to do in
this war they are willing to forget
what may have been my shortcom-
ings in less important matters.
"If they have not known me bet
ter, it is not altogether my fault.
The Lord knows they have had
ample opportunity to get acquainted
in the last fifty years or more"
Had Mr.. Gompers said ffty-four
years he would have told the number
that he has been in the labor move
ment, for he was fifteen years old
when he took out his first union
card. He was, however, worker
before that, beginning to earn his
living as a child in London before
his parents, who are still living,
elected to come to America to try
the family fortunes. This means, of
course, that Gompers had few of the
opportunities to go to school that
most boys have, and leads those who
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
Right to Preach
Is Recognized

Some three years before police per-
secution had come to an end in New
York. An officer named Colonel Jen-
klns was conducting a street meeting
in the metropolis one night While
one of his subordinates was praying.
policeman tapped Jenkins on the
shoulder and said:
stop that man from praying"
Don't worry, officer Jenkins re-
piled, he'll soon be through When
he says For Jesus sake. Ameny' you'll
know he's finished"
The praying Salvationlst must have
overheard the colloquy because he re
rlalned on his knees and prolonged his
5upplication until it seemed it never
| would end. Finally, the policeman
patience was exhausted. He swung his
nightstick, driving back the crowd
grabbed the kneeling man and marched
him off to Jail.
The following morning the ntagis-
trase in Jefferson Market Court dis
charged the prisoner, ruling that it
was lawful for any one to preach or
pray on the public streets.
With their right to conduct their
meetings in their own way officially
recognized and with the public grow
Ing more and more tolerant toward
them. the Salvatonists have found
themselves able to achieve far greater
triumphs during the last twenty years
than during the preceding twenty. The
marvellous growth and no less mar
veilous accomplishment of the Saliva
tion AEmy in the United States be-
tween AS9s and 1919 form an important
chaptey3in contemporsneoua bistcr~
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

on this continent and it is the last
place on earth where people should
be told how to worship God"
The jury acquitted the Salvation
lists.
few days later the police returneo
some thirty drums cnat mad been con-
nscated and, at Mr.. Graham's sugges-
ton, these were strapped TO the backs
of as many Salvation Army men, who
marched with them through the streets
Of the Quaker City while lassies
pounded them vigorously, unhfndered
by the authorities and cneered by the
populace.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

one who was there, "there was a
row.
"Those who did not like Gompers
anyway saw in this chance to give
him fight. Others who felt their
own Importance wanted a chance to
have their say. Others, not any too
patriotic, sought to block things by
demanding a referendum. This
would have taken weeks, if not
months, and resulted in anything
but a united front being presented
to the enemy and the world.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
Sam GOn1perS
AS a YOUNG Man

Sam was young then," says the
executive head of one of the strong
est unions in the A. F. of l..
He was not so stocky, and
ne had lot more hair, black as
your hat. He was a natty little fell
low, too, full Of fight, possessing
the capacity for work of a domes-
tlcated elephant-I'm told that's
the last thing in work-a good talk
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
About That
German Money

Gompers would never say on what
grounds he based his charges that
German money was used there.
Since then Bridgeport manufacture
ers have tod me that money was
used, some going SO far as to name
the little leaders who got it and the
New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

Lord, you are lashing me with scor-
pions."
In rebuttal, Mr.. Gompers's op-
ponent said he did not come pre-
pared to meet an argument, or
words to that effect. 1t was all
most the last heard of the cam
palgn for peace by negotiations.
Leaving the building l heard one
officer of the Metropolitan Ynsur-
ance Company ask another what he
thought of the event.
WELL" said he, "Gompers did
not raise his voice above CONVEX
sational tone, there wasn't a SEN
tence an ordinary fast writer could
not have taken in long hand, he did
not use word or a phrase that
you could not with propriety use
in a young peoples Sunday school
class-but, boy, he just took that
fellows hide, stretched it on a barn
door and tanned it,"
Gompers, if he wished, might
easily be in the millionaire class.
He is, as matter Of fact, depend
ent on the small salary the Amer
lean Federation of Labor pays him.
On the lecture platform he could
in short time accumulate a COM
petence. That would interfere
with his labor work, so he has none
of that In his tastes he is simple.
He likes good food, but he has no
yearning for the lobster palaces
or Astorbilt hotels. In all things
except work he is emperate-ad-
vocating eight hours for others.
he works fourteen to eighteen HIM
self.
He is slow to fight-he will avoid
one if he honorably can. If he has
to fight, he usually manages to fight
under favorable conditions. When
the fight is over, he's willing to for
get it.
81 WILL" he told me once, "build
a bridge of gold that mine enemies
may cross over to my position"
Perhaps, however, the best way
to explain Gompers is to use the
words Of one who must be name
less, who has long sat with him in
the inner councils of the labor
world.
"Gompers is the dreamer who is
practical enough to make his
dreams come through" says this
man. "He will take a half loaf to-
day and come back next year to
get the other half, rather than
make a costly fight to get the whole
loaf now and run chances on get.
ting nothing.
"He has the idealism of his race
(Gompers is Jewish), which has
given the world some of its greatest
poets, musicians and writer's, with a
large strain Of the cold business
ability that has given his race a
high place among the merchants
and bankers of the world. In him
the dreamer who starves in a gar
ret and the cold individual who sits
at a cash register are strangely
blended.
"For money for himself he would
not cross the street. For principle
he would mount the scaffold and
with smile bid the hangman Good
morning That's Sam Gompers.