Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-18
DEFEND,
Continued from Page One,

Inc federation president recall
the conference of 1876 labor lend.
on March II. 1917, at which l,H
pledged itself, three weeks be.,E
President Wilson asked for dsc,E
ration Of war, to back the soye,
ment to the limit, come wha, ..j,.E
And American labor made g,E
it's declaration" he added, hoars.
Plainly drawing on his reserve |
strength-lessened by several d.,
Of illness-the veteran labor Lead.
referred with scorn to Mr.. LoresI
insin-ations that labor Lad epiov.E
undue benefits from the war.
"Ah, we should go to the grea, co..
poI atoms. to the boards of drec,c
to find the philanthropists of our time
lie exclaimed sa-castically. Perish u
thought"
Declaring that whether YOU like
or not, the mass of labor men Of h,
United States have at last found thy
ability to artic- Late through organiu
ticn," Mr.. Gompers told the delegau
that the latoring people are producr
the wealth of the world. and that vii.
out minimiz ng the great contributo,,
made by men of thought and direc,p
to thai production, this time had CON,
when in America libor was determined
to gain fair share Of the rewards
ak ng his finger toward the EN-.
Flo. e s. group in viii h Mr. Lore sal
M. Gompe bitterly a sailed tie rail-
r al mn fer his insiauat!on that III
laborers of tie Unirel States planne
an at empt to overthrow the govern.
m ent. Com ers shook with emot cr an
his voic. quavered as he vi l-ltr d..
fen led the loyalty and patIoisn Ct |
or aired labor.
D .claring tia. Lcrea had +, ar.tT
o.: OF the lei + that the go'eaag.
If tie United S ates is "a f,a. 41,
hea' a. and ~evolut n" " ir2s3
ad led t,at tn r. are no Mea 10 lie
Cn tel Sta t S mere 10y Or no,e "a.
triotic in cir support e tie rcpg' /
tran III Sc i, tfe la CT ogg@riaa i.as
The lab-r CT f said Tat rs % one.
cotntr il the w-rl coull tras' suc,|
loya,ty from its Ia, 0. ~ ,,aS.,g al
that as no othe- nation in the wor
hol's forth the same rights Of free
speech. free assemblage and free ey.
preston to all the masses Of the reop,1
the protection OF those rights was nor'
vita! to TIE laboring millions than %
any o'her citizens Of the country.
II speak as the AUTH rzed represen
alive CT the laboring masses Of th
CO, ntry." Mr. Gompers continued "ta
dumb. the irarticulate. the down-troi
den. the dominated hundreds OF thors
ancs who constitute the toiling masse'
of America, and tell you that no pee
pie In all this land love our governmeti
AMI American institutions more tha,
they Go; no people are further tro-
any Idea Of attack on this govern
ment: no people would or have gcr.
I, rsfer to protect that government"
I'VE hear much of the struggle BE-
tween capital and labor" he said, lock
ing about the conference room. VIA.
Is capita? It is this table. that char
del er, coal. wool. sugar and so forth
Trey are dead things. inanimate tning
ma eria1 thinss-things that are subie.'
to bar'er.
IF the old conception Of labor an,
ca-ial still prevailed. we would fin
women working in tie mines and Their
fiv'ng birth to children: we would Ari
Oh 'ren working IA hours n day.
why this anxiorsness to have unions
Of workers incorporatei? To reesta''
lish the ancient guild system so tia.
the government could step in and ro'
TIE workers.
Upon what pretext is this formula
proposed? In order that we might
in damages of all advantage that
might otherwise accrue to us? Do
not attempt to say that unions have
not sometimes violated its contrac'
but not oftener than he employer;
have violaed its agreement with III
workers"
Referring to the collective bargain
ing resolution before the conference
he continued:
IF you want to deny the lahorine
people of this country this concep'
this vision. this aspiration, yo'
should have denied their grand
fathers and grandmothers a com
non school education.
For as soon as men and Wome'
that letters could be put 10
zether to frame the words man an
woman they were certain TO lear
hat other combinations of letter
would form the word Justice lo'
should have started generations aso
not now. We at least know gu
lights and the day has come "he'
abor dares to assert those rights
We wish to go forward in prosfes
70 a homogeneous nation. working 10
yether for one great common cause
,ou must give labor the right 70 az
to be heard. to be repfe
,ented in the councils OF lnous"'
md Of the nation by such represeh
atives as we choose. whether .
egal knowledge or not"
When Mr.. Gompers concluded. Nj
Ioree said that he had referred III
to the war labor ooaI
when he meant the war labor con
erence board as the body tn
which he said labor wrung uhu''
during the war.
IT do not see how my stateme",
.oulc be construed as a reflection v
'rganixed labor" Mr.. Loree auusu
but in case it has been so construe'
wish to express my profound *
ret. The members Of organic,
abor entertain patriotic sentiment
dual to any OF uA.