Evening star., 1919-08-31
by SAMUEL GOMPERs,
President Of the American Federation
of Labor.

HERE is legend of ancient
Rome to the effect that while
the capitol was building
there came one day to the
tyrannical king. Tarquin the Proud,
poor old woman, carrying nine
books of prophecies of the Sibyl
which she offered to sell for 800
pieces of gold. The king mockingly
drove her away. She went, but
after burning three Of the books she
returned and asked the same price
for the remaining six. Again re-
fused with scorn, she retired. burnt
three more OF the volumes. and then
came back demanding the same sum
for the three which were left. The
amazed king consulted his wise
men. who told him that the nine
books, six of which had been lost.
contained the fate of the city and
the Roman people.
the world. Happily. all that was
contained in the nine books remains
for the world in the last three. Hap
PLY. too. the world has decided that
In these books there is that which
ought to be read. So the world is
reading today-reading out of the
story written by the blood and fiber
of human toll. 1t is a story that tells
of injustice and Of struggle against
injustice; that tells Of the first man
who dared raise his head and protest
against the lash; that tells Of the
first banding together of men so that
they might combine their strength
in resistance against common
brutality; that tells of every pain
through in its ceaseleSs panorama
of toll and hope. disappointment
and disillusionment, aspiration and
achievement, down to today.
Today Is a new day-for the world
Is reading out Of the books it scorned.
Labor Had to Fight.
Employers have not come willingly
or readily to see that it is just and
right and wise that those who work
should have their proper voice in
helping to shape and determine the
conditions of life and labor. Labor
could not merely bring the books, as
did the woman to Tarquin the Proud,
show them and go away; labor had
to bring the books and fight and
fight. But We have come far. By
tic tOAcu VI pfV6TcSS IudOc we hIiOW
more progress is to be made.
1T is just little over ten years
since the scorn which those who
dominated the thought of society felt
for the life and the rights Of labor
was expressed by a United States
judge when. with John Mitchell and
Frank Morrison, received sentence
to prison because I had dared to print
and to speak the protest OF labor
against Injustice. Mr.. Mitchell and
Mr.. Morrison were sentenced to six
months imprisonment. respectively.
and to one year. What we had
done was to discuss the merits of a
case that was before the courts-the
Buck stove and range case.
Carried to the Courts.
Back Of that event was history
made by fighting. The National As
sociation Of Manufacturers had taken
the position that the organized labor
movement must be destroyed. The
Boycott Association was formed.
Every pressure that could be mus
tered against organized labor was
brought to bear upon it. including
the pressure of suits in the courts
to abridge the constitutional rights
OF the freedom Of speech and Of the
press. That battle was probably the
most concentrated effort Of employ
ers to break down the fighting spirit
and the fighting ability Of the work.
ing people
The result was that the working
people maintained and vindicated
their constitutional rights and their
right to own themselves and to Sc
cure agreement with their employers
by collective bargaining: for the pur-
pose Of bringing employers to rea-
lixation Of the fact that they had the
right to establish better relations and
secure better conditions: they made
secure likewise their right to cease
work-to strike.
This was but one Of the high peaks
Of long struggle. There were many
hard fights along the road that led
finally to the penetration Of the minds
of great employers. that led to their
final understanding of the fact that
they had been on the wrong road and
that the only way to meet the de-
mands of the workers for full recog-
milton Of their rights was to meet
them.
The Danbury Hatters' Case.
A phase Of the struggle was the
case of the Danbury hatters. Here
again the employers rallied to defeat
labor in the courts in order to rem
der the workers powerless and help
less in the workshops. The direct
result Of this case was that labor's
long fight for a proper safeguard OF
its rights was secured in the enact
ment of the labor provisions OF the
CLAYTON law. with its provision that
Labor is not commodity or article
of commerce" Because this law is
on our statute books there can never
be another Danbury hatters' case.
Instead of defeating labor in the
hatters' case. the employers. by rea-
son of that case, and by reason OF
the Clayton law, lost the battle for
ever.
One by one the barriers to prog
ress went down. opening the way to
real democratic procedure and giving
the workers a constantly growing
voice in the ordering OF their lives
through agreements fixing the con-
ditions, the hours and the wages OF
their work.
Practically a decade passed be-
tween the Buck stove and range
case and the entry of America into
the great war In no other decade
in our history had SO much Of gain
been measured in achievement for
mankind. Gradually the concept OF
labor's status mad changed. Gradu-
afly labor had been able to gain and
hold vital positions.