The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-06-05
C0mPERS and ALLEN IN DEBATE
over KANSAS ANTI-STR|kE Law
Labor Chief Holds That Action Is Return to Slavery declares
Kansas Governor Was Peed at Union Mine Leader owa and
and Had Law Passed TO Get EVen-.-Peads for Democracy
Continued From Page IL

--------------- Continued F,
situations and our democracy have
! ceased. Admit that and I have no
word to debate except that I combat
it every moment of my life. The Bos-
ton Tea Party was a very nice affair.
What was 1t except a strike against
England's tyranny and injustice?
IL It were not for the unions what
would have been the fate of your
! boys and your girls in the United
States working in the mills and the
factories at and years of age, ~
or IA hours q day? What would have
been the fate Of the boys in the coal
mines, the breaker boys who, from 6
to years old, We're put into the
i mines and seldom saw daylight? And
J 1t was the strike of the coal miners
| that took those boys out of the coal
| mines.
What Strikes Have Done.
1T was the strike Of the textile
workers that took the children from
out OF the mills and put them into
| the 'schoolroom and in the play
ground where they could imbibe
! Gods sunshine and grow into the
manhood and the womanhood of the
future, upon which the perpetuity Of
our republic must depend, 1t was the
strike Of the men and the women in
the needle trades that broke up the
swaatshop when all the laws of the
states could not prohibit it or pre-
Vent it.
There are some things which are
automatic. Water runs downhill de-
spite the force pump, lightning strikes
in spite Of the lightning rod; the
sun shines in spite of awnings and
parasols; and so with the labor move
| nent, it has done So much, it has
brought light and hope and oppor-
tunity to the masses of labor that
make the law what you will to out
law strikes, depend upon it your law
will be futile and you will simply
make criminals and lawbreakers of
workmen who are honest, PATRIOTIC
| citizens
| Labor Was Loyal.
Mr.. Gompers recalled the 10y
atty Of organized labor during the
war. He declared that assertion of
the right of the individual workman
I
organization Of workmen, was merely
a subtertuge. Modern industry was
20 complex, he said, that tho indivt-
dual workman had no power unless
organized with his fellows.
Governor Allen was greeted with
applause by his adherents when he
began his defense of the Kansas law.
Il come to you, he said, mot as a
representative Of capital or of labor,
hut as representative Of the general
public" He recited the situation az
he saw it when DR.. Garfield lifted
the ban on fuel and coal went up,
And then the miners came" he as.
serted. with their demand tor a IS
per cent increase in wages, a five-day
week and six-hour day.
within two weeks after the strike
began schools were closed down for
want of fuel: the activities of indus,
try were shortened. Finally homes
and hospitals were stricken, and
there was coal in Kansas, enough and
to spare.
Took Over Mines.
THE supreme court authorized me
to take over the mines. spent two
weeks begging the miners to return
to work, promising them that what
ever was granted in the negotiations
at Washington would be made retro
active to them, and if no general set
Element was made by NOV. !, we
would settle with the Kansas miners
independently, and make this new
scale retroactive
Governor Allen told of number
Of miners who had come to him
stating that they would like to accept
his offer but for the union. ~
| couldn't get the union men back"
continued the governor, land then
I called for volunteers. More than
1900 responded, many of them in
soldiers uniforms. They mined but
one car of coal in one day. They were
not experienced, but in 10 days we
mined enough coal to relieve 200
Fcommunities.'
Studied ''No- Striker Bill.
The governor then related how he
had concluded that the state had q
right to protect itself against cold
and famine, SO ne studied out the
anti-strike bill which was introduced
later in the legislature. 1--WE have
not forbidden any man his divine
right to quit work. he said, 1--WE
merely have taken away from Mr..
Gompers his divine right to order a
man to quit work.
( "Union labor said, This law is in
voluntary servitude,' Capital said.
This law is state Socialism" The
capitalists were more cunning, Of