The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-29
some workers a man in the gallery
shouted:
How poor are you?"
r--.--.-- NJ 49,

shouted:
How poor are you?"
Gompers Was Angry.
Gompers was plainly angered at the
question. He demanded the mans
name amid shouts of encouragement
from his followers. and when the labor
leader had referred to the disturbers
remarks as a "cowardly. ungentle-
manly insinuation," the labor men
shouted with glee. One shouted:
You tell him. Sammy! That's the
stuff"
charged that Gomperss remedy for
war is more war
Mine" he added, sis peace condi-
toned on the impartial judgment of
responsible government"
Within a year. the governor pre-
dicted, the best friends of the Kansas
industrial law would be the laboring
men of Kansas.
Judge Quiets Crowd.
Alton B. Parker, who presided. and
introduced the speakers. only once or
pers stilled the audience with a wave
of his hand, when the uproar threat
ened to drown out his voice.
Mr.. Gompers and Governor Allen
walked on the stage shortly after 8
o'clock while the audience arose and
cheered. Each was followed by a
large body of supporters. When the
first wave of cheering had subsidized a
band struck up ''There'H Be a Hot
Time in the Old Town Tonight"
Mr.. Gompers, the first speaker,
prefaced his argument with the an
nouncement that he had been in
conference during the day with repre-
sentatives of the striking longshore-
men and that they had authorized him
to state they were willing ito submit
pending controversies to a fair and
unbiased board of arbitration and will
pledge themselves in advance to abide
by their decision"
Time to Decide Now.
He declared further that the long
shoremen would return to work with
in six hours after the steamship COM
panies have signified their willingness
IL arbitrate.
Herbert Hoover, Dr. Nicholas Muir
ray Butler, James w. Gerard, Henry
p. Dawson, George w. Wickersham,
Paul NJ. Warburg, Paul D. Cravath.
George Foster Peabody and Miss
Mary Carrot Hay were among those
occupying seats on the platform or
in the boxes when the debate began.
I'VE are now at the parting of the
ways in the great controversies which
are occupying the minds of our peo-
ple," declared Mr.. Gompers. begin
ming his direct argument of the de-
great constructive movement for pro-
gress, for civilization, and with all the
tasks these impose, and on the other
hand, we have those who are leading
the course of reaction of injustice, of
tyranny. The time is now at hand
when there must be determined
whether the eternal principles of
freedom, justice and democracy shall
hold sway or be supplanted by the
tyranny and the injustice of old"
Union Is No Trust.
Mr.. Gompers said he wanted to lay
down a few fundamental principles
and one of his executive committee,
Mrs. Sarah A. Conboy, read the fol-
lowing statement:
THE fact that the voluntary organ
izations of the wage workers are de-
clared by the courts to be trusts and
combinations in illegal restraint of
trade does not necessarily so consti-
workers are not such None of their
achievements in behalf of the toilers
or society at large can be confused
with the selfish and pernicious activi-
ties of the Illegal trusts.
THE trust even at its best is an or
ganization of a few to monopolize
production and control distribution of
material products. The voluntary as
sociations of the wage workers for
mutual benefit and assistance are es-
sentially different The fact must not
be lost sight of that the power of
labor is not a material commodity.
There can be no trust in anything
which not yet produced.
Labor the Producer.
Resuming his address, Mr.. Gompers
said:
There is a common error in the
minds of a large number of our peo-
pie and peoples of the whole world,
who confuse the term labor and CAPT
tai as being in exactly equal position
toward each other. The fact of the
matter is that capital is the product
Of labor.
1.-THE difference between slave and
a free man is that the slave must
work when his master or owner di-
reefs and wills. The free man may
stop lis work, and whatever conse-
uuence of suffering that may be in
volved is his suffering and the suffer-
free man to dispose of himself, his
labor and his labor power has been
set forth in a supreme court decision
i'm an opinion read by the then As
sociate Justice of the Supreme Court
Mr. Hughes-in which the principle
is set forth clearly that no man is
free, that involuntary servitude exists,
when a man must work against his
will.
Boston Tea Party a Strike.
"There is one thing about the labor
question which is automatic" Mr..
Gompers continued, that is, If you
attempt to outlaw strikes by legisla-
ton, depend upon It your law will be
futile and you will simply make GRIM
mails and law breakers of workers who
are honest, patriotic citizens.
There is but one ground upon
which any justification may be as
sumed to tie men to their jobs and
MAKO strfiSez unlawful. that fS the
concession that our republican institu
lions and our democracy have ceased.
Admit that and 1 have no word to
debate except that combated every
moment of my life. The Boston tea
party was a very nice affair. What
was 1t except strike against England,
| tyranny and injustice? ~
Mr.. Gompers's direct argument end
ed amid prolonged applause and
| cheers, at the conclusion of which a
| labor delegation presented him with a
floral offering.