Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-05-29
AUDIENCE RISES
AND CHEERS AS
DEBATERS WALK
ONTO PLATFORM
Governor and Labor Leader
Discuss the New Kansas
Industrial Court Law and
Kindred Subjects.
WORKlNGMEN ARE NOT
TRUSTS OR COMBINES
SunfIoWer State Executive,
In His Argument, Saws
"the Safety of the Public
Is the Supreme Law"
10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIRrl

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wlRsl
New York, May 2S.-Carneg'
Hall was backed to the doors to-
night when Samuel Gompers, pres
ident of the American Federation
of Labor, and Governor Henry j.
Allen, of Kansas, met to DEBATE
the merits of the recently enacted
Kansas Industrial court law ana
Kindred subjects. Judge Alton b.
Parker presided.
Mr.. Gompers and Governor Alien
walked on the stage shortly after
o'clock while the audience rose
and cheered. Each was followed
by a large body of supporters
When the first wave of cheering
had subsided a band struck up
"Therell Be Hot Times in the Old
Town Tonight"
I'VE are now at the parting OF
the ways in the great controversies
which are now occupying the minus
of the people" declared Mr.. Comp
ers. beginning his direct argument
of the debate. "On the one hano'
we have the great constructive
movement for progress for ciVlliza-
ti0n 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 at hand when
there must be determined whether
the eternal principles of freedom,
iustice and democracy shall hold
SWAY or be supplanted by the tS-
s,,a t4n ~
Fundamental Principles.
Mr. Gompers said he wanted 10
Law down a few fundamental prih-
ciples. and one of his executive
= committee, Mrs. Sarah A. Conpoy'
read the following statement;
"The fact that the voluntary, or
panizations of the wage workers
are declared by the courts to pc
trusts and combinations in lilesal
restraint of trade, does not neces-
soriIv so constitute them. In tact'
the unions of workers are not such'
None of their achievements in be
boIf of the toilers of society at
large can be confused with the self
ish and pernicious activities or the
ILLEGAL trusts. - =
"The trust, even at its best, Is
an organization of few TO monop-
olize production, and control dls-
tribution of material products
THE voluntary associations of the
wage workers for mutual beneil'
and assistance are essentially all-
ferent. The fact must not be Iost
eioht of that the power of labor s
not a material commodity. There
can he no trust In anything whlch
is not yet produced"
Capital q Product of Labor.
ResiIming his address Mr.,
CORNERS said:
"There Is a common error in the
mind of large number OF our peo-
ple, and peoples of the whole World,
who confuse the term labor ana
capital as being in exactly eqliai
position toward each other. the
fact of the matter is that capital Is
the product of labor.
"The difference between a slave
and a free man is that the slave
must work when his master or own
er directs and wills. The free man
may stop his work and whatever
consequences of suffering that may
he involved is his suffering and
the suffering of no one else. The
right of free man to dispose OF
himself, or his labor and his labor
power has been set forth in SUI
preme court decision--in an opin-
ion read by the then associate jus
tice of the supreme court, MIR
Hughes-in which principle is SCI
forth clearly that no man is free
that involuntary servitude exists
when man must work against hi'
will"
Can't Outlaw Strikes by Law.
"There is one thing about the la
bor question which is automatic, :
Mr.. Gompers declared, that is. il
you attempt to outlaw strikes by
legislation, depend upon it, your
law will be futile and you will sim.
ply make criminals and lawbreak
ers of workmen who are honest
patriotic citizens.
There is but one ground upor