The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-05-13


speech at Toronto before the members
of the Empire Club challenged Judge
Ebert H. Gary to let an investigating
committee look into the affairs of both
the steel trust and the A. f. of L. and
see which would come out the best.
The challenge came about when
Gompers referred to the suggestion Of
Judge Gary of the United States steel
corporation that labor unions should
be brought under government control.
He had been saying:
"If an earnest and honest attempt
is to be made to solve the great indus
trial problem it cannot be done with
capital on the one side and the open
shop on the other.
"The solution will have to be reach
ed at conferences where human hopes
and aspirations are taken into con-
sideration and at conferences which
are not held in the autocratic offices
of the capitalist"
Then came the challenge to Mr..
Gary and Mr.. Gonipers continued:
"This powerful spokesman of auto
cratic industry declares that labor
unions must be regulated or controlled
so that industry and government may
not be Destroyed What chance would
there be for an Individual American
or a foreigner to redress a grievance
were he left to his own resources
"The facts are that all fair-minded
and intelligent people realize that to
establish any degree of 'mutuality of
contract between employers anG
workers today there must be trades
union organizations to deal with our
| highly organized corporations and Cr-
CARNATIONS of stockholders and Sc
curity holders, and that the same
freedom Of collective agreement and
| free representation must be given the
workers as is accorded the corpora
tions, organizations of stock and Sc
curity holders.
81 grant Judge Gary's legal ability,
but what experience has he had in
dealing with labor, what does he know
of his men? / don't mean by the re-
ports of his detective agencies-those
systems for which corporations pay
hundreds of thousands of dollars"
Gompers declared the United States
steel corporation had spent 100000
ito pry upon and spy upon" on the
workmen in its employ. The Ameri-
can and Canadian labor movements,
he declared, were the most construct
| i've movements in the two countries
and were the only two labor move
ments on the globe chat have not
placed their hands on the throats of
their governments"
Gompers said he would not remain
as president or even a member of the
Federation of Labor zone moment
longer than it would take me to tear
up my union card" if the federation
were not a sane and rational organ
ization, respecting government and
| law and order.
"You must take your choice. If
| the labor movement is to be crushed,
| if our offers to meet in conference
with you, perhaps to give and take,
and having in mind the ideal or max
| ing every tomorrow a better day
! if that movement is to be crushed out
do you think that the toilers of that
movement will submit tamely to be-
ing crushed? If you think that, dis
miss it from your minds, for the spirit
that is in it and that went before it
is not dead"
Gompers poked fun at Judge Gary's
charge against labor unions that they
had the temerity to try to elect or de-
feat candidates.
What an appalling offense," he ex
claimed. Nobody would ever accuse
the steel corporation of attempting to
influence election of a president
"There are ministerial associations.
there are social organizations, there
are even certain bands of people call
ing themselves prohibitionists," he
humorously pointed out, "ali of whom
are considered safe to have voice in
the election of the president of the
United States, but Judge Gary denies
that our organization of working men
and women have right to say in the
choice.
"The offices Of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor are in Washington |
challenge Judge Gary to the selection
of committee, half to be appointed
by him and half by myself, to make
an investigation of both the United
States steel corporation and the Amer
ican Federation Of Labor"
He declared the A. F. of L. had
been accused also Of trying to infiu-