The Connecticut labor news., 1922-04-21

States, but they know they can never accomplish the latter while the A. F. ot L. stands in the front and there fore would destroy the Federation. Inc U. 5. capitalists also seek the destruction ot the A. F. of L. with their open shop low wages and other coercive methods, but they will not succeed either It is the Gibral- ter of the worker and like Gibralter will stand forever while right IS in danger.
 "Organized Labor is frank in what 1t wants and says so right out in meeting. We want More and when we get more will still want more and then more. In that we are not diff ferent from any other class. The man of the street hungry, wants more that he may get something to eat. The fellow with fivver wants more to get a better car. The man with more than that, the millionaire wants another million and if you ask the multimillionaire what he wants, he'll tell you he wants the earth. But when the worker who produces all these things for the comfort of the others asks more they unite to vent their spleen against him and this we should resent.
 We are not perturbed by the an tagonism of the chambers of com merce and like associations. We do not want to fight, BUT IF THEY WANT IT, we will give it to them in the words of the immortal Shakes peare, cry Lay on McDuff and cursed be he who first shall cry enough, Where labor is strong, wages high and hours short, there Is prosperity strong also. Where Labor is weak, wages low and hours Of toll long, there Is business worse. Every drive to down the worker hurts business. Why ii the policy of coercing the worker as being preached here now, is right, then those who preach 1t must consider China at the head of civilization as nowhere on the globe IS labor any worse off than there. But we do not intend to be reduced to the Chinese working level, not for all the chambers of commerce, manufac- turers associations and the like ever organized
 ! am glad that your president did not arrange for a large mass meeting as was first suggested. Mass meet ings can do no good now and might do harm for you cannot reason with men when their families are hungry as many of them are now. Therefore 1 counselled this gathering with you, their leaders, and on you depends the solution of their problems. It's the same old story, the poor must always struggle. Read the declaration of your fellow townsman, once president of the United States, in his criticism of the denial of justice to the poor. Read Elihu Roots masterly criticism of conditions surrounding the efforts of the poor to get justice in our courts, read the bulletin of the Car negie Foundation, pamphlet B. They all tell why the worker must stand united to secure this justice in our courts.
 Take these injunctions now being issued as part of the attempt to coerce the worker. The judges are supposed to be sitting i'll courts of equity,' but If l was to make pun on the term, l might say courts of inequity. To give color to these injunctions those seeking them claim that they are to restrain men likely to commit crime Did anyone ever hear of an injunction against murder, robbery or other crimes which men are not only likely to, but do commit every day? No, the injunction against crime is only when Labor asserts itself in its right to strike which therefore becomes a prohibition of things lawfully right. The interests opposing us still hold to the property right i'll a mans labor just as II It was a commodity.
 That 1t is not a commodity is plainly laid down in the Clayton Act which Organized Labor after much effort succeeded in having placed in the laws of the land. Yet, your es- teemed fellow townsman, (Taft) now sitting on the Supreme Court in recent decision practically nullihes that act. It wasn't so long ago that he was protesting against the inabil fly of the poor to get justice. The injunction IS a great blessing if ap- piled right and the Clayton Act de- clared that it must not be used inn former president calmly decides oth- jubilantly along after him Yet they lament there is no justice for the poor. How can there be?
 "Organized Labor had a large part in bringing about the election of Woodrow Wilson to the presidency and under his administration we did succeed in passing the Clayton Act to protect all workers. That was not by any special influence but because the administration had keen insight
 into the real needs of the worker and strove to supply them. We asked no privileges then and we ask no privil eges now except the inherent right to equality with all men and a right to enjoy life as best we can. As long as the fight goes on against this equality we will be in the ring with a spirit of determination that bids us go on and fight for the ideals of true Amer icanism, to fight for the ideals of America as written in the Declara- tion of Independence and our Con stitution and until humanity stands above the dollar"
 That ended MT Gompers' address and he was given long, hearty cheers with rising vote of thanks The