Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1924-12-18
LABORLEADER
PASSES AWAY;
SAN antonio
Labor Associates With Him
On Trip to Mexico at Bed
side When End Comes.

San Antonio, Tex.,-Samuel Com
per, who for more than 40 years di-
rected the destinies or the American
Federation of Labor. died here early
saturday after realizing his last
hope-that the end come on Ameri-
can soil.
The labor chicftain died surround
ed by his comrades, many of whom
had fought beside him shoulder to
shoulder for a generation in behalf of
the economic principles he supported.
The end came. in a local hotel IL
hours after his arrival from Mexico
City. where he had been stricken
earlir in the week. HIS last words
were spoken to his nurse about an
hour before he died. Realizing that
he was losing the battle so stubborn
ly fought, he turned to her and wills
pered:
"Nurse, this is the end God bless
our American institutions. May they
grow better day by day"
Body Started East
Saturday night the body of the Ia
Dor chieftain. sleeping in a massive
bronze casket similar TO that in which
President Harding was laid to rest.
was started on its long journey to the
nations capital, accompanied by his
! friends and associates There were no
services at the mortuary where the
body repseed Saturday. =.
Services are to be held in Washing
ton and the body is TO be taken to
New York Wednesday morning,
| where further services probably will
be held and a funeral Grafton preach
ed by some one to be selected. Burial
viii be IN Sleepy Hollow cemetery at
Terrytown, N. Y.
Biographical Sketch.
Samuel Gompers, dean of Ameri-
can labor leaders" one of the found
ers of the American Federation OF
Labor, which lie saw grow from n
coterie of small locals to a national
organization with membership OF
more than 100000 spent several of
the later years of his life in fight
ing autocracy abroad and radicalism
In organized labor at home.
, In career filled with persistent
and vigorous efforts from his fifteen
tn year "to improve the conditions OF
workers. Mr.. Gon.pers became a
unique figure of his eloquence and
patriotism he won over the solid sup
port of the American Federation OF
Labor for the United States govern
, ment when it entered the war.
The conflict ended, he went TO
Paris where he helped to organize
: the International labor congress.
Five of its tcnets were incorporated
E i'm the Peace treaty. They were: !
: Labor is not commodity; 2-An in
] ternational s-hour day; "a stand
: ard and adequate living wage; 4
: Equal pay for men and women FOR
] equal work; 5-Prohibition of child
+ labor.
] Friend of Four Presidents.
Z. Gompers was the personal frlend
4 of four Amrican presidents-Mchin-
e ley. Roosevelt Taft and Wilson. lie
was often called into consultation
! with them. Settlement Of a number
of industrial disputes that threaten
:. ed to or did reach nationwide pro
> portions was attributed to his wise
e leadership: his conservatism and the
n trust reposed ia him by the rank ana
! file of American labor He was O
z staunch advocate of democracy.
L. The worldwide unrest which fol
8 lowed the conclusion Of the great
d war did not spare American industry
IT Bolshvism early lifted its head. tx
ploinine IT'S menace, he said: There
has always been a radical element il
rho labor movement that has tried u
destroy the very forces which hav'
ID nrotected it all these years. 1t Is thi
u element which makes 1t so hard TO
organized labor to make its demand
y effective. These American bolsheyik
~ have earned for labor countless enc
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