The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-13
C0MPERS, DEAN OF AMERICAN LABOR,
HAD NOTABLE RISE FROM POOR BOY
TO FIGURE IN AFFAIRS OF WORLD
Exercises Influence Beyond
Actual Labor Organization
Fought Bolshevism and
Supported the Unite e d
States in War with Ger
many
BY Associated PresS)

Samuel GompcrS, dean OF Ameri-
can labor leaders" one of the foun-
derS OF the American Federation Of
Labor, which he saw grow from a
cotere Of small locals TO At national
organization with Il membership Of
more than 3,UO0,0O0. spent several Of
the later years OF his life in fight ing
, autocracy abroad and radica'ism in
organized labor III home
! IL Il career filled with persistent
! and vigorous efforts from his 18th
year $50 improve the conditions of
| WORKERS" Mr. Gompers became i
unique figure in American public
life. By the force Of his elOquence
and patriotism he won over the
solid support OF the American Fed
; Grafton oI Labor for the United
Stntes government when it entered
the war
The conflict ended. he went ia
Paris where he helped to organize
the international Labor Congress-
Five Of its tenot> were incorporated
in the Peace Treaty. They were:
Labor is moi commodity: 2An
international S-hour day; "A
standard and adequate living wage;
Equal pay for men and women
fer equal work and 3-Prohibiton
OF child labor.
. Elected i3 Times
At the annual session of the Amer
lean Federation Il Labor 1T FL Paso
Texas. in November. 1924. Mr.
Gompers WAS elected president fol
the 4;;rd time. That session was
followed by "a joint meeting of the
American Federation of Labor. and
sessions CT the Pan American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor and the inaugura
ton of Presidents Gales Of Mexico
which officials of all three organi
cations attended at Mexico City.
While at the Mexicon capital Mr.
Gompers was stricken with re-
currence of the ailmcnt which had
kept him mere or less an invalid 70,
several years. complicated By /
slight cold and the high altitude the
aged leader WAS unable 70 attenc
the CLOSING SESSIONS.
Friend Of Presidents
GomperS was the personal frieno
Of six American Presidents Nckin
ley, Roosevelt. Taft, Wilson, Harding
and Coolidge. He was often callet
into consultation with them. Settle
ment Of number of industrial dis
putes that threatened to or die
reach nation wide proportions wa:
attributed to his wise leadership
his conservatism and the trust re
posed in him BY the rank and filt
of American labor He was
staunch advocate Of democracy.
The world wide unrest which fol
lowed the conclusion of the grea
war did not spare American indus
try. Bolshevism early lifted it:
head Explaining its menace, h
said: There has always been
radical element in the labor move
ment that has tried to destroy thu
very forces which have protected
lit all these years. 1t is this elemen
which makes it so hard for organ
lied labor to make it's demands ef
,fective. These American Bolshevik
have earned for labor counties:
enemies and have represented us il
an unfavorable light" Six month.
latter these words were spoken, o
more than 300 strikes in variou,
parts of the United States, it wa:
reported that only 62 were author
xed by the American Federation o,
Labor.
ultimately" said Mr.. Gomper:
in the same interview, 1.-THE toiler:
will see that there is nothing in tn.
false doctrines Of Bolshevism. have
no idea who is supplying the radical:
with the money to carry on thei
propaganda. But there have alway:
been certain enemies to labor wh'
are eager 70 use any means to weak
en- our organization"
In the National Industrial Con
ference Of representatives Of labor
capital and the public, which opened
at Washington on October 6, l9l:
at the call of President Wilson t.
find a remedy for industrial strife
Mr.. Gompers took prominent part
Previously he had attended worlt
! Continued on page g.