Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, September 2, 1921, Page 11

‘in every field of activity, LABOR'S RIGHTS NOT EASILY WON Struggle Has Been Long and Bit- ter, but the Victory Is Secure. EMPLOYERS HAVE SEEN LIGHT| ‘Workers, by Heroic Efforts, Succeeded In Maintaining and Vindicating Constitutional Rights — Will Be No Turning Back. By SAMUEL GOMPERS, President of the American Federation | of Labor. Employers have not come wnuugly_ or readily to see that it is just and| right and wise that those who work | should have their proper voice in help- ing to shape and determine the condi- tions of life and labor. But we have come far. By the token of progress made we know more progress is to be | made. 1t is just a little over a decade since the scorn, which those who dominated the thought of society felt for the life | and the rights of labor, was expressed by a United States judge when, with John Mitchell and Frank Morrison, I received sentence to prison because I had dared to print and to speak the protest of lahor against injustice. Mr. Mitchell and Mr., Morrison were sen- | tenced to six months’ Imprisonment, respectively, and I to one year. What we had done was to discuss the merits | of a case that was before the courts— the Buck Stove and Range case. Carried to the Courts. Back of that event was history made by fighting. The National Assocl lanou‘ of Munufactwrers had taken the posi- tion that the organized labor mu\'e-‘ ment must be destroyed. The Anti-/ Boycott associntion was formed. Every | pressure that could be mustered against organized labor was' brought to bear upon it, including the pressure of suits in the courts to abridge the constitutional rights of the freedom of speech and of the press. That battle was probably the most concentrated | effort of employers to break down flw: fighting spirit and the fighting abllity | of the working people. | The result was that the working peo- ple maintained and vindicated their | constitutional rights and their right to | own themselves and to secure agree?| ment with their employers by collee- ! tive bargaining; for the purpose- of bringing employers to a realization of | the fact that they had the right to tablish better relations and secure b ter conditions; they made secure like- | wise their right to cease work—to | ‘ strike. i Labor in Days Before War. H When, early in 1917, {he clouds of | war began to become apparent to dis- ! cerning men, a call was issued from ! the headquarters of the Awerican Fed- | eration of Labor in Washington, ask- | ing the officials and leaders of the na- 1 tional and international trade unions tn, assemble in Washington on March 12., The dle had not been cast for war | | at that date. But the representatives ' of the great American labor movement | then adopted unanimously a declara- tion that, come peace or come the bit- | ter days of war, there was but one; place for labor and that was under the | flag, for the flag and with the flag. | The words of the conclusion of that declaration will bear repeating, for no | expresssion like it has been uttered in ; any other land. Thus spoke labor on March 12, 1917: | “We, the officers of the National and | International Trade Unions of Ameri- | ca in national conference assembled in | the capital of our nation, hereby p!edgé ourselves in peace or in war; in stress or in storm, to'stand unre- servedly by the standards of liberty | and the safety and preservation of the ! institutions and deals of our republic. “In this solemn hour of our nation’s life, 1t is our earnest hope that our republic may be safeguarded in its unswerving desire for peace; that oul people may be spared the horrors and the burden of war; that they may| have the opportunity to cultivate und; develop the arts of peace, human brotherhood and a higher clvilization. | “But despite all our endeavors and | hopes, should our country be drawn ! ‘into the maelstrom of the European' conflict, we, with these ideals of liber- ty and justice herein declared, as the ! ‘indispensable basis for national poli- ! cles, offer our services to our country i “to defend, safeguard and preserve the republic of the United States of America against its enemies whomsoever they ! | | L .may be, and we call upon our fellow | workers and fellow citizens in the; holy name of Labor, Justice, Freedom and Humanity, to devotedly and patri- | ‘otically give like service.” i Labor in True Light With this emphatic pronouncement' of labor’s devotion to the republic, to | the great democratic cause of the world, and with other developments : ‘that came quickly in those days on| the eve of war and in the days that| followed so rapidly when war became | a grior and veal thing among us, em- ployers everywhere came to see that the American labor--movement was something more than had been plc-: tured to them throngh the prejudicial ! briefs of their hired lawyers. The came to see it in something of its true tight. They came to understand nt as | one of the great protecting hulwnrks; of democracy. More than that, they' came to see ft as a great creation of ! democrac Gompers’ Home at Washington, The history of Samuel Gompers is largely a history of organized labor. Since 1881, with the exception of one term, he has been president of the American Federation of Lubor, which he was large- ly instrumental in organizing. kriends of the veteran labor ledder say he is the most active man in the United States, despite his seventy-one years. Ho traveled an average of 100 miles a day during 1920, one trip being made by alrplane to keep an engagement. Hardly a meal is eaten without a conference golng on simultaneously, and at times he has ‘dic- tated statements as he ate. During the last year he has written four books and fitty pamphlets. Another book is in the hands of his publisher. Born in England, Gompers came to America when thirteen vears old. He organized an international cigar-makers’ union in 154 and was sec- retary and president for six years. It was in connection with this work that he hecame interested in the larger move- ment -which resulted in organization of the federation. TOmE Crities of the American labor movement have said that it has no definite program, no formula that in- dicates just where it is going. 1 know of no more emphatic answer than to point to the road over which we have come in ten years, I suggest that it shows the directlon in which we are going; it shows, moreover, that we are going. On June 19, carrying out the spirit the labol ition of M L 13, Kkind given a new status in soclety. an - agreemcenl was entered Into be- tween Secretary of War Newton D, Baker and myself, as the representa- tive of lubor. This Is the agreeiel “Ior | adjustinent . and control ot wages, hours and conditions of labor in the construction of cantonments, there shall be created an adjnstment | commission of thred persons, appoint- | ed by the secretary of war; one to rep- resent the army, oune the public, and one labor; the last to he nominated by Samuel- Gompers, member of the ad-| visory commission of the council of national defense, and president of lhe‘ Amerlean Federation of Labor. The Force of the Worker. “As basle stundards with reference to each cuntonment, such commission shall use the union scale of wages, | liours and conditions in force on June | 1, 1917, In the locality where such | cantonment Is situated. Consideration shall be given to special circumstances, it any, arising after suid date, which may require particular advances in wages or changes in other standards, Adjustment of wages, hours or condi- tions made by such board are to be treated us binding by ull partie Rights to Organize. The natlonul war lubor board adopt- ed its principles and included therein was: “The right of workers to organ- Ize und bargain collectively through chosen representatives is recognized and atlirmed. This right shall not be denled, abridged or interfered with by the employers in any manner whatso- ever.” | Thus, the right of workers to a voice in the determination of thelr condi- tlons of life became one of America's guiding principles not only in the war jundustries of the govermnent, but the spirit beeame most general among em- ployers the country over. The men and women of toil had come te stand straight in matters of executive direc- tion, In these days when so many prophets throughout “the_ world are proclaiming revolutions of Such sweep- ing character, it may be presumptuous for me to use the word “revolution,” but I maintain that when we reached that point in our national life where labor assumed a divecting role in the of the country, a very definite rctieal revolution had been ae- hed. A definite result had been gained, a deep-pooted concept completely destroyed and replaced by a new one of exactly opposite charac- ter, and the struggling masses of man- The Demands of Labor. We are upon days no less trying Plow With the Fordson Disk With the Fordson Harrow ‘With the Fordson .Harvest With the Fordson Thresh: With the Fordson Bale Hay With the Fordson Saw Wood ' With the Fordson Pump Water ‘With the Fordson Grade With the Fordson Pull Stumps With the Fo: Fill the Silo With the Fordson Grind Feed ‘With the Fordson facts. $625 £.0. b. Detroit Whether in the field, around the farm, or on the road, the . Fordson Tractor is doing won- dershin saving time, reducing cost and increasing profits for thousands of farmers everyr where. No matter what the farm task, “if it can be done by motive power the Fordson can do it, and do it well. 170,000 now in use in all parts of thecountryand ineverykind offield and belt work prove the efficiency, stability, and relia- bility of the Fordson Tractor. Call, write or phone for the the Fordson means to you in the day’s work. - s Learn now, just what THE BEMIDJI DAILY PIONEER | and freer the position of lubor, . ! s 1 than™ the vi war, and no less fraught with great consequences, The service of labor to our country will be great, If its opportunities ure great, u trae reflection of the status that fa- bor occuples in the nation. The higher the greater and nobler will be the servie: of labor. Bondmen wight write a dec- laration of freedom, but they coull not conduct their own affairs and act the part of freedomn until they had be- come free. American labor has achleved the great fundamentals of in- dustrial freedom and it has established this fact In the life and consclousness of the community. Progress—uot for a few, but for ali —that s the gulding thought and pur- pose of the Amer] labor movement. I know of none better, Impressive, Mrs, Profiteer (relating her experi- ences)—“Yes, my dear, and we sow & volcano. You know—one of those mountains which overflows with lager."—London Mail. Dreaming of Bandits. If they attack you, rely upon your own strength and viger; if you at- tack them, beware that some mistor- tune does not overtake you; to see jhem, prosperity and riches. o, " PAGE NINE LET BUSENESS EDUCATION ‘ Slmnf the Way toSuccess - The Fall Term Will Open Sept. 6 Both Night and Day Sessions YES—Let Business Education Show You the VWay to Success. Make your position in latter life one of GIVING mderi, in- stead of taking orders. Why not consult us in regard to the proper course to pursue? Class Rooms Over Co-operative Store Across From the City Hall BEMIDJI BUSINESS COLLEGE BEMIDJ I, MINN. C. W. JEWETT COMPANY FORD SALES AND SERVICE Telephone 970 Bemidji To The Man Who Toils--All Honor And what man is there—who earns an honest living— who does not toil? The happy day is not far distant, let us hope, when all men will realize that each needs the other. In the meantime let us join together on Labor Day in the celebration which has been prepared, and try to know our neighbors better—to that end we will close our store all day Monday, Sept. 5th. PN 1 : . O B — NS AP SRS i e e e {