Show I 1 T t QUESTIONS il 4 j I 1 resident president V Gompers Gom pors 5 able address PAST YEARS TROUBLES he makes a strong D defense ef e 3 t in behalf of the laborers actions I 1 Sp acial to THI dec 13 the ries e of ef the national convention ConT antion of 0 the tb amerlean american lean federation of libor were ware resumed bials morning mo roine committees wre were ap acx pointed to cn insider sider the condition of af fairs kt at homestead and tho tha immix ras lion question stion reports of the tha treasurer secretory secre mry and ad other officials we wa a 0 alro presented y tsen ted yOur aRS ADDRESS the annual addi aas of preal lent gom pera pars would fill an entire paje pae of cf an ordinary newspaper but notwithstanding its it length lene tn the tha subject treated ot were BO important that it was list suad to by the delegate de legata with keen attention light into the tha labor troubles lea of the past year president compers Gomi erts boice in this forcible train strain evanta have bava transpired on the field of labor within the past six months which have hare aroused public attention because the tha in incidents identa connected with them have baan of a more or less lesa unusual character in each of these labor struggles tha employer the corporations have simply mule made a request and the armed forces of the tha states and d of the united states were at their bidding in the ilia coal mines of Tennee tennessee aee where the snipers ciper were being gradually but purely supplanted tup planted by the labor of convicts con dicta let out b by contract or lease the opportunities for an honest livelihood were being bein stolen from them under the garb farb of public benefaction aul an economy the miners pleaded in vain tain to the legislature of f the state to top stop this nefarious nefa noua tr ailia instead of having their grievances and wrongs redressed they were scorned at cle defied fled public opinion was so stunted that they could not induce the lawmaking power to save the lives of men women and children is it any wonder that wh u ill all legal failed as 25 a last retort resort way ds d that the only way in in which the public conscience could b as ai to shock it I 1 P at flom homestead istead where the iron and steel workers wera offered a who wholesale lesile reduction in wats wages an armed armad band of marauders maratt Jara sailing anjer no flag 0 owing brine allegiance alle gianco to no stats nor cor country coant rr and consequently by the tha law ol of sit all na 1 ion I consi considered dared pirates were brou brought lit by the corpora iiona to invade that peaceful town to oT eravi and intimidate date its it citizens aud and wor kersto aid in the effort to supplant their labor by a poorer and d act Q human being the men of homstead their liberties enad endangered riger cleir liven their families ands nii their howes menaced took up arms against the invaders and repelled ted them charo are ar now nearly men man who were engaged in the at homestead are either in prison or out on bill bail who chargee with every off offense offence enise and aad crime from C conspiracy and riot not to murder and treason the calling out ot of the entire militia of pennsylvania P to homestead is 11 fresh in in the tha minds of all the action of 01 h audre acting in in the capacity of a committing magistrate an aa well as a the the higher office of a supreme court justice Jn atice the contortion of the law to ta make the men amendable to the charges of murder and treason the fact that thare are ara indict m indictments monts against the comp campania cam panya anys officials as well as against the tb men while the latter are incarcerated in jam jail and the corporate plutocrats are enjay aniline ing their libei liberties ties and the luxury tuat their bealuk gives the con trat trait ot of the tha situation vad nd the fia treatment in food for fruitful thought and cannot but impresa itsell deeply upon a people who have hate been taught that all men ato aio equal t the law at baffaro bat 40 switchmen switchman used all the peaceful percussive patera men are ara capable ot of lor tue of 0 inducing the railroad corporations to ceade working their at their dangerous and oten often times responsible occupations a longer period r 1 0 d that tile tha 13 jan of the state of now lv borit r r provides ton ten hours ihly treated contemptuously by the tha company and aad as a last resort struck work lor for tile the laforce enforcement clit of the law I 1 Be because caule some irresponsible persons persona certainly ceTla not the men on strike whose iao ware thereby there byl destroyed a number ot ol rail railroad rood cara which had beba da designated by the company aa out of ut aud the mai militia litia ol of the state 1 ot ol sew new york was wa cadee out ind and concentrated at Buff lalo doing doin work and even forcing fori ing men to work against their will the men on strike were not even pr emitted to peak to those who proposed propose J to or toia tk their the sl nera kem places thus depriving of their legal leal as aa especially y i 1 d iu in the laws loverni i aas in despu ea between employed em played and bewly at fie ar dalene where the miners minera had been sulf catenaa deprivations dubu sit bit lonz lone winter mantha the L iiii I 1 on ano vf no extracted wealth from the bowels ul of tua tiia arah earth waro subjected to la ia wages wK earth artho aeterna tite of ieru ie iu their pass paa irom their h ds to 10 the kanica gangs brought over to thi cju chantry under contract the eluzy miners minars were wera organized and believed that than antano tha batter cotini 3 would bs be toor to organize anci za with willi the tha nonunion men they were ordered off 05 by the depa deput tiei isi aul aal while retreating rat shot at mid and many mel and killed it was then in sell belt defense db tensa that they re 11 turned the tha fire at the tha of et the mine owners D tilted 8 wee tr troops 00 P we were r 6 I 1 brought to coeur dalene dA Ieno bad an I 1 tha t h man Yer awed and nd subdued the tha commands command ing general of 0 the th united states forces farces issuing in an order chat that py any employer em voyer who would operate hi his mines mines with union on man would not be ba allowed to continue wor A united states judge issued an order miners belonging to the union frow from holding a meeting la othar words the constitutional constitution al right of lne free artem blage had bad been violated by I 1 ft a united blates batea juige emige and a commander of oar car army nad had declared and d enforced an edict that an employer should not be ba allowed to carry on an his business basi aesa because ha be employed union men the judda further field that ayery member of tho the unon was responsible for any overt act of any member of tb the a union whether such euch ns members ambera ere cognizant of the tha overt act being committed or not wan wa immaterial thus thu practically outlawing the union this thia action of both judges and officers of the united states stales haa bag been BO 50 flagrantly in violation vioa tion of law that I 1 be lieve it to b be our duty to demand of the congress Con greBB of the united states to cinatl tuta an investigation into all matters connected with the judicial and military conduct of affairs in a the minine ri re gioni eions coeur dalene dalane these cases certainly call for the se serious ious consideration of the delegates to this thia convention they are fraught with pregnant and buguing questions of the hourne hour we have a duty to perform and we wa should not shrink from doing it the efforts of the toiling masse of vur our country for improved have bava been baen met in a spine 0 the be bitterest est antagonism our methods to gr gritu da ally improve the conditions of the haases toa afee have bare been regarded as if u we re were tho the enemies rather than the friends ot of the humn hum n fainar fani lr wr W r bas baa cally beu declared declama against the labor organizations and war rs re jated to 10 in the efforts to lo crush brush them I 1 but bat will hev be crushed wa answer no A thousand times ric nr ane labor the manifestation oi of f that unrest born of the conviction that thai it im ustice prevails fla which needs remedy ing and aap lantine by ji bastice ustice and right the labor movement voices UK th aspirations of df toiling masses as well ai lays layn bart bare their wrongs it is ia the boais mo a a through which tyranny is ia held in check it layes in their minds and hearts nd will not and cannot be crushed crashed I 1 it itic is scarcely pos possible lu stances mentioned could have I 1 ceu treated I 1 in E a mauner manner so similar without omu tacit understanding on the tha part of the monopolistic class of our oar country there is 18 every reason to believe that an arrangement of this thia character existed and still exists circulars issued and evid evidence nee given by the give furth further eer proof of this bib belief lief there are further matters mattera connected with these struggles to which boar avi ats gentian crould be called mr gompers proceeded to speak at length on the militia question saying baying that the militia of the state is ia now never utilized except for purposes of ostentation or as so an element in labor straggles their the r should endeavor to bring back the militia to again acain become the popular military organization of the masses or members of lebor labor erg n 1 al eions bons would louia oe to declare are blat they tbt annat banuat belong to both ibe ai speaker discussed at length langta the ques question tiou whether a new path should be ruck by the working people in order to overcome and achieve victories such a view lie 1 said was waa hold held by many aa uett frienda rk dja of the labor movement move mani he ha hicie aih va witnessed the brutal outrages of the monopolistic class and their hirch birch lings upon the toiling rna nis saes president compera dealt briefly with the subject of immigration saying baying that unrestricted immigration is ii work iniz a great injury to the people of nf the country and that while teas federation did not wish to join in the general cry completely shutting abutting out alt all immigrants yet immediate legislation for the regulation and restriction was necessary and should not be shirked eh sh irked the speaker recommended that con gross greas should be ba urged to pass a law making labor day a legal leeal holiday throughout the country referring to the knights of labor he be said that in obedience to te the instructions of tb the birmingham convention antion t last year the gi ginneral officers of the knights had bad been invited to a conference confer enca with the federi feder i aaion A discourteous and insolent answer was waa returned and nothing further had bad been done the were referred to as manifesting petty and grast the speaker declared in favol of political action by organized org anitad labor and on the eight hour question scid it was their duty to keep up the fiat until a substantial re red acting ducting in the days davs labor of the masses had bad been attained ile he urged that tha alien contract labor law should be wade made moro more at that all immis immigrants rants should be subject to return until two years yeara after their arrival in this country and that the am employing employ inz contract contra clr r should be held liable for five years after the arival a rival of the co contract laborer mr gompers concluded amidst treat applause |