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To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will work.

Samuel Gompers

Our movement is of the working people, for the working people, by the working people. . . .
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Long Movement Order People Struggle Work
One fact stands out in bold relief in the history of man’s attempts for betterment. That is that when compulsion is used, only resentment is aroused, and the end is not gained. Only through moral suasion and appeal to man’s reason can a movement succeed.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Arouse Attempt Betterment Bold Compulsion Fact History Man relief Resentment Stand Use
All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man’s prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Dayis devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Amn Battle Conflict Connect Degree Holiday Less Man Other Over Power Race
The periods of unemployment accompanying depression in the business cycle . . . present a challenge to all our claims to progress, humanity, and civilization.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Accompanying Business Business Cycle Challenge Civilization Depression Employment Period Progress Une
Doing for people what they can and ought to do for themselves is a dangerous experiment.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Dangerous Done Experiment Fads Ought People Themselves
So long as we have held fast to voluntary principles and have been actuated and inspired by the spirit of service.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Actuated Decision Inspire Long Principle Service Spirit Voluntary Wise
To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will work.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Choice Condition Determine Hand Must Own Retain Right Under Worker
We will stand by our friends and administer a stinging rebuke to men or parties who are either indifferent, negligent, or hostile, and, wherever opportunity affords, to secure the election of intelligent, honest, earnest trade unionists, with clear, unblemished, paid-up union cards in their possession.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Administer Card Election Friend Honest Hostile Indifferent Intelligent Men Negligent Opportunity Party Possession Rebuke Stand Stringling Trade
The freedom of speech and the freedom of the press have not been granted to the people in order that they may say things which please, and which are based upon accepted thought, but the right to say the things which displease.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Been Freedom Granted Order People Please Press Say Speech Thing
The trade union movement represents the organized economic power of the workers… It is in reality the most potent and the most direct social insurance the workers can establish.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Economic Movement Organization Organized Power Reality Represent Trade Worker
Let social busybodies and professional “public morals experts” in their fads reflect upon the perils they rashly invite under this pretense of social welfare.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Bodies Busy Moral Peril Pretense Public Social Under Welfare
Do I believe in arbitration? I do. But not in arbitration between the lion and the lamb, in which the lamb is in the morning found inside the lion
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Arbitration Believe Found Inside Lamb Lion Morning Umpires
You can’t weigh the soul of a man with a bar of pig-iron.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Bar Iron Man Pig Soul Weight
Show me the country that has no strikes and I’ll show you the country in which there is no liberty.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Country Liberty Show Strike
In the last analysis, the welfare of the workers depends upon their own initiative. Whatever is done under the guise of philanthropy or social morality which in any way lessens initiative is the greatest crime that can be committed against the toilers.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Analyse Committed Crime Depend Gret Guise Initiative Matter Social Toiler
Doing for people what they can and ought to do for themselves is a dangerous experiment.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Busybodies Dangerous Experiment Ought People Themselves

To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will work.

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To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will work.

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