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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

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
It is impossible for capitalists and laborers to have common interests.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Capitalist Common Impossible Interest Laborer Struggle
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
The working people know no country. They are citizens of the world.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Citizen Country Know People World
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
There may be here and there a worker who for certain reasons unexplainable to us does not join a union of labor. That is his right. It is his legal right, no matter how morally wrong he may be. It is his legal right, and no one can or dare question his exercise of that legal right.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Certain Exercise Join Labor Reason Unexplainable Union Worker
There is not a right too long denied to which we do not aspire in order to achieve; there is not a wrong too long endured that we are not determined to abolish.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Abolish Aspire Denied Determine Endure Long Order Right Wrong
The worst crime against working people is a company which fails to operate at a profit.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Against Business Company Crime Fail Failure Operate People Profit Worst
W.Z. Foster {head of the American Communist Party}, who had no money, went to Moscow and came back and announced that he was building a great secret machine to undermine the American labor movement and turn it over to the Red International, owned by Lenin.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Announce Build Communist Community Country Foster International Money Movement Party Red Secret
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
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
No race of barbarians ever existed yet offered up children for money
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Children Economic Inequality Este Money Offer Race Vbarbarian
To make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Beautiful Bright Childhood Happy Manhood More Noble Womanhood
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
No human being is unimportant. My inspiration comes in opening opportunities that all alike may be free to live life to the fullest.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Alike Being Come Fullest Human Inspiration Life Open Opportunity Unimportant
[The labor movement is] a movement of the working people, for the working people, by the working people, governed by ourselves, with its policies determined by ourselves.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Determinedlabor Governed Lace Movement People Policies Work
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
The right to say the things which convey the new and yet unexpected thoughts, the right to say things, even though they do a wrong.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Convey Life New Right Say Thing Through Unexpected Wrong
Show me that product of human endeavor in the making of which the workingman has had no share, and I will show you something that society can well dispense with.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Make Man Product Share Show Society Something Working
You can’t do it unless you organize.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

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

Long Movement Order People Struggle Work
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
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
The man who has his millions will want everything he can lay his hands on and then raise his voice against the poor devil who wants ten cents more a day.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Cent Devil Everything Hand Lay Man Million Poor Ten Voice
So long as there is one [person] who seeks employment and cannot find it, the hours of work are too long.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Employment Find Hour Long Seek Work
Our mission has been the protection of the wage-worker, now; to increase his wages; to cut hours off the long workday, which was killing him; to improve the safety and the sanitary conditions of the workshop.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Cut Cutting Hour Increase Long Mission Now Protection Safety Wage Workday Kill Worker

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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