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Time is the most valuable thing on earth: time to think, time to act, time to extend our fraternal relations, time to become better men, time to become better women, time to become better and more independent citizens.

Samuel Gompers

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
You can’t weigh the soul of a man with a bar of pig-iron.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Bar Iron Man Pig Soul Weight
No lasting gain has ever come from compulsion.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Come Compulsion Ever Gain Lasting
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 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
You can’t do it unless you organize.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Labor Organized Union
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
Where trade unions are most firmly organized, there are the rights of the people most respected.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Firmly Most Organization People Respect Right Trade Union
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
Doing for people what they can and ought to do for themselves is a dangerous experiment.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Busybodies Dangerous Experiment Ought People Themselves
Labor Day is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race or nation.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Art Day Dead Devoted Labor Living Men Nation No Race
No race of barbarians ever existed yet offered up children for money
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Children Economic Inequality Este Money Offer Race Vbarbarian
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
What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Arsenal Beautiful Book Labor Less More Nature Opportunity Revenge Schoolhouse
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
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
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
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
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 working people know no country. They are citizens of the world.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Citizen Country Know People World
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
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
To make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Beautiful Bright Childhood Happy Manhood More Noble Womanhood
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
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
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
Workingmen are at the foundation of society.
SAMUEL GOMPERS

Endeavor Foundation Men Share Society Working

Time is the most valuable thing on earth: time to think, time to act, time to extend our fraternal relations, time to become better men, time to become better women, time to become better and more independent citizens.

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Time is the most valuable thing on earth: time to think, time to act, time to extend our fraternal relations, time to become better men, time to become better women, time to become better and more independent citizens.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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