Doing for people what they can and ought to do for themselves is a dangerous experiment. Samuel Gompers More Quotes by Samuel Gompers More Quotes From Samuel Gompers 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, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright. Samuel Gompers revenge beautiful book 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 voice men hands Where trade unions are most firmly organized, there are the rights of the people most respected. Samuel Gompers respect organization rights 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 workers choices hands 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; to free him from the tyrannies, petty or otherwise, which served to make his existence a slavery. Samuel Gompers safety cutting long 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 independent men thinking 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, 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 freedom-of-speech order people Our movement is of the working people, for the working people, by the working people. . . . 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 struggle order long 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 movement organization reality The labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce. Samuel Gompers commerce commodity articles Doing for people what they can and ought to do for themselves is a dangerous experiment. 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. 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 fads done people Show me the country that has no strikes and I'll show you the country in which there is no liberty. Samuel Gompers strikes liberty country Why should the wealth of the country be stored in banks and elevators while the idle workman wanders homeless about the streets and the idle loafers who hoard the gold only to spend it on riotous living are rolling about in fine carriages from which they look out on peaceful meetings and call them riots? Samuel Gompers peaceful gold country 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 party intelligent opportunity It is impossible for capitalists and laborers to have common interests. Samuel Gompers struggle impossible common There are such wonderful possibilities in the life of each man and woman! 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 live-life inspiration opportunity No race of barbarians ever existed yet offered up children for money Samuel Gompers economic-inequality race children Workingmen are at the foundation of society. 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 endeavor foundation share No lasting gain has ever come from compulsion. Samuel Gompers compulsion lasting gains The worst crime against working people is a company which fails to operate at a profit. Samuel Gompers failure business people
