This influential speech by Samuel Gompers, the founder of the American Federation of Labor, lays out a powerful argument for the rights of workers and the importance of collective bargaining. Drawing on his years of experience as a labor organizer, Gompers presents a compelling case for the power and dignity of the American worker. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.