Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-04
ORGANIZED LABOR IN POLITICS.
Mr.. Plans to Deliver the
Vote 90 the Democratic Party.
Ill n.AA.-I A.. Nil

Mr.. GomperH Plans to Deliver the
Vote 20 the Democratic Party.
The Outlook, New York.
In the American Federationist, the organ
OF the American Federation Of Labor, Mr..
Samuel Gompers, president of the organiza-
ton, presents a signed editorial entitled
Both Parties Have spoken-Choose Be-
tween Them 1t lie, in fact, an unqualified
and at times imprisoned Endorsement of
the democratic ticket. Mr.. Gompers tells
the story of the experience which he and
his colleagues of the executive council Of
the federation had with the two big conven-
lions, First they visited Chicago. To the
republican convention they proposed a set
OF planks. Beginning with a preamble
about Abraham Lincoln, II pledged the
party to advocate specific enactments en-
aiding organizations Of wage carriers and
OF farmers to. escape the provisions of the
antitrust laws; TO prohibit injunctions in
labor disputes when such injunctions would
not apply II no labor disputes existed, and
where there was another remedy, and to
provide that trial for contempt, not con-
mitted in the presence of the court, should
be by jury; to extend the eight-hour law
and the liability law; to grant woman's suf-
rage; to establish a separate department Of
labor and a bureau OF mines and mining;
to establish a government postal savings
bank. Then Mr.. Gompers and the council
went to Denver. Changing the Lincoln
flourish TO a jefferson flourish. ana the
word republican" to the word demo
! cratic" they presented the same set Of
planks to the democratic convention. The
result at Chicago was altogether unsatis-
factory to Mr.. Gompers and his associates;
| Al. -g.,,IN ~ n.nwra ala fa~ 80 a 9Raa-
able to them. Mr.. Gompers plainly says
so; and he urges all wage-workers and their
friends to vote for MT. Bryan. Were this
all, Mr.. Gomper's attitude might be dis
puted, but il could not be condemned 1t is,
however. not all. From the beginning to the
end Mr.. Gompers assumes TO speak for
labor These planks were "the demands
of labor" the injunction plank of the re-
publican platform embodies a covert In
suit to 'the men of labor 1.-THE demo-
cratic party lndorses labor's demands.
Mr.. Gompers denies that he promises ito
deliver the labor vote" but he does not
hesitate to announce his own views as the
views of labor. OF course, Mr.. Gompers,
president OF the American Federation Of
Labor, has no more right to speak for or
gained workmen than the moderator of
the congregational national council has the
right TO speak for Congregationalists. MT.
Gompers is the executive head OF a fedora
tion, not the pope OF a labor hierarchy, The
right of American wage earners to organize
for mutual protection and common advan-
tage In trade unions does not involve the
necessity Of hand ng IN o the ke eping of any
Individual or committee the conscience or
independent judgment of their memhers,
The assumption of guardianship over their
minds, workingmen can afford to smile at;
but we shall be surprised II they do not
resent the most significant sentence In
Mr.. Gompers statement:
While we do not wish in any way to in
t~terfere with each mans right to choose his
ov n political affiliations, yet we say frankly
that the worker who, in this campaign
supports the party or the candidate who
has contemptuously and boastfully. an
nounced hostility to labor's nterests-well
he will have to reckon with his own con
science and with his fellow-workmen."
II these threatening words had been ut
tered by an employer OF labor on behalf
of a protective tariff, they would have
aroused righteous wrath in the heart OF
any self-respecting wage Garner. They are
none the less a threat, none the less pro-
vocative OF anger, because they come from
an official Of the labor unions.