New-York tribune., 1908-10-29
GOMPERS TO LABORERS
HIS WARNING IN 1896.
''Pdrtisan Politics Dan,n'ng Infu-
ence IN Labor Organizations.

Tb. Industrial field is Uttered with more corpses
enoes Of partisan political action thar from bs al,
other causes eombnsa ovsr cur th trade unions
political Influences over trade OF I75or in
GontDers president American FedeTdtton W 4""V'' "
"The American Federdttontst
The course Of Mr. Gon1pers in seeking to insure
the. vote of the members of the American Feoela-
ton Of La Dor for William j. Bryan has aroused no
little suspicion among many members Oh tlie t
Grafton who have good memories and recaH ule
,orcef,1 arguments Mr. CSompers has himself made
IN the past against any sort of alliance between
labor organizations and any one OF the poh'lcai
parties Mr. Gompers was so insistent on IhlS Poi
lev and supported his position with such compei-
ling arguments in the columns OF Ihe FedeIa-
ZIONIST" that the American Federation forInaly
adopted resolution declaring that
Party politics whether Democratic, RepunHfSan' atSan
sociastic Populistc Prohi6id,9n or If 9fg any Amer
ican Federation of Labor.
T. e,,pnort Of his contention that the success OF
all trade unions, including the American r Feoera-
tion depende1i on their freedom from partisan POI
tics Mr. Gompers cited the experience Oh liie ue
f,lnct National Labor Union. saying;
The National labor Union known IN teef s ' To po
great federation after II conTnltteo CO., ~ move
iitcal partisan action went TO the noQ o. mt act II
ments which no longer afo movfGG; If that order was
eSeTu ever after tte held he'd
Mr. Gonpers's most effective arguments
participation in partisan politics by the ia -
were made in The Federationist during ''e 81
r,er of 1856 when Mr.. Bryan was hrst ruIl-iiis ~
+bo p,esidanc, and all the quotations here clteo
arc n ha found in the August issue OF Ihe + eueI
ationst'' of that year :.
As if TO forestan the temptation to ensaee III
nor+isan noIitics which he then doubtless foresa"
a.Is - The f,ture present itself TO labor leaders,
NJ Cor,rers went on to point out that they No"lu
bo most iniudicious to disregard the experience OF
the mast He said. for instance, referring 70 Iie
defunct National Labor Union;
In the light of that experience the ,Aananed AfGadd
has al aTaggo agor are above and should be
beyond the power and influence of p3ltcat Ps he he
fore their vision IKE the famous wFng btsr on oTeg [eg
wall like the sword OF iaInGfIG5 %in5 seVered by
failure to profit by past experience may leaye US
hsadGsS az ana death ate hapess victim to folly,
serfs or slaves the cupidity Of CorPorate
Dor. at its last convention, resolved, .., etc;
CThen followed the resolution given aooye'
Many thoughtful trade union men now ask
ing in all seriousness why Mr.. Gompers mas olSie
garded past experience has severed the nan "Iic'1
supported the sword of Damocles. and mus III
his oun words has taken the step necessary 10
leave the American Federation "a hapless Vlctm
m his folly" totally disregarding. in 1908 the
v,a+chword he gave to the federation in 1896, and
in the interest of the same candidate. NloiH N0
doubtless had IN mind when he then wrote
The nsrtisan zealot the political rnountehank.
erfervescent bucolic political party cure-a sopnsL
and faker viii be rampant. The dear Workinsnaan man
and his interests will the theme of all alike VINO
really seek party advantage ana success, i7n
sza!i2n 4 an il a69r Fs:} Re crushed and relapse INTO
in others oSlamy nfdb f99 T sTrus Mntfn e
clared more than nineteen hundred years ago ana ana
It is as applicable TO our times as II was "ieii -
penned.
u is hardly 10 be wondered that many OF Mr.
Connrerss associates now asking why this
maxim which had stood for nineteen hundred years
Is not equally sound to-day only twelve years after
Mr. Gonpers indorsed it, It was in 1895, and
why IT is not as inimcal to the American Fedora
ton to attempt 10 utilize further Mr.. Bryan's
political interests in 1905 it in 1896.
There are many indications that Mr. Gompers's S
course is already proving menace to the future
usefulness of the American Federation. and mem
bers Of the federation, without regard to their
political preferences this year daily and more
and enphaticaly, expressing their i1dgna-
ton that their organization should have been so
far diverted from its proper purpose, the improve
rnent of the condition of the workingman, 10 meet
the views and the purposes of Samuel Com
peTs
So clearly did Mr.. Gompers appreciate the in
evitable outcome of attempt to utilize the fed
Grafton for partisan purposes that he described
actly what is occurring now, when IN 1895 ne wrote
There are many organizations which nay de
cab influences and lulled into fancied security
@ ieoted into their very Being a1i6g tbeT unions
liza BILE 70 the most malignant diseases OF division,
antagorsm and disruption.
That is precisely the work in which MI Com
pers is engagediniecting the virus Of political
partisanshIp the very being of the American
Federation of Labor.
That Mr. Gompers has not succeeded in utilizing
the federation TO further Mr.. Bryans ambitions
and his own, and that he has aroused the keenest
suspicion of the sincerity of his own purpose.
a perfectly natural outcome Of his teachings
His willingness to inject the virus Of such malig-
nant diseases into the very being Of the American
Federation is matter which. when the smoke OF
political battle has blown away, Mr. Gonpers is
likely find difficult Of satisfactory explanation to
those Of his followers who have really the interest
OF the federation at heart Nor does il seem likely
that Mr. Bryan will be in any position TO hestow
on his lieutenant, president of the American
Federation, any compensation cornTnen sUrate with
Gornpers's sacrifice IF principle in attempting to
divert that organization TO Mr.. Bryan's use.
WANT VERDICT NOW ON BUCK CASE