The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-23
is neither marrying nor giving in mar
eoMpERs VS.. SOCIALISM.

II is interesting to note that the
antagonism between the Socialist ele'
mcnt in the Federation of Labor and
the simply industrial element in that
Federation has broken out higher up
than ever before. There is a constant
struggle between these two elements IN
n number of the labor organizations
| for coutrol The labor organizations,
pnre and simple. arc naturally antago'
| nistir 10 the adoption of Soclaiistlc
principles, mud for the most part are
able TO keep AWAY from having their
organizations assimilated with the So
ciaIstic propaganda. But the Socialists
are Of positive mind. of full conviction,
and wherever they appear they natur-
| ally make struggle for the supremacy
of their ideas and the propagation of
! their doctrines.
This propaganda is quite rs natural
ly resisted by very large element IN
The industrial unions, this on the prac-
tical basis that the laboring meu see
, no necessary connection between the
benefits which they derive from their
organizatio and = Socialistic propa"
ganda which has no direct influence
upon the scale of wages, the hours of
employment, and the immediate rela-
tions between themselves and their en-
ployers. This practical idea has, for
the most part, kept the laboring men s
organizations out OF politics, and has
allowed every member of union or
labor society of any kind absolute free
dom in the exercise of his personal
rights and privileges of voting. But
the Socialistic organization requires
political action, and the control of the
votes of tho members according to the
Socialistic principles
Mr.. Gompcrs. in the meeting of the
Federation now in progress at Atlanta,
Georgia, is very pronounced against the
SocialisIic party. he being unwilling to
surrender or, as he says, "to co over
body. boots, and brccchcs' - 10 the So
cialIstic party He announced himself
strongly as of the opinion that Social
ism would offer something antagonistic
to the trade movement AS "a militant
force of this country. Whether Mr..
Gompers states the Socialistic propa-
ganda correctly or not when he states
that their idea IS, that the whole ma
tion should be brought TO a state of
poverty and then, by some cataclysm,
the Socialists would take hold of their
own and come into control of society,
may or may not be quite correct. The
immediate Importance of his declara-
ton is, that it is declaration of hos
tility against Socialism, and the ex.
preston Of his opinion that the ascend
ancy of the Socialistic idea in the labo.
organizations would entirely change the
purpose Of those organizations and
their course of action.
1t is struggle, evidently. Of an
tagonistic principles, in which the prob.
ability is that the Socialistic wing Of
the industrial organizations will force a
division, and compel the purely indus
trial operations Of the organizations to
organize anew, unless they are willing
to yield to the Socialistic insistence.
Mr.. Gompers, Mr.. Mitchell (who ap-
pears TO have a personal and genuine
grievance Of his own in this connec.
tion) are evidently fully awake to the
importance of the impending struggle
between the two wings of the labor or
CARNATIONS, and are determined 10 cast
their lot with that wing which refuses
to enter the Soclahstic fold,