The Washington herald., 1914-03-13
GOMPERS PLEADS
UNIONS Defense
President Of A. F. of L. At
tacks Stand Of The Wash:
ington Herald.
MnTrUEC nvyCcTInNCn
MOTIVES QUESTIONED
Declares That Many Federal and Dis
tnct Laws Amplify Glass
Legislation"
Eairor washington Herald:

Eultor washington Herald:
The statement contained in your
editorial columns of this date under
the caption, "A Difference of Opinion
is exceedingly interesting. Even IL II
throws no more light upon the subject
under discussion, ID discloses the fact
that your newspaper which appears
each day, requires eighteen days to
eiapse between the publication Of my
letter of February le. published IN
your issue of February Il, and your
statement which appears in tcdays
issue, March IL. To this reference
may not be inappropriate later on.
That you received resolutions OF
protest against your outgiving in your
editorial" statement which appeared
In the Herald, February le. adopted
by the Central Labor Union and one
or two other local labor unions, Is not
at all strange or surprising, but rather
that the protest was not more general
The men of labor in Washington ana
elsewhere know when they are STAB
bed in the fifth rib" by any one,
whether it be an open enemy or
covert friend, who masks behind
supposed expression of honest dit-
ference Of opinion" Men of labor
have not been prompted, nor do they
need any prompting at my hands 10
resent a wrong, palpable or hidden.
You say that within few daSs after
the appearance of your editorial and
nv letter, some Of your merchandise ad-
vertisers told you that some OF our
labor friends had threatened to boycott
their particular stores IL they continued
10 advertise De-, the columns OF The Her
aid. and YOU ask: What do you know
about that
Cut on subscription.
Well, for one. / do not know" any
thing about il. but ! candidly tell you
that I do not believe IT, ! think I have
means and opportunities Of knowing as
well as most men the action of the local
labor movement and it has not been
suggested or even hinted directly or in
directly by or to anybody that business
men should be asked to withhold their
advertising from The Herald. either un-
der a threat of boycott or otherwise.
This is true. that number OF personal
acquaintances, business men and other
wise. i'm casually meeting me, compli-
mented me upon my criticism OF your
editorial" and one labor man volun-
teered the statement that he had gone
to the office OF The Herald and canceied
his subscription.
4 copy Of the resolutions of protest
adopted and acknowledged to have been
received by you was, as you know, fur-
nished to me. and the limit OF the ex-
preston Of disapproval OF The Heralds
course was that unless fairer treatment
i'm your columns Was accorded TO the or
ganized labor movement The Herald
would prove itself unworthy OF further
support by the men of labor. Without
here sdisctIssinn the merits or demerits
Of any boycott, ] suppose II Is fair In
ference that you would accord the right
IN the men in the labor movement OF
their preference in patronizing news
papers whose policy they may deem is
sufficiently, or ignorantly, or both, antas-
onistic to them.
You address yourself directly to me,
and I will answer that 1t Is not al all
necessary that you should agree with al
or any of my economic theories, nor 90
you run any risk of loss by dissent from
them. but I repeat that men are in the
habit Of reading the newspapers with
which they more nearly agree. and often
cut loose from them. believing, justly or
not, that a newspaper in question Is un-
lust or hostile to them, their hopes and
their aspirations.
And when you intimate that l am
despot. you betray an ignorance or per-
verseness for either of which you should
be thoroughly ashamed, for all men In
public or private life there is no one who
stands so helpless in exerting power
or self-will as do I. The labor movement
of our country, the American Federation
of Labor, are voluntary associations. and
least of all. power is vested In me.
Approves Mexican Policy.
Nor do / think that The Herald has
entered into a conspiracy. nor have ! sug-
gested it. but that it has been dominated
and Influenced by the wiles of the dis
reputable National Association of Manu-
facturers and its allies, 1 am fully per-
suaded.
/ count myself in good company with
n large number of American citizens. who
So largely approve the course pursued by
the President in his dealing with the
Mexican situation, though in that par
ticular you have no great advantage on
that score, but / imagine there is no
difficulty in detecting the purpose of your
injecting your criticism of President VIII |
son in this upon the other question which |
you discuss. But this statement affords
the opportunity to call attention to the |
inconsistency which you say that under |