Denver labor bulletin., 1918-01-12
KAISERISM HASNO
PLAEN AMERICA
GOMPERS so WARNS POST
MASTER BURLESON.
Says That to Deny the Right of Work
ers in Our Largest Governmental
Agency to Organize Is to
Make Mockery of
Democracy.

Remember, Mr.. Burleson, that we
are not operating under a kaiserdom
such as exists in Germany, but in ac-
cord with the spirit and the genius of
our free republic"
The above is President Gompers'
closing admonition to the postmaster
general in protesting against the lat
ter's anti-union views, expressed in
his annual message. Writing in the
American Federationist, the A. F. of
L. executive says:
POSTMASTER General Burleson con-
ceives it to be his duty TO run the
postoffice department as a money
making institution instead of an
agency to render service to all of the
people. He outlined policies for the
postoffice department of the worst cor
poration kind, seeking to show bal
ances at the end of the year with no
thought or care for the human needs
or aspirations of those employed. Pro
test against this policy has come from
the postoffice employees who stand for
the humanization of work and hold
that public undertakings must be con-
Quoted with regard to human inter
ests, even at the expense of profits.
Must Retain Rights.
"In his annual report Postmaster
General Burleson recommends the re-
peal Of the law that gave postal and
other government employees the right
TO maintain their own organizations in
furtherance Of the interests Of mem
bcrs free from the domination Of de
partmeut heads. and also restored TO
them their constitutional right Of di-
rect petition 20 Congress. This law.
known as the anti-gag law, was en-
acted by the SiNty-second Congress
and approved by the President Il
was secured only after a hard night.
Before its enactment government en-
ployes had no way 10 present wrongs
and secure redress Of grievances. The
law gives these employees the rights
Of free men and women. All liberty
loving men viii insist upon retaining
those rights.
The association of the postal en-
ployes with the American Federation
Of Labor is purely a voluntary one.
These men have come forward volun-
tarily in recent years in large num-
bers to become identified with the la
Dor movement This indicates only
too well that working conditions for
them are not as ideal as the postmas-
ter would have the public believe.
These workers have the right-yes, it
il public duty-to organize and
make known their grievances to their
employers-the American people-so
that an aroused public opinion can
speedily correct any administrative de-
fects that may be harmful to the work
ers and the service.
Mockcry of Our Faith.
"To deny the right Of workers in
our largest governmental agency to
organize is to make a mockery of our
faith in democracy. II autocracy is
harmful to the morals of our alien
enemies abroad. then let US not intro
duce a species of it into our largest
federal institution by attempting to
disfranchise industrially the army of
postal workers.
AT time when governmental ac-
tivities are being extended into every
industry connected with the success
ful prosecution of the war and thou
sands of workers are either already in
the government service or potentially
government employees. it is important
that their right to organize and to pc
titiun Congress be not interfered with
We can conceive Of nothing more
harmful to the necessary extension of
government control and regulation at
this time than the adoption of the
Burlcson idea by our government in
its capacity of an employer,
No Place for kaisers.
THE A. f. of l.. stands prepared to-
day to back up its position of 1906.
when it fought for the rights of the
government employe. We differ from
Mr.. Burleson in his view that the anti
gag law has operated to build up or
Canizations of employees that are n
menace. We fear that the menace lies,
not in the employees organizations but
in the denial to citizens of fundamen-
tai rights.
Remember. Mr.. Burleson, that we
are not operating under kaiserdom
such as exists in Germany, but in ac-
cord with the spirit and the genius of
our free republic"