The sun., 1919-11-02

'SAN'N 'hV SOhihiitttt On lhtti oldi
md Foreign Commerce. Of the Hous
Il Representatives:
we have organized our trade
workers. think II safe to say, to
the number of 100000. That in
cludes the thousands in the American
Federation of Labor and the thou
sands who belong to the railroad
brotherhoeds, There is greater
concept Of moral responsibility than
at any time in the History OF our ex-
istence. and 1t will continue to grow
If we are given the right to function.
or. rather II the right to function is
not taken away from us.
II know that some men since 1
appeared before the Senate Commit
tee on Interstate Commerce. of which
Senator CUMMINs Is chairman, where
/ expressed the views in a way that
have expressed here, said that
declared that l would not obey any
law that was enacted IL opposed it.
OF course how silly that is do not
think it necessary for me to say, and
how unsound and improper, but / do
say that If 1 was employed at any
trade or occupation with my fellows
and the Congress OF the United States
should enact law forbidding me and
my associates from quitting work and
making 1t an offence punishable by
fine and Imprisonment l should quit
work and stand on my rights as a
free man, as a citizen, obedient to the
guarantees Of the Constitution of the
United States providing against in
voluntary servitude.
"Mr. WEBsTER-Mr. GoMPERs,
would that be upon the theory that
you would challenge the constitution
ality of the lawf
Mr.. GoMPERs-Yes. sir.
"Mr. WEBsTER-Or would 1t be,
whether II was constitutional or not.
that you would not obey It?
Mr.. GoMPERs-There can be no
question about the constltutionality.
The Constitution provides against in
voluntary servitude, and IL / were
compelled to work against my will
that would be involuntary servitude,
and no amount of legal enactment
could take away that broader decla-
ration of the Constitution of the
United States.
Mr.. wzBsTER-I was asking
whether you would defy this law If
it were held to be constitutional.
"Mr. GoMPERs-I would insist II
the court would so far trespass upon
the fundamental character of that
provision-I should re-
fuse to work.
"Mr. WEBsrER-Even though 1t
were declared by the constituted au-
thorities of the Government to be a
law you would defy It?
"Mr. GoMPERs-It would not be the
first time that the people have re-
versed the courts of our country.
"Mr. WEBsTER-well. then, Mr..
you may answer this ques-
ton for me. yes or no: The Con-
gress of the United States places
upon the statute book a law relating
to compulsory arbitration and the
right OF labor to strike which In your
judgment trenches upon the cohstitu-
tional right of American freemen in
that behalf. and that law is brought
on for a test in the courts as to
its constltutionality and It finally
reaches the Supreme Court OF the
United States. and that tribunal de-
clares that the law is constitutional,
that the limitations placed upon the
right to strike are valid, and that the
arranged for the arbitra-
ton of strikes is legal and constitu-
tional would you. as the president of
the American Federation of Labor,
advise and counsel obedience to the
law or not?
Mr.. GoMPERs-I would, so far as
the conduct OF the workers was con-
cerned, remain silent. and I should
make an appeal to the people Of the
"Mr. wEBsrER-That is all. Mg.
We hope that all Americans who
ave read the foregoing remarks of
BRAHAM LINCOLN on the patriotic
lty of obedience to law will study
cry word of Mr.. GoMPEBs's declara-
on which we have put in contrast
ith LINCoLN's splendid utterance.
e, GoMPERs, will counsel his follow
8 to obey the laws only in case the
lpreme Court of the United States
'ncurs with GoMPERs on the question
constitutionality. He will "func-
on" according to his own Judgment,
1t according to the judgment of the
gislature and the courts. He will
, to the limit to establish within our
overnment of law a supergovern-
ent and superjudiciary consisting
the labor organization over which
! presldes. What essential differ