The Washington herald., 1919-07-01


relegated to private life. And all OF
this comes from a better knowledge
Of why the American labor movement
had advanced and that of the Eng
lish had deteriorated. British work.
ingmen learned this from President
Gompers and the other labor officials
who visited England last year.
Gompers went into the Inter-Allied
Labor Conference in London in
September to batter down the pa
ciflst movement that obsessed the
delegates from Great Britain and
Continental Europe. He told them
the American Federation of Labor
had declared there could be mo
peace without victory" and that the
American union man was willing
to fight until the enemy was de-
feated. He also told them how the
American workingmen secured eco-
nomic concessions. That is why
English labor is throwing of the
political yoke.
Gompers' Case Review.
Several pages are given to the trial
and sentence to Jail by Federal Judge
Daniel Thew Wright of President
Gompers, John Mitchell and Frank
/ Morrison. After telling the story OF
/ the trial and the final dismissal of the
charges the Introduction asks:
And what OF the participants in
| this famous court proceeding in the
year 1919? Samuel Gompers is a
world character. respected and hon.
ored for his probity and unselfish de-
votion to the cause of labor. John
Mitchell Is an honored official of the
great State of New York, where he
Z has been persistent in the continu-
ance OF his activities in the interest
of human protection and advance
ment. Frank Morrison is secretary
| of the greatest labor movement in
I the world. whose views are respected
/ by members of Congress as well as
/ the executive officials of the govern
ment.
| But what of Daniel Thew Wright?
His last appearance in public was in
Washington police court as the at
! torney for 'bookmaker' on horse
races who had been arrested on a
charge of keeping a gambling house,
otherwise conducting a confidence
| game From a seat on the Federal
bench to the defender OF the lowest
! grade OF gambler is a long step. But
it Is not surprising when 1t Is said
there is no distinction between his
persecution of the labor officials and
the defense of a 'bookmaker. 1t is
simply a case of an offender of
/ justice finding his natural level"
Unwritten History Revealed.
| Unwritten history OF the American
Railway Union strike in 1894 gives an
entirely different view of that strug-
| gle and its ending. Debs had re-
quested President Gompers to go to
/ T.I-. Nl.at
was to consider calling 4 general
strike in sympathy with the A. R. u.
As Gompers had no power to call
( strikes or do anything tangible in
/ such a situation he did not go. But
as the executive council OF the Fed
4 Grafton was about to meet. he sus-
gested the session be held in Chicago.
Debs appeared before the executive
council and explained the cause of
the strike and presented a PROPOSE
tion which he asked Gompers to sub
NIT to the Railway Managers Asso-
citation. Gompers explains what fol-
lowed:
when the president of the A. r. U.
submitted the proposition to present
to the railroad managers every men,
ber of the executive council and OF
; the conference accepted 1t as a dec
as it contained an offer for the strik-
ers to return to work uncondition.
ally After a further conference the
executive council issued a statement
declaring 1t would be unwise to ex-
tend the strike any further, and re-
quested our fellow unionists of other
trades to return to work"
This answers the charge so otter
made by friends Of Debs that no ek
fort was made to save his organiza.
ton during the Pullman strike and
boycott. The fact that Debs had de-
cided to call off the strike before ask.
ing Gompers' assistance was not
known generally at the time. 1t was
said that he called of the strike be-
cause the American Federation OF
Labor would not approve of a general
strike in sympathy.
Attacks Socialist Propaganda.
Some idea of the bitter feeling
between the trade unionists and So
cialists is shown in this statement:
Socialist propaganda within the
trade union movement has been per.
sistent but unavailing. Handicapped
by the charge of Karl Marx. Their
patron saint. who declared in answer
to Proudon that the Socialists were
the worst enemies of the laborine
classes. they made no headway. The
most damaging charge they have had
to meet is that they are seeking
the disruption of the American Fed.
Grafton OF Labor. The methods OF
the Socialists bear out these charges
They led in the organization of dual
unions. In nearly every convention
of the A. F. of L. they have sup
ported some fantastic idea meant to
discredit the men who seek to keep
the labor movement progressing
through its economic power. Their
arguments have been vilification
falsehood, and venom. They attack
ed individuals to defame the labor
movement. They always are boring
from within. doing something to pre-
vent the organized men and women
T, of the lapd from gaining better con-
ditions. While preaching solidarity
they are seeking a strangle-hold on
trade unionism that would bring its
/ death. The entire agitation OF the
Socialists. who as such are not rec
/ ognized. has been to make the Amer
lean Federation of Labor a tai to
their political kite The Socialist is
ciass-conssious, the trade, unionist
wage-con4cioy While demanding
THAT union vote for socialists :