Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-18
From Other Viewpoints
ConccruisE Gompcrs.
By ALFRED u. WILLIAMS.

there Ias been no man II this country
va Va as samuel Gomners, thirty seven
l.ahor; Nest to the, President. he is Inc man
~, IN inc in the worldEmost
head lines every day.
said. When come 10 consider and analyzc
"a or not k his
or orr viii 4; sppiaud or deno"nce it in the near fu-
ment of hundreds of thousands Of men and
country with another govermmcn, and i" Code e.
The Federation OF Labor has its central power.
lis limited rights OF sclf-govcrnmen, 1t
IA bout as much internal politics as the
alliances, jcalouses and Complications. Yet
s Whe 5he ' touns GSd h St II
ire. dents six times and ruling parties three
are fought in comparative secrecy They do
but those vino read the labor pubiications close
~ or arc IN touch with spy systems may get
bitter sometimes with lines of cleavage on is
Ines Oh policies and personalities. extending all
corresponding TO the Legislatures, Congress and
M Gompers has had many tights to lne.t or
m M; a9 or sooihe lie has had to struggle for
oTPe,im ,S asd,nsi extreme conservatives. and
deal with wrrns ambitions and niere esH c so
ccasi9n..!y WIN deliberate trcaohery. Always
been the politics and polite ans ltremulousiy
ana intensely eager to use 1t for their own pur-
poses regardless OF results To It's welfare and
its membership. Intricate delicate uucs-
tons OF the relations OF the organilation's ac.
uHities 70 law and sovernment and to the
which II has had relations conflict have de :
Ecloped continually. This man has con
and to hold his lcadcrship and power He Ia 6
he hSs SGH the 'hf on, Of the weak
aged ana Inc restraint of the reckless. the many
ignorant, the wildly inccudary and Inc fools
Ills success in doing all this is marvellous
acnevcmen Probably history has no instance
Of such government, and in the face of sn
many internal and external difficulties thirty
81 the Federation when he was thirty-two.
pr39bably nc has had opportunities to acquire
thar he ever has been unfaithfuI 10 trust Ger
family he has skinned close to the edges OF thc
criminal law by his sanction OF aid 10 meth
DDS used ~ industrih! disturbances, but he has
Ills long rule is not only evidence of his
"ondcr!ul capacity for management of men and
underlying common sense and patriotism OF ti,c
1 Ts ct Tia" people he especially represents
ioolsh!y. dangerously and brutaliy at times
Yet this man who through thirty odd years has
been the target Of the anarchistic and dcstruc.
ilv" labor element has been kent in contrni
~ is easy TO recall that our great polli cal M
TIES. Including the best brains and character wc
nave. IN ihcir lives have done foolish. danger
fompcrs IL. at "A critical point He faces gen.
crai public sentiment more hostile to the Fed
Grafton man II eyer has met. He has TO still
acute wariar" within his own ranks bet we 4
reckless or malicious violence on one side n nd
c9n8eTNhtlvc America nsm the other. Study
Of his career and It's tests and vic;ssitudca gives
cause for strong belief that he will helm some.
how and ,powerfn!iy. IN the coming work OF
rchchins that TAR adjustment between abor
prosperity and uncnanipiod growth or Tie coun.
trys wealth and happiness.