The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-10-20
ORGANIZED LABOR
FIGHTING IT'S MOST
CRITICAL BATTLE
Continued from Page ID

hold out firmly against labor in the
hope of breaking the back of the union
labor movement.
President Gomper's words of warn
ing that they must either deal now
with the conservative leaders of the
present union labor structure or find
themselves face to face with the 1.
w. w. and Bolsheviki elements. who
unlike the A. F. of L. leaders, will not
argue or appeal, sent a chill down the
spines of some of the members Of the
employers group who have stood
firmly against recognition of the
union, collective bargaining, arbitra-
ton, and other. well-known demands
of labor.
Mr. Gompers. in his plea to the in
dustrial conference for adoption of the
steel strike arbitration resolution.
said:
You dislike US sufficiently not to
wish to meet with US in our represen-
tative capacity; you may not want to
enter into agreements with us, but let
me say this to you: You will either
come to agreement with us. or you
will destroy the ability of our men in
our movement to stand up for the
right We will be discarded as i'm
potent or unfaithful and if you dis
card us, If you decline to enter into
agreements with us, you will have
somebody to deal with and you will
not find them arguing and appealing
to you.
The resolution which the labor
group has offered Is of such a char
acter, to meet a critical situation, to
curb this widespread discomfort from
extending to help in tranquilizing the
conscience and judgment and the ac-
lions of the people of our country to
try and establish better relations be-
tween employers and employees.
workers and employees, as to commend
itself to you, and I trust the vote will
be to carry this resolution unani-
mously. In any event. we shall feel
now and for the future that we have
done our whole duty"
The labor representatives at the in
dustrial conference called by Presi-
dent Wilson, who are daily bargaining
with the representatives of the en-
ployers and the public for better
measure of justice for the workers,
shrink from the thought that the sud-
denly called strike in New York rep
resent the real attitude of labor.
They resent with equal force the
suggestion that these walkouts carried
out under doubtful authority are a
true indication that the American
Federation of Labor is loosing its
grip on the workers.
But President Gompers in his ad-
dress of Tuesday to the Industrial
conference and the other labor repre-
sentatives in interviews. frankly ad-
nit that if the employers representa-
tives continue unyielding it will
weaken the hand of the present con-
sentative labor leaders and encourage
the men with /. w. w. and Bolshe-
Wiki tendencies to to insurrection.
which may lead directly to a reign of
terror in the field of labor.
The diligent efforts of paid agents
of the big corporations and the I. w
to destroy the organization and dis
cord in the ranks of labor in an effort
1 to destroy the organization and is
credit the present leaders of the A
F.. of L., was declared today by VIII
| liam H. Johnston, president Of the
Imachinists' international union, who
4 is attending the Industrial conference
| to be chiefly responsible for the sud
den waIkouts of the longshoremen and
express drivers in New York. This
activity of the forces seeking to de-
he added, was one of the primary rea.
! sons why the steel workers declined
to accept the advise of President
Gompers to postpone their strike unit
after the industrial conference, az
urged by President Wilson.
mo air-minded or we'll Informed
person will, / feel certain, take any OF
| the recent sudden walkouts of the
| workers in New York or elsewhere a.
representative of the attitude of the
A. F. Of l.. or organized labor in gen.
eral, or as showing any real inability
of the A. F. of L. to control Its affili
ated units" said President Johnston
today.
There are two very powerful ele,
ments which the A. f. of L. now ha:
to combat in the interest Of the labor
ing men, Ahe public and the country
as a whole" he continued. Ono /:
the 1. w. W. men who, under claim o
;having renowned their former ideas
get into the unions and then stir VI
strife and clamor for strikes. Tn
other element is composed Of profes
sional agitators hired by detectiv
iaSencies retained by the big corpor
ations, who get into the unions ant
lead movements calculated to give
the labor union movement a black ey
with the public and put the men a
the mercy Of their employers.
I'VE have been doing our utmos
to break up this system employed t,
destroy the unions. We have fount
that large numbers OF these men NOV
about from place to place sowing tn
seeds of discomfort and committing
Iacts detrimental to organized labor
Recently after we got the proof on IL
LOT these men in one city and fired then
out of the union, we found they moved
in a body to another city where q crit
ical labor situation was developing