Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-12
W|LSON-GOMPERS
ALLIANCE IN PERIL
Boston Riots Threaten tc
Brighten Public and Defeat
Compromise Plan
RADICAL LABOR WON'T OBEY
nv CLINTON w GILBERT
stan Correspondent Of the Evening PUBIC

BY CLlNTON w iLnDh
staG Correspondent Ct the Evening
Washington, Sept. 12.-OrganiHed
labor. ms IL is represented at the mead
uunrters Mt the American Federatlon
here the Gomper's variety of organlzeu
labor and President Wilson are Doth
alarmed Mt the developments in the
Boston police strike. 1t endangerS
them both equally, their combination
their political prospects. .1r..
In labor circles men ask, "Nhat
does it mean?' "What effect IS II
having mon the country" "ls it a
scheme of some one to give a black eye
IN labor?" They ask these questions
in tones Of genuine anxiety, nothing
has so threatened the sense OF organ
ized labor in years as the Boston ponce
strike and it's consequences.
And. on the other hand, the Prcsi-
dent. who understands organized laoo.
thoroughly, the conservative ornnG u
IL. in his Montana speech referred 10
the Boston strike as "a crime against
civilization"
Wilson Ready to Send Troops
There is no doubt that he would
welcome an opportunity to use the
forces Of the army and navy 10
strengthen the hands OF the local au-
thorities. And there is no doubt that
he conservative or Gomper's section OF
organized labor would welcome action
of this sort by him.
IF Governor Coolidge should ask for
aid from the United States, it wonh4
give the President a much desired op-
portunity to put himself right before
tbe public, and so far al Mr.. Gompers
;s concerned to put the Gompers- Will
son alliance right before the public.
Wilson cannot afford to stand before
the nation as in any measure the sup
porter of forces which bring about re-
suits like those in Boston. Neither, for
that matter, can Gompers.
Dual Alliance in Danger
As said so often in these CORE
sp%ondences, all plans of Democratic
success and all plans of Mr.. Gompers
for his personal success are built upon
a working alliance between the Presl
dent and the chief of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor.
W. BuJ IDlS ullltuCt III consequences N
in its assertions must be such as tt
bear public inspection. If Mr.. Wilson
is to associate with Mr.. Gompers nom
of the Gompers associates must be com
hitting "crimes against civilization
1t may be said that the politica
leader who works out the compromise
between capital and labor on which thl'
country will go forward for the mex
few years can be President of tn,
United States if he chooses. Ant
equally the labor chief who works gu
that compromise will be head of thu
American Federation Of Labor.
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Gompers arr
busy on that compromise. They devot'
many of their working hours to 1t
: The great labor conference to be he'll
here next month is first a means o
ieffecting n temporary truce and, sec
ondly. q means toward achieving tn
compromise.
Unions Standing Endangered
Now while Mr.. Wilson and Mr.
Gompers's labor for modus vivendi
Messrs. Plumb and Stone get under tn
White House window and make un
pleasant noises. They talk truculentl
of 'revolution." They are Of the com
'armlny of Mr.. Gompers. They make MI
q Wilson's association with Mr.. Com
: .pers in the eyes of the public embarrass
: ing. And again 10 sooner are the
quieted than the Boston police, union
lied and, nominally at least, followir
o Mr.. Gompers, strike and precipitat
4 rioting and footing in the town 1t We
I their duty to guard.
People ask where does this unionis'
lead, what shall it profit Mr.. Wilson
il he saves Mr.. Gompers, if, after al
u the people are dubious of Mr.. Gompers
associates? The danger is that eve
with Mr.. Gompers saved the countr
will say, This thing leads us too fla
We cannot go along. We have sec
too much of Plumb and Stone and
the Boston unionized police"
Mr.. Wilson probably has to say
Gompers, but he has to do somethir
more he has to prove that GompeI
is in command that he is not mere
a stuffed shirt coming down from the il
d~ustrial post. 1t is a big job.
The trouble with the Wilson-G Con
pers alliance is that Gompers hin
self is weak. His own unions do n
obey orders, and they certainly do n
reflect his cautious spirit. They
not obey even their own immedia
leaders.
There is too much disunion in uniol
ism. Suppose you pay the price
saving Gompers and keeping him col
s~eryative, you have bought nothing u
less there is discipline in organic
labor. Unless Gompers is obeyed y
nave labor all very lovely at Was
ington, but doing what it likes els
where you have paid for the form, b