The sun., 1919-10-26
Shall 1t BE Samuel Gompers OF
Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln?
We wish to state plainly and with
out the encumbrance of incidental de-
tails the issue which Mr.. SAMUEL
GoMPERs, in the name of his partic-
tilar organization of labor, threatens
to make with the Government of the
United States.
We hope to state It plainly in order
that 1t may be understood clearly by
the overwhelming majority of Ameri-
can citizens who are involved only as
victims and sufferers, but as victims
and sufferers to an extent incalculable,
In any far reaching industrial con-
fict produced by Mr.. GoMPERs's poll
cies and politics.
Three weeks ago yesterday Mr..
SAMUEL GoMPEhs. the president of the
American Federation of Labor, was
before the House Committee on Inter
state Commerce as a witness with re-
gard to some Of the labor troubles
which had already developed. He was
sharply questioned by the Hon. JOHN
s. WEBSTER, Washington Represen-
tative from Spokane, as to his attitude
and the attitude of his organization
toward government by law. For a
quarter of an hour or more Mr.. Com
PERs evaded any direct response to
the questions of his interrogator as to
what he would advise his Federation
to do in the event of the enactment
Of an anti-strike law for the railroads
and its establishment as constitutional
by a decision of the Supreme Court
Of the United States. Pressed at last
to utterance, this colloquy ensued, as
reported in the papers:
ID "Mr. GoMPERs-I think I should
obey such a law, but l am sure the
workers would not. and you would
have thousands OF lawbreakers
throughout the country.
Representative WEBSTER But
would you, as the head of a great
organization, counsel them to obey
such law?
Mr.. GoMPERs-No, str; I should
remain silent; counselling neither
obedience nor disobedience. but would
advise the American Federation of
Labor to appeal to the country"
Asked what he meant by appealing
to the country, Mr.. GoMPERs said some
thing about electing a Congress that
would repeal the law. Nothing that
we can discover in his remarks throws
any further light upon his intentions
In case he failed to elect a Congress
that would repeal the law, or really
modif1es his attitude toward Govern
ment and Law during the period when
the. constitutional law was in full
force. He did, however, attempt to
forestall the decision of the Supreme
Court In this amazing fashion:
Representative wEBsrER-would
you advise. encourage or counsel men
who look to you as their leader to do
an act in violation of the declared
constitutional statute?
"Mr. GoMPERs-I have said, and
DO now repeat, that 1t is impossible
TO prevent men from quitting their
employment, no matter phat lao
makes them lai0bredkers. cannot
conceive that the courts would de-
clare a law constitutional that would
make for involuntary servitude"
What Mr. GoMPERs can conceive
and what he cannot conceive In a
matter of constitutional Interpretation
by the judiciary of the United State.
Government are of little Importance
to the country. What he can conceive
and what he does conceive. as III,
leader of the American Federation o.
Labor, as to his and its possihla ,tt,
tude toward the United States Gov
eminent in case law is enooto,
which does not suit his Ideas or no,,
c.es are OF SURPRISING importance =
the hundred and ten millions Of Anna,
teams outside his Organization N
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