The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-28
LABOR RADICALS IN
VAN, SAYS COOPER
Ohioan Charges Revolution
lists Hope to Control
Present Unions.
QUOTES FOSTER LETTER
Replies to Mahoning County
Congress Resolution At
lacking Him.
QUOTES FOSTER LETTER
Special pespoteA 70 Tar suS.

WIsH1SGroN. Sent 27.-Radical labor
leaders, through their organization of
the steel strike. fast are accomplishing
their purpose to overthrow the conserva-
tive leadership of organized labor and
TO have the workers adopt the princi-
ples Of revolutionary unionism, Repre-
sentative Cooper, himself union labor
man, a locomotive engineer, and Repre-
sentative from the Youngstown, Ohio.
-. steel district, charged on the foer OF
the Hohse to-day,
Despite statements of Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor, that William z. Foster,
secretary-treasurer of the national steel
strike committee, has changed his radi-
cal views on syndicalism as contained In
pamphlets he published several years
ago, Mr.. Cooper declared the purpose of
Foster was to force radical control. of
the federation. Mr.. Cooper's statements
were embodied In a letter he sent to
the Mahoning County Central Labor
Congress, which passed resolutions con-
demning his attack on Foster in the
House yesterday.
ut seems that Foster" Me- Cooper
wrote. 'has actually carried into effect
his purpose to get into the organized
labor movement, for he Is secretary
treasurer of the national committee to
organize the steel workers, but | for
one shall continue to oppose with all
the force and power at my command
his efforts to overthrow leadership and
have the workers adopt and practice the
principles of revolutionary unionism.
o.. Quotes Foster Letter.
4 note that your resolutions come to
the defence of William z. Foster, whom
pointed out as the type of radical
against whom l wished to warn the
workers. Regarding Foster. wish to
say that Mr.. Gompers admits this man
was an L w. w. and the author of the
revolutionary pamphlet 'Syndicalisuf,'
but claims that Foster has been con-
verified to labor union principles. In
this connection / quote from Niettsr
written by Foster in 1914 now on file
in the Office of the United States District
Attorney in Chicago in which Foster
safdi 80 ..
ct am satisfied from my observation
that the only way for an l. w. w. to
have the workers adopt and practice the
principles Of revolutionary unionism,
which I take Is ito mission. is to give
up the attempt TO create a new labor
movement, turn itself into a propaganda
league, get into the organised labor
movement and by building UP better
fighting machines within the old unions,
than those possessed by our reactionary
enemies, revolutionize these unions, even
as our French syndicRiist fellow work.
ers have so successfully done
This letter was signed Yours for
the revolution, william 2. Foster
Relative to my warning i want to-
call your attention to the fact that for
the last several months prominent labor
leaders, have repeatedly come before
oonmittees or Congress and Stated they
feared It would be Impossible to hold
radica1ismip check 80, -. .. 81. - -:
+ Repeats Gompers's Statement.
1.-THE day after made the speech in
question Mr.. Samuel .Gompers, president
OF the American Federation Of Labor,
made this statement 10 a Senate com
mittee: =.
1.-The disposition toward radicaiism is
so great now that democracy is speered
at by certain groups who say that 1t is
only a pretext which the employing
classes hold up to cheat workers, and
that workers can only secure Justice by
revolution, ...., -..
II assert that this statement by Mr..
20 Gompers himself justified my action to
any fair man. ~.,.;
Your resolution further says that my
statements have caused nisunderstand-
'lngs that threaten to diseredit the object
OF the movement which resulted In the
strike of steel workers. ] contend that
b., 1t Is Fosters statement and record
rather than anything that have said
that is likely to have this result.
Your resolution further states that I
criticised the campaign TO organize the
workers Of the iron and steel industry
AS to this I wish to say that / never
have and never will criticise any move
ment to organise workers for the pur-
pose OF lettering their conditions, but
that alwaya have and always will sup
port measures for the true benefit of
the workingnen;'