Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-24
'GOMpERS ASSA|LS
ANT|-STR|KE BILL
Declares Kenyon's Proposal is
Antagonistio to Spirit Of
the Republic
MEN ARE OPPOSED

Washington, Sept. 24.-Anti strike
provisions of the Cummins railroad re
oresuization bill are opposed vigorously
by organized labor, testimony of three
of the foremost labor leaders has
brought out before the Senate inter
state commerce committee.
Samuel Gompers. president of the
American Federation Of Labor; Warren
S. Stone. chief of the Engineers Broth .
erhooG, and Glenn T.. Plumb. general
counsel for railroad brOthcrhoods. and
author of the Plumb railroad plan, all
vigorously opposed the provisions and
said no law could prevent mCu from
quitting work at their will.
Mr.. Stone. who attacked the Cum q
Minis bill in its entirety. will resume
his testimony before the committee to-
day. He said, during his testimony
Yesterday, that he hoped tho railroads
would go back to private ownership
because the people would soon favor the
Plumb plan.
Representative Mondcll Republican
leader, Wyoming. has announced in the
House that some legislation for rail
road organization would be reported out
IN the House at this session,
Gompers Attacks BiIl
This compulsory arbitration section
In the railroad bill Mr.. Gompcrs said,
mot only is unconstitutional, but is
repugnaut to the spirit of the consti
tuition and antagonistic to the spirit
iof the republic of the United States.
"To deny American workers the right
to strike, to dispose of themselves aud
their ability to work. their disposition
to work for their own advantage or, at
their own peril and disadvantage, To
ssrefuse TO work. is a return t" slavery
THE only difference between a slave
and a free man is the right Of the free
man to work at his own disposal or
not as he wills il.
a "Some peoplc who are inCOnvenienced
/ by cessation of work Of any kind would
alike to have some power to make 1t i'm q
possible for workers to quit their en-
sploymeut Show me a country where
Sthe right of strike is denied aud | will
Ashow you u country where the scale ot
progress is low aud where freedom can
not obtain.
y Mr.. Gompers reviewed the history OF
the movement for compulsory arbltra
K tion from its inception in New England
Sthirty years ago. He declared that while
+. it has been hailed as the 'phlosophcrs
stone" for the settlement of all indus
trial disputes. experience had shown it
!, TO be complete failure. and that in
scountrics where Il now exists there are
moro strikes than in the United states,
q where there is no such statute.
IN "American labor unions stand agains,
unnecessary strikes" Mr.. Gompcrs
ycontinued, "but say in all candOr tho
workers will not surrender their right
to quit work when the terms Of work
become intolerablc, and I should hate
to live one minute after that right had
been surrendered Men do not 90 on
strike for the pleasure of it They
strike only when they are driven to des
peration.
1.-THE effect of this anti strike pro
vision simply would be to create law
Z breakers. ! would have no more hesi
5 fancy in entering upon a just STRIKE
after this bill is passed than have nov
regardless of the consequences to my
self. This is a bill to disbsnd labo
unions"