Arizona republican., 1919-06-16
Labor and Beer


 The position into which labor has been put with respec. prohibition Legislation is not easily under stood and may not be understandable outside of high labor circles Officially organized labor has gone on record against time prohibition and has declared in favor of the repeal of that legislation the abrogation of it by the president.
 That is within the right of labor or any other organization and it's position not be questioned if it not for the fact that there looms only six Honths in the distance, national prohibition which has received the endorsement of nearly all the states and January next will become effective. Why then, this movement raise the ban on beer six months?
 Mir. Gompers opposed prohibition from the be- ginning, the national amendment and the war time measure. He has been especially active in that re- spect and vigorous in the use of language against prohibition. He is the who a few months ago returned from Europe with a comforting message to Inc brewers, an announcement that the president would recommend the repeal of the war time law.
 There be criticism of Mir Gompers for that He is within his rights. He has the right of Lis opinion, the right of expressing and the right of trying to convert. other people to it; the right to request congress to such legislation he vses and the right to ask the president make or alter such regulations he has authority make or alter. In short Mir. Gompers has all the rights which belong to every American citizen
 But has he a right to issue a warning veied threat of the consequences that may ensue upon the refusal of congress to grant his request for egsla dh? He affects to fear that tranquility will be dis ;urbed by the aboring classes if the war time pro hibuon act is enforced He is comprehensive of re- 'ults;" that labor will adjust itself to the new coalitions. That is, Mir Gompers fears that labor will rise in revolt against the law. And if so may he not be fearful that the revolt will be continued against the constitution of the United States as it will stand amended after January of next year?
 Certainly labor would not rise in rebellion against the time act to other end than en- oynent of six months of beer drinking unless it in tended to continue the demonstration against tho prohibition amendment.
 We have often spoken of the attitude of labor toward the liquor traffic. It has generally been un- friendly We know it in Arizona. Labor took conspicuous part in the organization of the prohibition forces in Arizona in 1913 and but for the activity of labor in the campaign of the following year, the prohibition amendment would have beeA defeated. Throughout the country, not always bul frequently than not organized labor, for req sons of it's own. in sympathy with the prohbi- ton effort
 The first word had of the dissatisfaction of labor with the time act was expressed by MT. 'iompers while it was pending. After that we began O hear the mo beer work slogan. But it nu. generally adopted and in many local or state or s,nizations where the subject brought up there direct declaration against threat strike beer.
 Whence and why the position into which labor has been placed? We may well inquire whether the action of the convention Atlantic City and the denionstration in the national capital Saturday were expressive of the sentiment organized labor throughout the country. We may, indeed, suspect hat the demand for beer has been adroy engineered by the leaders who fearful that they can check the outbreak if beer is denied organizsc labor
 What anyhow would be gained if congress or the president should yield to the immediate demand? No relief would be afforded labor in such great indus trial states Ohio. Indiana and Michigan and in nearly nine tenths of the territory of the United States under state wide local prohibition Or would the authority those states also be flouted?