Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-01-23
SEDiTi0N BILLS ARE: OPPOSED BY CONFER
 AS BElNG DRASTIC
Palmer Says Neither Meets His Approval; Offers
 Substitute
DEPARTMENT READY
 TO ENFORCE ANY LAW
Labor Leader Declares Measures Would Stifie Workers Grows Sarcastic in Criticism of
 Congress

Washington, Jan. 22. Opponents of anti-sedition measures, jed by Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor today urged the house rules committee to block the passage of the measures because of their drastic provisions and because sufficient laws now exist to prosecute dangerous radi- calls and communists.
 Attorney General Palmer, who previously had announced his sup port of both the Sterling bill and the Graham measures, failed to appear in their defense. However, he sent letter to Chairman Campbell, of the rules committee stating he was ''im- pelIed to say that neither of the bills accords with my views as to what the legislation ought to be" and recommended as a substitute q bill which he drafted last November and which was introduced several weeks ago by Representative Davey, demo crat, Ohio. The Davey bill provides fines not exceeding $10,000 and i'm prisonment for not more than 20 years for persons convicted of an attempt to overthrow the govern ment or of acts of violence against the government. The measure also would prohibit writings or teachings which constitute sediton
 The department of justice is ready, MT. Palmer informed the committee, to enforce whatever legislation con- gress should see fit to pass.
 Mir. Gompers appearing as the spokesman for the American Fedora tion of Labor denounced the pend
 ing bills in unqualified terms. Mass meetings, with the orderly purpose to strike to improve living condi- tions, would be suppressed under the bills, he asserted, adding that strikes and cessations of labor are nothing more or less than aspirations of working people to improve their con ditions.
 q do not believe this species of legislation will stifle the things it is supposed to-" MT. Gompers asserted But rather it vii provoke the op- posite. It will tie men to their jobs"
 I GOmpers Sarcastic.
 E. w. Evans, president of the Yearly Meeting Society of Friends of Philadelphia, said it was impossible to separate freedom of speech and the freedom of religion. He advo- cated an appeal to the public spirit ed people of this country in an eff fort to put down those who would overthrow the government rather than utilization of drastic laws. | Mr Gompers declared the Sterling and Graham measures would oppress | all classes of labor and stifle any more to change the constitution.
 Even moral force, such as organi- zation by orderly mass meetings, he said, would be punishable.
 "I oppose all activities of the so- called 'reds,'" he said, "and there is
 no one who is so opposed to these people,
 Stand patters, reactionaries and fools in congress may hate me, but none hate me or villify me as these people whose activities have beer branded as red"
 "What do you mean by fools 1T , congress ?" Chairman Campbell ask
 ed
 q am afraid l would be guilty ot les maieste if l mentioned any
 names," Gompers replied. Strikes and cessations of work Gompers said ,are nothing but an as .. piration by working people for bet ter living conditions. Countries
 where there are no strikes are th' most backward, he said. Samuel Gompers, president of thu : American Federation of Labor, open < ed the hearing in opposition to th' n bills.
 Declaring that the Graham meas
 ure would make "all free mel
 slaves," MT. Gompers centered his at
 tack on the provision of the bil
 prohibiting the circulation of al
 literature and periodicals of radica
 nature.