The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-11-19
.GOMPERS HARD HIT
BY Big LANDSLIDE
Played Democrat In Name
OF Nonpartisanohi2--
Prestige Gone.

Washington, Nov. 15.-Probably
no man in public life has received
such complete reputation and such
severe blow to his personal prestige
from the defeat of Governor Cox as
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation Of Labor.
At first pretending to hold the la
Dor movement aloof from PARTISAN
ship, he declared against the forma-
ton of a national labor party. He did
everything possible to kill 1t when
its leaders met in Chicago TO form
platform and name a candidate. Then
he did what he has always done here
tofore and what he was expected to
do again. He came out with mon
partisan" statement in the American
Federationist for Cox and the entire
Democratic ticket. AS Democrat,
he had swallowed the league of ma
lions, hook, line and sinker, just as
President Wilson had brought 1t back
from Versailles. The fact that the
President had helped to nullify the
labor bill of rights so as to change 1t
from labor is not a commodity or
article of commerce" to labor is not
merely a commodity or article of
commerce" made no difference to
him. And the fact that Senator
Cummins, of Iowa, had originated
this principle of law made no differ
ence. Cummins is a Republican, and
that was enough; he must be black
listed and punished.
What is the net result of Gompers
political efforts in the interests of
the Democratic party? Cummins was
reelected by two to one vote in
Iowa. Watson of Indiana. Moses of
New Hampshire, Brandegee of Con-
necticut and Wadsworth of New
York, whom he had particularly in
Weighed against, were reelected by
tremendous majorities. Cox was
smothered. In a statement Gompers
now says that the election is mot sat
isfactory in every respect" and de-
plores the plunge toward reaction.
But Democracy will right itself at the
proper time"
For Gompers personally the defeat
of Cox means the end of the veteran
labor leaders, ascendency over the
Department of Labor. Not only has
his son been chief clerk of the de-
partment as the eye of his father
there, but he has at all times had the
ear of the President and has domi-
mated the entire organization, includ-
ing Assistant Secretary Louis F.
Post. In doing so he has been bit
ter against the Republican party, Bit
ter against the Republican Congress
and, as is generally recognized, un-
fair in his attitude toward the good
things done by them.
Consequently, he will have less in
fluence with the new administration
than with any in the thirty/years he
has headed the labor movement. He
can no longer dictate, and the good
influence he might have exerted he
has largely lost because he has utiliz-
ed his office as a Democratic politi-
clan and with an incoming Republic
can administration he must go out
too.
The passing of the influence of
Gompers, however, will have a bene-
ficial effect upon the labor movement
in general, not because of its passing,
but because the Republican admins
tration will reorganize the Labor De-
partment so as to stamp out of it
Socialist and other radicalism and so
as to make it such an organ of real
benefit to labor in fighting its batlek
for ii that it will gain the confidence
of laboring men everywhere for its
fairness and usefulness. The depart
ment was organized under an act
passed during the last year of the
Taft administration and the Wilson |
administration was the first to or
ganize IL. William B. Wilson has |
been secretary of it for eight years
and Louis F. Post has been assis-
tant secretary Of it that long. Most |
of that time 1t has been considered a |
dead letter. The new administration
proposes to put new life into 1t and
to do it in such way that it will APP
peal to the rank and file OF labor.
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