The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-08-30
'COMPERS TELLS
LABOR'S HOPES
Next Monday, Labor Day,
to Have Unusual Signif-
icance, Says Chief.
SHALL LIBERTY LIVE?
Present Political Contest Has
Clearer Drawn Issue Than
Any Since Civil War.
SHALL LIBERTY LIVE?

U4abor day will be celebrated one
week from today. Samuel Gompers,
one OF the founders OF the American
Federation OF Labor and its president,
1882, herewith, In an article specially
prepared for the international News
Service. tells OF labor's hopes and plans
for the future)
washington, Aug. ao,--The dominnt-
ing spirit OF the age is no longer reli-
glous crceds or forms, but Industrial
relations OF social life. Where the for
mer are not In touch with these, they
cease calling out our enthusiasm, II
Is this new spirit which now controls
our thought and action, Because OF
this new spirit. Labor day this year Is
unusually significant,
The spirit that made our war n great
crusade and that made OF our wonder
full army n host OF crusaders sworn "a
fidelity TO human rights and human
American and demands expression In
the acts OF our public Representatives
and OF our government
In wanton denial OF this nobility OF
thought and concept, the Hesslans OF
greed and plunder seek. to ride. down
the rights OF the people and destroy
their liberties,
The enemies OF labor have given tho
mandate that labor must he crushed
that rights and liberties denied. -.
citizenship OF the nation is brazen and
blunt. That the ri.ht thinking mon and
women OF our republic can afford to al.
low this challenge 70 reap harvest OF
political power In the coming election
Is unthnkabie. More than In any po-
lltical contest since the days OF the
Civil war the issue Ia clearly drawn
between reaction and progress.
Shall Liberty Live.
So Il IL that on this Labor day we
face grave. complex and perplexinE
problems.
The masses OF the working people
Of the nation understand the great is-
sues that face them. The one supreme
issue Ia whether liberty shall live.
IL is &c great hope OF organized labor
path of industrial democracy may be
marked by none OF the bunders OF OK
lemtsm. Such democracy as we have
yet TO attain must be obtained through
institutions OF the great and Intelligent
measure of democracy that we already
enjoy, Any other course would be fatal
to all democracy and lead us to that un-
happy and tragic state Of chaos which
has brought so much OF distress and
evil to the people .of Russia;
s,S Tho ErGGt s republic owSdc Of the u"tsS
manifestation OF evil that Ia within
its boarders is still the bost nation on
the globe. There Is no land so free, no
land so fair, no land so abundant In
opportunities for a grontor %vilizat tlon
and grander concept OF the ideals OF hu-
man kind.
The greatest thing IN democracy n
humanity and Whatsoever stands In the
way OF Its striving for moro Of life and
for a fner life has no place here and
must be banlshed.
New onward step.
That y the thought that win be up.
psfFnoat in the minds OF Americas
workers on TINS great American Labor
day.
While ministers are praying for up
and politicians Grating for us, trade
unionlsm is silently building Its out
posts and pushing It's videttes further
and further beyond the old lines.
And so on this great Labor day the
workers In America will mark new
onward step and set their eyes to an
other advance in the future