New-York tribune., 1920-12-17
Capital in Plot
Against Labor,
Says Co11pers
\. F. of L. Leader Warns
Big Employers to Beware !;
Declares Unions Accept
Challenge for the Fight
Speech is Aimed at Grace
New Federation installs OIL
GERS; Demands Larkin
and Others Be Released

Charging that organized capital was
engaged in g country wide conspiracy
% destroy organized labor, Samuel
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation Of Labor, in an address yes
.crday before .he new Central Trades
md Labor Council Of Greater New York,
1t Beethoven Hall, warned capital "to
5ew.re."and declared that labor accepts
rs challenge. Mr.. Gompers's address
was delivered while installing John
Sullivan, of the Brewery Workers
Union, as president Of the new central
body. His remarks were interpreted as
directed against the declaration of Eu-
gene C. Grace, president of the Bethle-
lem Steel Corporation, before the
Lockwood committee, insisting that the
open shop must prevail in the steel in
austry.
Mr.. Gompers also assailed Senator
Po.ndexter, of Washington, for sponsor
.ng bill passed by the Senate yes
lel6ay making strikes affecting inter-
tate commerce a crime. When shown
: copy of a Washington dispatch re-
ating to the passage of the bill, Mr..
GCmpers said:
Evidently Senator Poindexter has
jo;ned that coterie that would enslave
ator. The American workingman is
not yet ready to bare his neck to the
yoke."
Demand Release Of Larkin
Among the first acts of the new body
~as the passage of resolution de-
handing the release before Christmas
Of James Larkin, the Irish Communist
imprisoned at Do~nmora. Tom Mooney
and Warren K. Billings. Another reso-
luton c nuemned british atrocities"
in Ire and.
More than 1000 delegates, represent
ing 500 unions and zoo, 900 organized
y rkingmen of greater New York, were
present at the meeting, which was de-
Foted mainly to the installation Of
officers and the nomination Of commit
tees. Other officers installed were
John P. Coughln. of the machinists;
vice president; William F. Kehoe, Of
the teamsters, secretary, and members
of the executive committee.
President Sullivan appointed a com
mittee to represent the council before
The Knight joint legislative committee
at its hearing at the office of the Bar
Association, AZ Vest Forty fourth
Street, when revision of the state code
OF labor laws will be discussed.
Says Labor Accepts Challenge
In urging the new officers TO stand
loyally by the labor movement, Presi-
dent Gompers said in part:
II urge you 70 do so particularly at
this time, when there is SO much effort
made in the direction OF res ction and
the destruction of the labor movement
when the challenge has been thrown to
labor by employers as it has been the
last few days. Am crican labor accepts
this Challenge. American labor will
not be driven back. Let those who are
opposing our movement and working
for its destruction beware They rep
resent the old idea of master and serv-
ant. of master and slave They forget
that we are living in the age of 1920
We challenge them to destroy the SOW
ereignty of freedom and manhood. Let
the men who oppose our movement
guard and guide themselves fairly. W.
stand erect, we look the whole world in
the face. we ,mand no sDecia, privi-
leges; but we insist II at nothing but
justice will suit our purpose and our
mOttoS