Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-02-23
LABOR PARTY IS
DETRIMENTAL TO
LABOR R-COMPERS
President of Federation Re-
Dukes Those Behind 1t in
Letter to Mitchell


WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 23.-
Formation of a political labor party
would be detrimental to the inter
ests of labor and exactly in line with
that which is most ardently desired
by those who seek to oppress labor,
Samuel Gompers declared in letter
TO William Mitchell of indianapolis,
a leader of the Indiana state labor
party made public here Sunday.
Mr.. Gompers wrote in reply to a
telegram from Mitchell and his asso-
cites supporting the action Of Indiana
state labor party in opposition to the
political declaration of he American
Federation of Labor, calling on or
ganized working men to elect their
friends and defeat their enemies.
Mitchelrs telegram declared i'm favor
of making the fight solely through a
labor party.
''By what right" wrote Mr.. Com
pers. do you assume to declare the
work and the policy of the American
Federation of Labor to be impracti-
cal? Surely the results achieved in
the interests of the workers demon
strate the utter fallacy of your as
sumption.
by your declaration you assert the
practicability of the course you de-
clare you will pursue. What expert
ence have you had with your political
party upon which to base so absurd
claim? Some men understand not
only what is being charged but the
virtue which is proclaimed Of political
financial honesty and dishonesty.
Perhaps thorough investigation Of
political and financial virtue may be
a proper subject of inquiry after a
political party shall have been in ex-
istence more than day.
"Of this one thing you may rest as
sured, that the day of reckoning is at
hand for all of those who are in an
tagonism to the cause of labor, and
for those who are subtle and equally
guilty even though they clothe their
actions in the robes of pretended
friendship. A
lesson of the real struggle Of labor
and the cause for which our move
ment stands, you may become peni-
tent for the gross injustice you have
done by your pretention and your
course.
"The effect of a separate political
labor party can only be disastrous to
the wage earrlers Of our country and
to the interests of all forward-looking
people. The votes that would 90 to
labor candidate would, in the absence
of such candidate, 20 to the best man
in the field. In no case would they
go to an enemy of labor
"There can be no hope for success
of labor party candidates. The ef
feet, therefore of political party
would be to defeat our federations
and elect our enemies.
Labor can look up in the forma-
tion of a political labor party only as
an act detrimental to the interests of
labor exactly in line with that which
is most ardently desired by those who
seek to oppress labor.
"The welfare of American humani-
ty demands in this hour of national
crisis that there be success at the
polls. This is no time for expert
menting with political theories which
are proven false at the outset The
workers Of America must use the
tactics of success. They must have
results.
Results will not be obtained by
injecting labor party so- led into
the struggle.
"Those who are determined to be
blind to the facts Of the present and
past will. of course. rush on 10 dis
aster and calamity. This the Ameri
can labor movement will not do. II
rejects and repudiates the fallacies of
blind thories and will have nothing
to do with those treacherous follies
that are suited only TO the purpose of
labor's enemies.
"Your telegram is an affront to
. the labor movement and an assault
upon the interests of that great body
of Americans who are determined
that the present congress shall result
not in the gain Of our liberties but of
the opening Of the way to national
progress and the enlargement Of op-
posed for humane welfare, safety and
happiness"