Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-05-31
"FMPORTANTo"

FhiLltlel bOiilpcfS was oppoSeu 10 any
political labor party. Now, in the
American F'ederationist, official organ
OF labor, he declares that congress must
be overtlrown by labor's' votes, because
of its failure to legislate for the peO-
pie. 1t is an important announcement.
lie. lncntions twenty-one great cor
%porati0ns that have profiteered to the
tune of-4H5 per cent, which meal that
each year they have earned more than
flour times their entire value.-Chi-
cagO Herald Examiner.
The only important thing about Mr..
GomDeTS announcement is the fact
it cOnvicts him of such slavish parti-
sanslip that he is unable to admit
where the real fault lies. Six of the
seven years just past congress has
been dominated by President Wilson
and was willing to do his bidding at all
times. If laws We're insufficient to
meet the situation the president had
lample powers to have such laws Ell
jacted as he might demand. If there
had been 40 prOtitcering up to March
1, 1913, there might be some grounds
for Mr.. Gompers criticism of congress,
but from the day of tile beginning OF
the great war in Europe in 1914 prof
iteers in this country have been grow
ing b0lder and more %grasping, and Mr..
GOmperS Knows it. He also knows
that congress has nothing to do with
law enforcement, that being in. the
hands of the executive department Of
the government, yet lie seeks to deceive
his followers and to screen the presi-
dent by falsely charging congress with
the responsibility of the failure of the
government to bring the constituencies
protiteer to the bar of justice. Just
hear Woodrow Wilson tell in his book,
on page l72, just what he would do to
the profiteerS if the people. elected him
president of the United States:
Il take my stand absolutely, where
every progressive ought to take his
stand, on the proposition that private
monopoly is indefensiblc and intoler-
able. And there | will fight my battle.
And l know how to fight it. Every
body who has even read the newspu-
pers knows the means by which these
men built up their power and created
these monopolies. Any decently equip
ped lawyer can suggest to YOU
statutes by which the whole business
can be stopped. What these gentlemen
do not want is this: They do not want
to be compelled TO meet all corners on
equal terms. l am perfectly willing
that they should beat any competitor
by fair means: but I know the foul
means they have adopted. and l know
that they can be stopped by law"
1t is quite evident from the fore
going statements of Woodrow Wilson
that this p%rofiteeripg is no new thing,
although it is perhaps 10000 times as
bad now as it was when he made his
s%pread-eagle brags, yet he has done
absolutely nothing to make good his
promises. The congress has enacted
such laws as he demanded, and besides
he is still clothed with extraordinary
war power and could put Il crimp into
the activities of the protiteefs II he
were sincerely disposed to do so.
Samuel Gompcrs is not ignorant OF
these facts, hence his structures upon
congress are simply the vapOrings OF
IA partisan who thinks more OF his
party than of the majesty of the law.
The Chicago newspaper, forget
ting the statements of MI. GOmpers for
the moment, explains in another place
in the same issueswiy the laws against
the profiteers are not enforced. 1t
says:
"Whcn a farmer gets $50 for a
bushel Of wheat and 'somcbody else
gets 50 for rolling out the barrel OF
Hour, there is something wrong. In.
t%elligent government, if it would take
its mind off of Armenia and Mesopota-
mia for half an hour, could do some
thing Osremcdy the situation"
Everybody knows which department.