Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-11-16
UNION LABOR|TES
READY FOR SCRAP
RADICALS AND CONSERVATIVE
LINING UP FOR CONTEST
FOR CONTROL.
GoMPERs AND OTHER
CONSERVATIVES OPPOSED
First Show Of Strength Will Como
Next Month, When Federated Min
ers VIII Select Officers - Lines
Sharply Drawn, Radicals Making
War on Lewis and Comp
[By e. G. Dougherty.1

Washington, New. IA LABOR pat-
tie with the retention OF Samuel
Gompers as head Of tho American
Federation Of Labor. or his de-
thronement from that commanding
position in American labor. will soon
be participated In by the Iowa mem
bers Of tho United Mine Workers OF
America. it developed here today.
Organized labors two elements
the conservatives and the radicals
are expected to, be engaged primarily
in the battle which may result In
the unseating Of Gompers when the
miners vote for their national Of
ficers the first Tuesday In December.
The result of this referendum Will
place in the hands Of either the con-
dous weapon for the final and de-
cisive contest to be waged in Den
yer next June at tho annual conven-
ton of the American Federation of
Labor.
Fight on Lewis.
The vote Of Iowa miners will count
in the reelection Of John NJ. Lewis
as president of the mine workers, or
his defeat by Robert II. Harlin. of
Seattle. Wash. Up to this time /,
would appear that Lewis had COM
Portable majority. but thru a combin-
alton OF many forces within the last
few months Harlin and his organiza-
'tion are pressing the issue vigorously
and with q possibility Of success.
r. Lewis represents constructive
element within the United Mine
Workers. He is a rather remarkable
character In organized labor. man
OF tremendous energy. forcefu.
speaker and good organizer. He
has been opposed thru his admins
tration by the more radical elements,
but invariably In every contest he
has been victorious.
A situation entirely different, hoa~
ever. confronts Lewis at this time.
Out OF the war has grown an i'm
preston among labor that an hour
of opportunity has come: that labor
could safely press on to greater VIC
tories and to q commanding rosi-
ton in industry. This impression is
instanced in the Plumb Plan League
and its following. and the hold 1t fsas
taken on the labor movement. There
In came the opportunity for Hsr!in,
who Is described by men in close
touch with the organization to be
considerably more radical than
Lewis. He has on his slate Ale:san-
der Howat, Of Kansas, candidate. for
vice president Of the organization
Howat Is the man who defled tho in
dustrial court Of Kansas, defied Icv-
'ernor Allen, of that state, and The
courts. and finally went to Jail rather
than surrender to the voice OF sthe
state.
On the other hand when the FEDERAL
court of Indianapolis issued its in
junction proceedings and called upon
the mine workers to return. to
work. Lewis declared it was the
government speaking" and the mine
workers could not defy their SOW
ernment."
Before this decision was made the
mine workers went thru many battles
behind closed doors OF their Offices,
with one element urging that the Of
ficials should maintain the position
they originally took-that the govern
ment had no such power to eaioln
and that the officials should SC to
jail rather than submit. or. the
other hand was conservative Voice
insisting that organized labor could
not be maintained In opposition to
the government, and Lewis AMI his
followers admitted the governments
Jurisdiction.
Lewis Opposes plumb PI.,.
Lewis IL given credit for prevent
ing the American Federation Of
Labor radicals At the Montreal con-
vention this year from votiny to
Plumb plan the coal mines OF the
country. None Of Glenn Pl,l1nb's
radical ideas has had the support of
Lewis. it is said here. Contrasr. his
position Of Lewis with that Of Hallin.
The Seattle candidate is support I'll by
Howat. the man who went to Jail
for labor" He Is supported also by
Frank Harrington, Of Illinois, leader
of state organization, and one who
insisted on going to Jail when the
government spoke. Harlin is sup