New-York tribune., 1920-02-23
Compers Tells
Why Separate
Party Is Futile
Action Would Be Detri.
mental TO Labor and Es.
actly What L. Desired
by Opponents, He Assert.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-Formatis-
of a political labor party would +.
detrimental to the interests of ,abo,
and exactly in line with that which !.
most ardently desired By those who
seek to oppress labor" Samuel Con-
pers declared in letter to william
Mitch, Of Terre Haute, e leader a,
the Indiana State Labor party, made
public here to-day.
Mr.. Gompers wrote in reply to tele-
gram from Mitch and his associatss
supporting the action of the Indian.
State Labor party in opposing the PC
litical declaration Of the American
Federation of Labor calling on or1ar-
| lied workingmen to elect their friends
and defeat their enemies. M;tch's
telegram declared in favor Of making
the fight solely through labor party.
"By what right" wrote Mr.. Gompers.
"do you assume to declare the work and
the policy Of the American Federation
| of Labor to be impractical? Surelv
the results achieved in the Interests
Of the workers demonstrate the utter
fallacy Of your assumption.
Asks Mitch's Experience
"By your declaration you assert the
practicability Of the course you declare
you will pursue What experience hays
you had with your political party upon
which to base so absurd a claim?
"Forsooth, some men understand
not only that which is charged. but tn.
virtue which is proclaimed of politiesl
and financial honesty and dishonesty.
litical and financial virtue may be a
proper subject Of inquiry after polti-
cal party shall have been in existence
more than a day.
"Of this one thing you may rest ss-
sured, that the day OF reckoning Is a.
hand for all those who are in antagoa-
ism to the cause of labor and for those
who are subtle and equally guilty even
though they ciothe their actions in .he
robes OF pretended friendship.
When you shall have learned the
lesson OF the real struggle OF lsbar
ana the cause for which our movement
stands, you may become penitent for
the gross injustice you have done by
your pretension and your course.
Course Disastrous, Says GompeYs
The effect of a separate polticsl
, labor party can only be disastrous 70
the wage earners of our country and
to the interests of all forward look
ing people. The votes that would 20
to a labor party candidate would. in
the absence of such candidate, 20 TO
the best man in the field. In no ease
would they go to an enemy OF labor.
There can be no hope for success
OF labor party candidates. The effect,
therefore, of political labor party
Will be to defeat our friends and 10
elect our enemies.
Labor can look upon the formation
of political labor party only as a.
act detrimental to the interests o.
labor and exactly in line with thai
which Is most ardently desired By
those who seek to oppress labor
Welfare of Humanity at Stake
"The welfare of American humanity
demands in, this hour Of national crisis
that there be success at the polls This
is no time for experimenting with
political theories which are proved
false at the outset The workers o.
America must use the tactics of sue
cess. They must have results.
Results will not be obtained by IN
Jecting labor party, so-called, into
the struggle.
Those who are determined to BE-
blind to the facts of the present and
past will, Of course, rush on to dis
aster and calamity. This the American
labor movement will not do. 1t re-
jects and repudiates the faIlacies o.
bind theorists and will have nothing
TO do with those treacherous follies
that are suited only TO the purposes
Of labor's enemies.
Your telegram is an affront to The
LABOR movement and an assault upon
the interests OF that great body ef
Americans who are determined that
the present campaign shall result net
IN the destruction OF our liberties
but in the opening of the way to M.
tionai progress and enlargement OF
opportunities for human welfare, safety
and happiness"
.tugO-SIays Nav Shift CapitaI