The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-07-31
Dim Eyes of the Helpless Upon
the Hosts of Labor in Coming
Election, Says President in
Leading Editorial in The Fed
erationist- st-Enemies of Labor
Rampant, He Warns.

"a V--GASAAAACO Va A1OoA
Rampant, He Warns.
Following is the leading editorial, by
Samuel Gompers, from the August
issue of the American Federationist,
official organ of the American Fedora
ton of Labor:
"TOILERS, SANCTIFY YOUR
VOTE.
"The most viriie movement in politi-
cal life today is the National Nom
Partisan Campaign being conducted by
the American Federation of Labor.
Eloquent testimony to that effect is
heard wherever the political situation
is intelligently discussed. There is no
mistaking the influence which is being
exerted for the defeat of candidates
who have shown themselves to be an
tagonistic to the best interests of the
working people and to our citizenship
generally. The records show that in
the primary elections which have been
held thus far, the national non-partisan
political organization of labor has
played decisive part in more than Is
contests. In that many districts those
who have been hostile or unfriendly
have been defeated A number of pri-
mary elections remain to be held and
in these there is certain to be addition
al achievement for the welfare of our
people.
"Three months remain before the
final day of the present political strug
gle and these three months will con-
stitute the vital portion of the campaign
period. The issues of the campaign are
now in full before the people every
L II l. sl,A1 &
the Senate and for the House of Rep
resentatives have been sent to all labor
organizations throughout the country.
The political platforms have been writ
ten and Labor's analysis of them has
been placed before the people. By COM
parison of the records the voters every
where may determine whom to support
and whom to defeat There is no am
biguity about the records of either
candidates or parties.
Politicians who fear retributlon at
the hands of an outraged electorate
have made the charge that labor in
some cases has abandoned its non-par-
tisanship and has become partisan. But
in no sense is this true. There is no
labor vote to- be delivered and there Is
no labor partisanship to any political
party. There is, however, a,~vote of
working men and women and of those
citizens generally who are forward
looking and who are determined to
guard the principles of freedom and
justice, who will vote more unitedly
than ever before for the retirement of
those who have betrayed thetrusts placed
in them and for the election of those
whose principles and records indicate
that they may be trusted to uphold the
rights of the people in public offlce-
hot hac
tested in Labor's non-partisan cam
paign surpasses anything ever known
in an American political effort. In re-
sponse to suggestions from the Ma
tional Campaign Committee local
unions, central bodies and state fedora
tions throughout the country have ap-
pointed campaign committees and these
in turn have formed compact central
organizations through which the efforts
of all might be organized and co-ordin-
ated for the purpose of securing the
most favorable results.
1t has recently been requested that
local labor campaign committees hold
congressional-distric meetings for the
purpose of more effectively organizing
the work in each congressional district.
Out of close cooperation of this char
acter much good is certain to result.
In order to further increase the en-
thusiasm and the efecuveness of the
campaign work the National Campaign
Committee has requested that the execu-
tive councils of all state federations of
labor be called together in special ses-
sions at an early date. The purpose of
these meetings is to make clear the
program in each state and to harmonic
and organize all efforts with one object
in view.
"The staff which has been organized
/, by the National Campaign Committee
at A. F. of L. headquarters in Wash
ington is giving every possible assist
ance to local campaign committees, and
there should be no hesitancy on the
part of any local committee in asking
for such counsel and assistance as may
be deemed necessary. One of the most
encouraging features of the entire work
of the campaign thus far has been the
tremendous demand for literature pub
lished by our national committee. 1t
has been impossibel to keep abreast of
this demand largely owing to difficulty
in securing sufficient quantities of white
paper, but every effort is being made to
meet as fully as possible the needs in
this direction.
"It will be noted that in this issue
of the American Federationist the plat
form planks on Labor's proposals are
published as they appear in the Demo
cratic and Republican platforms, to-
gether with the comment of Labor
thereon The intelligence of the Amer
ican people will lead them to determine
which platform more nearly conforms
to their desires and which expresses
more nearly their ideas and aspirations
toward freedom, justice and democracy.
"The forces of greed and plunder,
the prohteers and the autocrats of our
political and industrial life leave no
doubt as to what they desire and where
they will mass their support.
"The challenge Of these forces to the
citizenship of the nation is brazen and
blunt. That the right thinking men
and women of our Republic can afford
to allow this challenge to reap har-
vest of political power in the coming
election is unthinkable. More than in
any political contest since the. days of
the Civil war the issue is clearly drawn
between reaction and progress. The
wish of the enemies of labor and of
the people generally is not merely to
stand pat for what is; it is to go back
Il