The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-04-07

the basis OF picking out union iabor's
friends and its enemies. .
According to the story going the
rounds here, and generally accepted
as being probably true In its main esi
senttals, Is that the leaders OF the
Plumb Plan League are demanding
that government ownership Of the
railroads be made the principle upon
which to decide whether a member Of
Congress is a friend" or an enemy
OF union labor. They are insisting on
this specific issue solely as the test.
Mr.. Gompers and many other union
labor heads, whose respective organ.
izations are disassociated from the
railroad labor groups, are standing
finally against the demand of the
Plumb Plan Leaguers. For one thing,
they point out, should the latter's de.
mand be acceded to, comparatively
speaking, there would be but mere
handful of friends" in Congress to be
proclaimed as such, and an over.
whelming list OF names OF enemies. -
In relation to the whole membership
OF Congress, the known advocates OF
the Plumb Plan or government own.
ership Of the RAILROADS by any other
plan, are but corporars guard.
The Gompers' group also argue that
| should the Plumb Planners have their
way in making up the list on its one
and only test, SO out of 100 names on
the blacklist" would be the names OF
members who are friendly to labor
whose official record prove 1t, when
labor came to them with reasonable
demands. Such wholesale opposition
founded solely on the question
whether candidate does or does not
favor government ownership OF rail
roads, the Gompers group argues, will
arise countrywide resentment and in.
dtgnation over an apparent injustice
and unfairness. Besides, they point
out, the overwhelming opposition to
government ownership in Congress is
merely an accurate reflection of an
overwhelming opposition to 1t by thu
oeople Of the country .s'ltside railroad
employment circles, and that in those
circles there is condition of disunity
on the proposition that no sensible
and well-informed man would dare to
question.
AS an example OF how It would
work in the case of the West Virginia
tatives who are candidates to succeed
themselves, should the Plumb Plan.
ners win over the less radical and ex.
IRENE Gompers group. they would find
themselves prescribed for one thing,
and for one reason only, to wit, that
they are. not for the government own
ing the railroads; whereas, the record
of every one of them, going back
through all the years Of their public
service, is that of friendship and
support of the laboring man, whether
he was in union Or not member OF
one. Their record up to their final
votes on the railroad bill lin which
government ownership was not the di.
rect question involved, at alb was
consistently and sincerely friendly.
Even to the time of the passage of
the bill, they voted in agreement with
union labor in striking out the anti
strike clause in the Cummins bill,
and substituting. therefor the social,
ed Anderson amendment, which was
satisfactory to the labor chiefs If, in.
deed, they did not substantially write
It. For this Labor" the organ of the
Plumb Plan League commended them
by printing their names in list Of
friends" For this, also, each Of them