Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-05-29

work. Governor Allen asked. He was
answered with cheers and boos.
The debate called for no decision. the
committees in charge having purposely
divided the house equally between sup
porters of each speaker.
Both Score With Partisans.
Mr.. Gompers. in championing labor's
privilege to strike, electrified his par
tlsans when he said. with evident emotion
that the working man who wouldn't try
to benefit his condition was "a potroon
to himself and society,"
Governor Allen scored point with
there is to be government Of justice
there can't be any part greater than
the whole
He alluded TO the attitude of the
Ameriean h'sssI---A:-.--~se ~---.-->-
preaching election towards unfrienily
office holders as movement to union
ize the congress of the United States"
The Kansas court does not prosecute
labor, Governor Allen said. but it pro-
tects labor against capital. capital
against labor and the public against
either or both.
A feature of the debate was Aliens
efforts to get Gompers TO answer this
question:
How to Protect Public.
when a dispute between capital and
labor brings on strike affecting the
production or distribution of the neces-
saries of life, thus threatening the pub
lie peace and imparing the public health
has the public the rights in such con-
troversy or is it a private war between
capital and labor?''
IF you answer this question in the af-
firmative. Mr.. Gompers how would you
protect the rights of the public:"
The labor leader declined to answer
ii. asserting that it was a catch ques-
ton.
At another time. while Mr.. Gompers
was referring to the poverty of some
workers. man in the gallery shouted
How poor arc you:5
Gompers was plainly angered at the
question. He demanded the mans name
amid shouts of encouragement from mis-
followers. and when the labor leader
had referred to the disturber's remarks
as 'cowardiy. ungentlemanly insinua-
tion." the labor men shouted with glee.
Peace to Remedy War.
Governor Allen in conclusion charged
that Gompers' remedy for war is more
war.
Mine" he added. ''is peace condition
ed on the impartial judgment of
responsible government.
Within a year. the governor predict ed.
the best friends of the Kansas industrial
court law would be the laboring men OF
Kansas.
At Parting of Ways.
"We are now at the parting of ways
in the great controversies which are
now occupying the minds of our people,
declared Mr.. Gompers, beginning his
direct argument of the debate. "On the
har- hn oh, V,n41.-,
movement for progress. for civilization
and with all the tasks these impose. and
on the other hand. we have those who
are leading the course of reaction, of in
Justice. of tyranny. The time is at hand
when there must be determined whether
the eternal principles of freedom,
iustice and democracy shall hold sway
or be supplanted by the tyranny and
the injustice of old.
Mr Gompers said he wanted to lay
down a few fundamental principles. and
one of his executive committee, Mrs
Sarah A. Conboy. read the following
statement:
Unions Not Trusts.
'sJ'he fact that the voluntary or
ganZations of the wage workers are
declared by the courts to be trusts and
combinations in illegal restraint Of trade
does not necessarily so constitute them
In fact. the unions of workers are not
such. None of their achievements il
behalf of the toilers or society at large
can be confused with the selfish ano
pernicious activities of the Illegal trusts
''I'he trust. even at its best. is an OF
ganization of few to monopolize pro.
duction and control distribution OF
| material products. The voluntary as
sociations of the wage workers foi
mutual benefit end assistance are es
sentially different The fact must not
be lost sight of that the power of labor
| is not a material commodity. There
can be no trust in anything which is not
yet produced"
Resuming his address. Mr.. Gompers
said:
! There is common error in the minC
of a large number Of our people and
peoples of the whole world who confuse
| the term Tabor and capital as being il
exactly equal position toward each other
The fact is that capital is the product