The Washington herald., 1920-03-25
Taft Believes Gompers Chose
Wisest Method By Declaring
Against Separate Labor Party

signal which these leaders would
do well to heed.
Gompers Chose Be.ter Method.
Mr.. Gompers' purpose to defeat
every member of the Senate or
House who has voted his conscienti-
ous views on important issues con-
trary to the behest of organized
labor. by putting his name on a
black list, shows partial wisdom.
He is right in preferring this course
10 the organization OF an indepen-
dent labor party that would be fool
ish. indeed, for the polls furnish q
test of the strength of the labor
vote, which Mr.. Gompers does well
to avoid. The experience of Mr..
Fitzpatrick In the Chicago mayor
atty election confirms Mr.. Gompers'
judgment that when the labor voters
stand up to be counted they are not
numerously formidable in electing
their candidates on a separate
ticket.
This speaks for the sense and pa
triotism OF the American workman
and his sense of responsibility as a
citizen. He has views as an inde-
pendent member of society on all
the great political issues presented
to a voter. and in large numbers he
refuses to take the narrow and ex-
clusively labor attitude, and in the
narrow interest of class to ignote
issues as to the welfare of society
at large. In which he Is as much in
terested as anybody else.
Mr.. Gompers. therefore, is GER
tainiy right in thinking that he can
better frighten legislators into de-
feating legislation to which he and
labor unions are opposed. by using
balance of power in districts
where the vote Of the two large
parties sis close. than by creating a
labor party.
Uses Politicians CowardIce.
Mr.. Gompers practices on the
cowardice OF political candidates.
1t is a more effective method for
his purposes. but in the light Of
what has happened in Congress this
session. even that is ceasing to be
Is effective a weapon as II has been
in the past.
Groups and factions are able to
work their own selfish purposes
only when the public. who are in
jured in the achievement of those
purposes. are inert and fail to see
the public injury. When the pub
lie are alert and realize their dan
ger, the balance of power that the
labor vote wieldss disappears.
The change In the public attitude
In this regard has been brought
about by the war. The war gave
the labor unions. and especially ex-
tremists among them. a sense OF
absolute power. which they have
they Have united the public in a de-
termination in seIf-defense to pre-
vent future abuses. With a flourish
of trumpets and threats as to what
labor would do IL it did not pass
the Plumb plan was proposed and
introduced into the house.
Plumb Plan Died "Aborning..
The threats were soon withdrawn.
The plan was seen to be a scheme TO
give the wage earners the power
to run the railroads and fix their
own wages. and 1t died "aborning.' -
The pride of the unions went before
a fall. That they will continue, and
ought to continue. to exercise grea [
and legitimate political power goes
without saying. But attempts to
exercise unbridled power like that
of a soviet will be curbed through
the common sense of the American
public and needed legislation, II
further eXcesses require it. will be
enacted.
Copyright. 1890. by Public Ledger Col