The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-05
Allen GOmpers Debate to Vie
With LincOIn-DOuglas Contest.
First Steps Toward RecOncilia-
ton of Capital and Labor.
ALLEN WORDS THRUOUT NATION
Governors Logic To Be Syndi-
Gated for Publication.
SidelightS on New York Debate
by e. H. Menninger.
BY EDWIN A. MENN1NGER

New York. June 5.-The Gompers-
Allen debate will go down into history
with the Lincoln-D Douglas contests. 1t
will be an outstanding event in all
time. marking the first real effort to
bring settlement to the chaos of in
dustrial warfare with which the ma
ton is burdened. 1t may stand as the
first step toward the reconciliation OF
the forces of capital and labor. age
long enemies.
These are the convictions of the per-
sons who heard the debate. Retro
spection brings out clearly that Sam
uel Gompers was beaten decisively for
there was never a moment that he
could have been said to be on the Of
fensive He could never break thru
the defense put up by Governor Allen
that the public was entitled to protec-
ton and that such protection must be
offered by government of justice.
Gompers couldn't carry his argument
out of a tiny circle around which he
raced madly, insisting that labor was
entitled to strike because only thus
could labor make progress and that
mans right to strike was part of his
liberty.
Audience Was Divided.
It is true that not all the audience
was convinced that the Kansans won
the debate. The newspapers main
tanned that the question had not been
decided. Among them there were
many pro- Gompers tendencies, and it
can hardly be said that Governor AL
lens victory was fairly treated by the
New York press. Even THE Trib-
une" which had been his steady sup
porter. failed to flavor its news with
Allen credit to equal the good words
said for Gompers. The New York
Times" Democratic organ tho 1t is,
was the only newspaper which seemed
to be distinctly pro-Allen in its news.
Some of the evening papers. notably
The Globe" which is published by
Jason Rogers, and The Evening
Telegram" which recently was ac
quired by Frank A. Munsey, took
considerable pains to give Governor
Allen and his family and the indus
trial court a fair representation. Pic
lures Of Mrs. Allen and Miss Allen
featured the news account of the de-
bate and there were interviews with
the first lady of Kansas which gave
all the news q decidedly, sunflower
flavor The Evening World" pub
lished by the Pulitzers. presented the
news by cartoon of pro-Allen senti-
ment altho The World" the morning
edition Of the same paper. was almost
nasty in its pro-Gompers leahings. 1t
took pleasure in making parallel de-
scriptions of Mr.. Gompers and the
governor referring to the former as
an elderly statesman" and adding
that Governor Allen looked like q
''well-fed country storekeeper." 1t
made the governor grin when the
orchestra began playing "There'n be a
hot time in the old town tonight" and
added that Mr.. GOmpers retained his
dignity. There were other aspersions,
equally unfair. but perhaps character
istic of this newspaper which makes
its greatest appeal to the middle
Glasses and whose highest paid labor
reporter, John T. Leary. is on init
mate terms with the president of the
American Federation of Labor.
Socialist Disappointed.
Among Kansans the opinion of
course prevailed that the governor
had made a monkey" of his oppo-
nent. This attitude was not confined,
however, to the Kansans. l talked
Immediately after the debate with
more than a dozen men of varying
tastes and beliefs, from radicals to
ultra-conservatiYes, and all of them
were of the opinion that Governor AL
len had won. The most characteristic
case was a young radical. an assistant
EDITOR of a local Socialist newspaper,
who admitted in somewhat crest
Sallcr@ way that Mr.. Gompers had been
defeated
THE labor leader didn't offer the
arguments he might have to offset The
stand taken by Governor Allen said
this radical Il was greatly disap-
pointed. Mr.. Gompers hurt his own
cause by his stubbornness in refusing
10 discuss Governor Aliens question
of whether the public was entitled to
Iote ction.'
This same opinion was expressed in
more conservative circles. Wilbur
Forrest. for ten years United Press
correspondent in Europe and more re-.
certify returned from Mexico. said
Governor Allen was unquestionably
the winner.
IT think Gompers was skinned to
DEATH" said Forrest. THE boots and
zoos of the anarchists and reds in
the audience couldn't serve to trip UP
Aliens arguments. The debate IN
dorhtedly was victory for the Kan
san
Press Was Unfair.
Woodman Morrison. formerly man.
aZiuZ editor of the Kansas City star
and now Sunday editor of the New
York Tribune, said:
Governor Allen trimmed him from
the start. The press was decidedly
unfair to the governor. but every per-
son with whom 1 talked after the
debate admitted it was Kansas vic
tory"
Such views could be repeated In
definitely. Among the supporters of
Governor Allen who accompanied him
from the west on the special train
and among the hundreds OF former
Kansans living here. the opinion was
OF course unanimous that Gompers
had been staggered by the Allen at
tack. The governor had never hoped
to convert the labor leader, and hence
victory could only consist Of corner
ing him. which unquestionably Cover
nor Allen was able to do.
The seats in Carnegie Hall for the
debate had been divided up equally
between the labor group and the en-
ployer group. BY giving alternate
rows to supporters from each side. the
. committee on arrangements prevented
organized opposition which. in the
electric condition of the atmosphere
and the large number of ultra-reds in
the audience. was possible. The
police actually feared a clash between
the partisans in the audience and had
made extensive arrangements for pre-
venting disorders.