The Washington times., 1920-01-19
GOMPERS RIDDLES
NEW SED|T|ON BILL
Labor Chief Calls It Real Gar
Rule and Blow at Free
Government.

Formal announcement that the
American Federation of Labor would
oppose with whatever power II may
possess" the enactment OF the anti
sedition bills now, pending In Con-
gress was made yesterday In a state
ment issued by Samuel Gompers,
president OF the federation.
The attack of organized labor. Its
chieftain indicated. will be directed
impartially against the Sterling bill.
recently passed by the Senate, and
against the Graham measure, based
on suggestions of Attorney General
Palmer, and awaiting action by the
House Rules Committee for a special
rule to expedite consideration.
Referring to the two measures as
one bill, President Gompers declared
its enactment would violate the Con-
stitution and rob the whole American
people of their most cherished and
basic guarantees Of free government"
People Not Aware Of Peril.
"If the American people. and in fact
a majority of the members of Con-
gress, were awake to the dangers con-
cealed in this bill, storm OF indig-
nation would sweep the nation.
1--WE yield to no man, in public Of
fee or out, in our loyalty to the Con-
stitution and institutions of this re-
public; no self-respecting man has
questioned or dare question that 10y
atty. We are for evolution. not -evo-
luton; for ballots, not bullets; for a
majority rule, not class dictatorship
Of bolshevism. plutocracy or of the
profteer.
Covered by Existing Law.
1--WE oppose this bill because every
legitimate purpose for which Ut is
framed is already covered by existing
law. Its illegitimate features, which
compose two-thirds of the draft. are
utterly autocratic, imperialistic and
un-American.
ar revolution is afoot, why has not
the Department of Justice made
prosecutions under that section?
"Section s of the bill, unbelievable
as 1t may SEEM" he continued, makes
it a crime to wear in public any but
ton of an organization whose purpose
1t is to obtain disappointment to the
Constitution Of the United States or
any existing Federal law.
Undue Power Over Mails.
Section 6 perpetuates the censor
ship of the Postmaster General over
all newspapers and printed matter
The so-called Borah amendment, pro-
viding a court review of the Post
master Generals action, Is sound IN
principle, but is inadequate to anord
protection as a practical matter to
| publisher against the autocratic ac-
ton of the Postmaster General.
More amazing still, the provisc
sets up a censorship over any mans
private correspondence by the Post
master general 1t would be crimi-
nal, FOR example, for a man to sent
q letter advocating resistance to ar
| Injunction issued by a Federal judge
ordering workers on strike to gc
| back to work.
Section would exclude from thi.
country, even for libraries and inves
| tigators, a large portion of the labor
| literature of Europe.
Threat Aimed at Labor.
"Sections 0, 10 and II contain g
grave threat aimed at labor. Section
9 makes unlawful every association
which seeks directly or indirectly
| to make political change by injur,
| to private property. 1t Is unhappilJ
| true that even a legitimate strike may
| result in indirect injury to the EN-
ployer's private property rights IL
| his business.
"If a hostile Federal Judge shoult
| decide that any particular strike ha,
| a political end in view and the strik
| ing union is affiliated with the Amer
| lean Federation of Labor, the A. +. o.
| L. would be compelled at once to ex
pei the striking union of itself be
come unlawful. And 1t would at ono,
become a crime punishable by up to
twenty years Imprisonment, or up t.
10000 fine, or both, for any person
anywhere in the nation to rent a hal
or business office to any labor or,
| ganization affiliated with the A. f. o.
| L., or to give or loan 1t money to senc
strike relief to starving women ant
| children.
I'm general this is a bill agains
| opinion and advocacy. 1t Is proposed
to set up, not a government of law
but of men, because under it's vagu,
and sweeping terms no man woult
know what the law is until the Fed
- lt.