Norwich bulletin., 1920-01-29
Go!llpers' Views on BOIsheMst Russia
Declares Soviet Government is Antagonistic to Organiz- ed Labor-A Great Portion of the Peasantry Disfran- chised.

Washington, Jan. zs.-Writing in the current number of Federationist, of
 1cial organ of the American Fedora tion of Labor, Samuel Gompers con- denns Nsbolshevisrn completely, final ly, and for all time"
 The American labor leader declares he doubts whether the propaga nda. which emanates from the bolshevist organization itself is more effective than that conducted by those who claim to be entirely detached from Russian influence and Russian pay rolls" He says he doubts whether publications issued by Russian bolshe- vist agents have as great an affect in America as those which like to be known as journals of opinion such as The Nation, The Dial, and the The New Republic"
 MT. Gompers makes an extended ref erence to the argument that the Amer ican people know little about what is going on in Russia ad the argu- ment that it is unfair and unwise to pass judgment.
 Tt is not necessary says MT Com pers, flor Americans to know at all times just what were the exact con ditions in Germany before passing judgment on the form of government existing in Germany. It was necessary only to know what was the form of government and under what rules it operated. We do not have to wait for information about the form of gov ernment existing in what is called So- viet Russia All the information nec- essary to the passing of judgment on bolshevism and the system of govern ment and as a state of society, is at hand from sources that are authentic. The plea of those misguided persons
 in America who say Wait for facts before passing judgment is nothing more than an excuse which it is hoped will gain time for the Russian experi- ment and enable it to spread to oth- CT countries"
 Quoting from the new bolshevist constitution. MT. Gompers points out that while the fifth Russian Con gress declares for a dictatorship of the proletariat and the poorest peas- antry. great portion of the peasan- try is disfranchised and the largest bolshevist estimate of the proletariat calculates them as only one-fifth of the number of peasants Even fairly prosperous workingmang, by this cal 1 cula ton, MT. Gompers says. is not a 1 proletarian. Bolshevist statistics. he l says, show that the 1bolshevist minori- l ty does not even represent the masses l of factory workers in Moscow. the 1 bo1shevist stronghold.
 l Quoting from Bolshevist official doc l unents to show the extent of massed 1 terror by the belsheviki, MT. Gompers declared that the economic condition l in internal Russia at the present time has absolutely nothing to do with the merits or dernerits of the bolsheyist i philisophys of government and adds i isthat ssits should have nc influence Efr l determining the Judgment of any per- i son upon it as such. He quotes as the most direct information a dis 1 patcf1 from Russian trade unionists to. ". A. Appleton. president of the
 International Federation of Trade 1 Unions, which declares that bolshe-
 vists have split up the reserve funds l of trade unions, throttied the labor 1 press; killed labor organizations. spli l up trades unions as a class, and pu l down strikes by force of arms ano plentiful executions.'
 'In all concepts of freedom within the American nation" says MT. Com pers, ''one fundamental principal i! i that any involuntary servitude, that is compulsory labor shall not be enforc- l ed upon the working people" Ht quotes the amendment to the fedora constitution. and adds:
 That conception and the spirit O 1 that amendment have been entirely l reversed by the constitution of bolshe. yist Russia which provides for and en- forces compulsory labor. Int
 plea to withhold judgment is las desperate attempt to win favor iron the American people for a system O
 government which by the confession of it's own advocates and defenders is foreign to every concept of tht
 American republic. We know abou
 Russia. We know about bolshevism l We know the piteouS story of cruelty
 and intolerance and we know the au- tocratic concept that underlies the mi. nority dictatorship which is hailed tc l the world by it's dupes and advocate: as the most perfect state of society vel | devised We know about it and we 1 condemn it completely, finally, and l for all time"