New-York tribune., 1920-10-31
Union Leaders
Urge Labor to
Back Harding
Appeal, Signed by 80, De-
nounces Attempt of Com
pers to Deliver Workers.
Vote to Governor Cox
League Is Condemned
Statement Also Calls for
a Protective Tariff and
Scores Wilson'S Regime

Thirty-nine union labor leaders, rep
resenting all sections Of the United
States, have signed an appeal to their
fellows workers to elect Senator Har-
ding and Republican majority in tho
Senate and House Of representatives.
Their action has been taken, it was said
yesterday. rs an expression of resent
ment at the attempt Of Samuel Com
pcrs, president OF the American Fedora
ton OF Labor, to deliver the labor vote
to Cox.
A scathing denunciatioa Of the Will
son Administration is embodied in the
appeal, which calls attention to the
Democrats attitude toward labor, op-
poses the League Of Nations, indorses
a protective tariff. The statement fol-
lows:
I'm order that not only all ranks of
labor, but the country as whole may
be benefited, we urge upon our fellow
wage-esrners everywhere that they
vote for Warren G.. Harding for Presi-
dent of the United States and for q
Republican majority in both national
House and Senate.
DemocI attic Pledges Unkept
we submit as self-cvidently ncces-
sary complete reversal Of the policies
and personnel of the present Demo
cratic Administration, which eight
years ago entered upon control with
The promise that it would bring the
cost OF the daily market basket down
TO the level of the average housewife;
which four years ago regained power
by specious plea that it would keen
us out of war; which nevertheless
doubled the cost of living and plunged
us into war without preparation;
which has perpetrated every extrava-
@ance and waste; which has failed to
enforce laws enabling it to punish
Drohteering and even connived at
sugar anG other eXtortions; which per
Aitted Postmaster General Burleeon to
persisteatly deny collective barga ming
md otherwise TO faunt himself as The
most reactlonary OF employers; which
gave the Director General Of Railroads
the privilege OF denying the same
right and also of prohibiting rsilwav
employees from serving as members or
officers of political committees and
from holding appointive or elective
office; which, contrary to the specific
guarantees in the Clayton act, sane
TONED the abuse on the part of Attor-
ney General Palmer of the power of
Injunction by stretching the Lever fuel
and food law, enacted for war pnr-
poses and not repealed because prosi-
dent Wilson ke.t us out Of peace;
which dsrogardea tho ycfusal Of the
hitunnous coal operators to abide by
IN award OF u per cent increase to
,t' mlne workers BY q Federal com
miss.on, nut threatened to meet with
me fall power of the government the
discussed intention Of the anthrecite
miners not TO abide By /e award to
them of II per cent wage raise: and
which has repeatedly outraged the
right Of peaceful assemblage, speech
and press.
Replace One-Man Party
We recommend that the Republican
party Of Abraham Lincoln and Thee
dore Roosevelt replace the one-man
party of Woodrow Wilson. In har.
mony with the Endorsement by Abra-
ram Lincoln OF the right to strike. the
Nepublican aioritv in the House and
Nen ~ both branches refused in tho
'''s' 'Aa 20 sot1dSc that right
" e point ont chat no cxpreasioY
could be more Ike L5ncoln and Roosc-
Felt tnan the Insertion by a Republi-
can Senator Of that clause in the Clay
ton act which provides that labor is not
commodity or article Of commerce.
This Republican doctrine has been pro
nounced by Samuel Gompers to be the
Fundamental principle which Is the
basis OF industrial liberty and marks
the end of the old period where work
ers were under the shadow Of slavery
ana the beginning Of a new period when
workers nor their labor power are to
be regarded as things-the property Of
another
L. S. Sovereignty First
This epochal statutory principle was
presented by Mr.. Gompers to the peace
conference at Versailles for incorpora-
non M he treaty as the most important
declaration in labor bill OF rights for
ne world With President Wi son. who
before his becoming ii candidate for the
Presidency, avowed himself a fierce
partisan of the open shop, sitting in
the conference, this statement was nn|-
iihed so as to read that labor should
not be cons idered merely u commodity
or article OF commerce.
Huch Repatriation OF a great prin-
ciple put INTO law by Republican
conformed to the attitude Of President
Wilson in accepting the British League
OF Nations covenant and thereafter at
tempting to foist it upon this country
with the additional guaranty of the
territorial integrity OF the British EN-,
Plre, which he himself composed. We
mold that American sovereignty should
not DO abridged by our accepting such
league without Americanizing reser.
vations; that American representa- tive
and liberty giving institutions should
not be impaired by permanent alliance
with any empire and thai American
labor standards should not be jeop.