The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-02-23
G0MPERS OPPOSED
TO A LABOR PARTY
HEAD OF AMERICAN Fedora
TION OF LABOR WRITES
Letter TO MITCHELL


political labor party would be 'detri-
mental to the interests of labor and
exactly in line with that which is
most ardently desired by those who
seek to oppose labor" Samuel Com
pers declared in a letter to VIM
Mitchell of Indianapolis, leader of
the Indiana state labor party, made
public here today.
Mr.. Gompers wrote in reply to q
telegram from Mitchell and his as
sociates supporting the action of the
Indiana state labor party in opposing
the political declaration of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor calling on
organized workmen to elect their
friends and defeat their enemies.
Mitchell's telegram declared in favor
of making the fight solely through
labor party.
"By what right" wrote Mr.. Com
pers, "do you assume to declare the
work and the policy of the American
Federation OF Labor to be impract-
|ical? Surely the results achieved in
the interest of the workers demon
strate the utter fallacy of your as
sumption.
by your declaration you assert
the practicability Of the course you
Will pursue. What experience have
you had with your political party
upon which to base SO absurd a
claim?
"Of this one thing you may rest
assured, that the day of reckoning
is at hand for all of those who are in
antagonlsm to the cause of labor, and
for those who are subtle and equally
guilty even though they clothe their
actions in the robes of pretended
friendship.
When you shall have learned the
lesson of the real struggle of labor
and the cause for which our move
ment stands, you may become penit-
ent for the gross injustice you have
done by your pretension and your
course.
The effect of separate political
labor party can only be disastrous
TO the wage earners of our country
and to the interests Of all forward
looking people. The votes that would
go to LABOR party candidate would,
IN the absence of such candidate, 90
to the best man in the field. In no
case would they go to an enemy of
labor.
There can be no hope for success
OF labor party candidates. The eff
rect, therefore, of political labor
party, will be to defeat our friends
and TO elect our enemies.
Labor can look upon the formation
Of a political labor party only as an
act detrimental to the interests of
labor and exactly in line with that
which is most ardently desired by
hose who seek to oppress labor.
The welfare of American humani-
~ demands in this hour OF national
,rIsls that there be success at the
oolls. Thls is no time for expert
nenting with political theories which
are proven false at the outset. The
workers OF America must use the
,actlcs OF success. They must have
'esults.
Results will not be obtained by
meeting labor party so-called into
he struggle.
Those who are determined to be
'llnd to the facts of the present and
'aSt Will, OF course, rush on to dis
lSter and calamity. This the Ameri-
an LABOR movement will not do. 1t
eJects and repudiates the tallacies of
hind theories and will have nothing
o do with those treacherous follies
hat are suited only to the purposes
i labor's enemies.
our telegram is an affront to
ne labor movement and an assault
pom the interests of that great body
L Americans who are determined
hat the present campaign shall re-
ult, not in the destruction of our
Ibertles but in the opening of the
yay to national progress and the en-
argement Of opportunities for hu-
IAN welfare, satety and happiness