The Washington times., 1920-01-22
Letter from Palmer Read.

A letter from Palmer was read at
the hearing on the measure conduct
ed by the House Rules Committee. at
| which Samuel Gompers, president Of
| the American Federation OF Labor.
vigorously opposed them, in which
the Attorney General stated that
neither accorded with his views as to
"what the Legislation ought to be-"
Palmer's letter was as follows:
MY dear Mr.. Campbell:
Il find that public business of press
ing importance will make 1t impossi.
BILE for me to attend the hearing be-
fore your committee. l would be glad
II you win print this letter in the
hearings as a statement of my views
with respect to the legislation whtch
You are considering.
"I have read with great care both
the Sterling bill. passed by the Sem
ate, and the Graham bill reported by
the committee on the judiciary of the
House, and feel impelled to say that
neither of these bills accords with
my views as/to what the Legislation
ought to be. In response to a Sem
ate resolution, i prepared several
months ago and transmitted to tine
Senate a. draft of law
which, in my views, meets all the
requirements of the situation;:
understand this bill has been intro
dueed by Congressman Davey Of
ohio. ~. ,,
4. roc course, the form which legfsla-
tion shall take Is for the Congress ex-
elusive The bill which / have quoted
was PFC cared by me because request
ed so to do by a Senate committee. 1t
Is unnecessary for me to add that the
Department of Justice stands ready
LII .
Congress shall see fit to pass.
Congressman Volstead Of Minnesota,
chairman OF the House judiciary Com
mittee, said the trainers of the bill de-
sirede to legislate only to require
that agitators must keep within the
provisions of the Constitution"
Gompers Cites 1913 Acts.
Gompers said he had unpleasant
experiences in interpretations by
courts OF acts of Congress" Because
there are a few people around this
country, rampant crazy, vicious, II
you will so call them, you would enact
Legislation which might be construed
to reach men and women who were
seeking good" He cited the i'll effect
of the 1898 anti-seditioL law which
destroyed the Federalist Party"
Gompers added.
Work for Improvement.
THE workers of the United States
are working for economic changes,
for changes or improvements in their
condition." Gompers continued.
He was opposed particularly to sec
tion 6 OF the Palmer-Graham bill,
which he construed as taking from
the workers the "moral right" to re-
sort to force or to cessation of labor
the strike"--to attain their aspira-
tions for a better life.
"You will find the strike in only the
more highly civilized countries"
Gompers said. you will find no
strikes in China, although they are
becoming common in Japan. / do
not advocate strikes except as a last
resort. Our movement has done more
to prevent strikes than any other.
"This specifies of legislation to tie
the men to their jobs, will not ae-
complish the end its authors seek
to attain.
Limit speech and Press
"This bill would limit free speech,
free press, free discussion, free ns-
semblage all the constitutional and
Inherent sights Of the American pro
pi'" Compers declared.
There iH now upon the statute
roks PRO 'isions for punishment by