Arizona republican., 1920-05-29
GOMP PEHS-ii ALIEN DEBATE LABOR
 CAPITAL RIGHTS
Kansas Governor Contends Government Has Right to Protect Public Against Strikes When Welfare Is Irnperiled-Labor Leader Holds Right to Quit In- violate
Republican A. p. Leased wlre1

RGEuDilCdn A. Hs Leased WtFG
 NEW YORK, May 2S-The relations of capital and labor; the right to strike and it's legitimacy as regards the effect on the public; the Kansas industrial court law and it's significance to the future of the working man, were dis cussed from all angles in a remarkable debate tonight in Carnegie hall between Samuel Gompers. president of the American Federation of Labor. and Governor H. J. Allen. of Kansas.
 Governor Aliens main contention was that government has the right to pro tect the public against strikes when it's welfare is imperiled, while MT. Gompers held to the argument that no law can prevent a man from stopping work if by doing so he may benefit himself and his family. Mir. Gompers labelled the Kansas industrial court law the "ln- American slave law and Governor Allen declared he had taken away from MT. Gompers his divine right to order a man to quit work.
 Crowd Frequently Interferes
 The oratory of the debaters was punctured with frequent cheers and booes by adherents of each side and occasional questions shouted from the floor and the balconies.
 In support of the right to strike, MT Gompers declared that the coal miners strike took boys out of the mines: that the textile workers strike brought children out of the mills and put them in schools. while the strike in the needle trades broke up the sWea tshops when laws had failed to do so.
 Governor Aliens industrial com mandment was you shall not conspire to shut down the industry necessary to the welfare of the people"
 When the general public says we have had enough of this," he said tits over"
 Who ontrols the divine right to quit work ?" Governor Allen asked. He was answered with cheers and booes.
 Supporters Equally Divided
 The debate called for no decision, the committees in charge having pur- posely divided the house equally be- tween supporters of each speaker
 MT. Gompers, in championing labor's privilege to strike, electrified his par tisans when he said with evident emo tion that the working man who wouldn't try to benefit his condition was "a poltroon to himself and to so- ciety. Governor Allen scored a point with his friends with the assertion that if there is to be a government Of Justice there can't be. any part greater than the whole. He alluded to the at ttude of the American Federation of Labor in the approaching election to- wards unfriendly office holders as a 1 movement to unionfze the congress of the United States
 The Kansas court does not prosecute labor, Governor Allen said but 1t pro tects labor against capital, capitai against labor and the public against either or both.
 GomPers Dodges Question
 feature of the debate was Aliens efforts to get Gompers to answer this question:
 When a dispute between capital and labor brings on a strike affecting the production or distribution of the neces- saries of life, thus threatening the public peace and impairing the public health, has the public any rights in such Q controversy or is it a private war between capital and labor2 l If you answer this question in the affirmative, Mir. Gompers, how would you protect the public?" The labor leader declined to answer 1 it. asserting that it was a catch ques- 1 tion.
 i At another time, while Mir. Gompers was referring to the poverty of some workers, man in the gallery shouted:
 How poor are you?" l Gompers was plainly angered at the question. He demanded the mans 1 name amid shouts of encouragement 1 from his followers. and when the labor | leader had referred to the disturber's remarks as a 'cOwardly, ungentleman- | ly insinuation," the labor men shouted with glee.
 One shouted; You tell him, sam my, that's the stuff"
 i Governor Allen in conclusion, charged that Gompers remedy for war is more war"
 Mine" he added. lis peace condi- Sioned on the impartial judgment of responsible government