Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-23
SEPARATE LABOR
PARTY WOULD BE
DISASTROUS, IS
GOMPE PERS' VIE "
A. F. of L. Chief Says For
nation of Such a Unit
Would Be Playing Into the
Hands of Foes of Workers
TOlLERS SHOULD VOTE
FOR BEST CANDIDATE
Welfare of American HUI
manity Demands in This
Hour of National Crisis
That There Be Success,
10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED mRsl

Icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIREl
Washington, Feb. 22.-Forma-
tion of a political labor party
would be detrimental to the in
terests of labor and exactly in line
with that which is most ardently
desired by those who seek to OPP
press labor" Samuel Gompers de-
clared in letter to william Mitch
of Terre Haute, a leader OF
the Indiana state labor party, made
public here today.
Mr.. Gompers wrote in reply to
a telegram from Mitch and his
associates supporting. the action of
the Indiana state labor party in
opposing the political declaration
of the American Federation of
Labor calling, on organized work
ingmen to elect their friends and
defeat their enemies, Mitch's
telegram declared III favor of
making the fight solely through a
labor party.
"By what right" wrote Mr..
Gompers, "do you assume to de-
clare the work and the policy of
the American Federation of Labor
to be impractical? Surely the re-
suits achieved in the interests of
the workers demonstrate the utter
fallacy of your assumption.
"By your declaration you assert
the practicability of the course you
declare you will pursue, What eX-
rerience 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 shan have learned
the lesson of the real struggle of
labor and the cause for which our
movement stands, you may become
penitent for the gross injustice you
have done by your pretention and
your course.
"The effect of separate politi-
cal labor party can only be disas-
trous to the wage earners of our
country and to the interests of all
forward-looking people. The votes
that would go to a labor party
candidate would, in the absence Of
such candidate, go to the best man
in the field. In no case would they
go to an enemy of labor.
There can be no hope for sue
cess of labor party candidates. The
effect, therefore. of a political
labor party will be to defeat our
friends and to elect our enemies.
Labor can look upon the for
nation of a political labor party
only as an act detrimental to the
interests of labor and exactly in
l'ne with that which is most
ardently desired by those who seek
to Cypress labor.
"The welfare of American hu-
manity demands in this hour of
rational crisis that there be success
at the polls. This is no time for
,xperimenting with political theo-
r:es which are proven false at the
outset. The workers of America
must use the tactics of success.
They must have results.
"Results will not be obtained by
injecting a labor party, so-called,
into the struggle.
"Those who are determined to
be blind to the facts of the present
and past will, of course. rush on
, to disaster and calamity. This the
American labor movement will not
do. 1t rejects and repudiates the
fallacies of blind theories and will
have nothing to do with those
treacherous follies that are suited
only to the purposes OF lapors
enemies.
"Your telegram is an affront to
the labor movement and an assault
upon the interests of that great
body of Americans who are de-
termined that the present cam
paign shall result, not in the de-
struction of our liberties. but in
the opening of the way to national
progress and the enlargement of
opportunities for human welfare,
safety and happiness"