The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1920-02-23
GOMPERS AGAINST
LABOR PARTY
In Next Election. Declares Po-
litical Party Would Prove
Detrimental to
THE CAUSE OF LABOR

washington FeD. ZS.-FOrmatlOl |
of political labor party will be detri |
mental to the interest of labor and |
exactly in line with that which is |
mostly desired by those who seek to |
Cypress labor" Samuel Gompers de |
clared in a letter to VIM. Mitch, of
Terre Haute, a leader of the Indiana
State Labor party, made public here
today.
Mr.. Gompers wrote in reply to al
telegram from Michigan and his
associations supporting the action of
the Indiana State Labor party in en-
dorsing the political declaration OIL
the American Federation of Labor
calling on organized workingmen to
elect their friends and defeat their
enemies. Mitch's telegram declared
in favor of making the fight solely
through a labor party.
by what right Mr.. Gomper's let
ter said" ''do you assume to declare
the work and the policy of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor to be i'm
practical?" Surely the results achiev-
ed in the interest of the workers
demonstrate the utter fallacy of
your assumption.
by your declaration you assert the
practica bility of the course you de-
clare you will pursue. What expert
ence have ou had with political party
upon which, to base so absurd al
claim
"Of this one thing you may rest
assured, that the day of reckoning is
at hand for all those who are in an
| tagonism 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
| friends
| 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 peni-
tent for the gross injustice you have
done by your pretention and your
course.
/ ''The effect of a separate political
labor part ycan only be disastrous to
the wage earnerrs of our country and
to the interest of all forward-look-
ing 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 woull they go to an enemy of
labor.
"There can be no hope for success
of labor party candidates. The ef-
feet, therefore, of a political labor
party will be to defeat our friends
and to elect our enemies.
'The welfare of American human
ity demands in this hour of national
crisis that there be success at the
polls. This is no time for expert
menting with political theories which
| are proven false at the outset. The
workers of Ameroca must use theil
tactics of success. They must have
results.
Results will not be obtained BY
injecting a labop party, so-called, il
to the struggle.
"Those who are determined to bt
blind to the facts of the present anC
l past will, of course, rush into dis
aster and calamity. This the Ameri
: can labor movement will not do.
} rejects and repudiates the falIacie
: of blind theorists and will have moth
ing to do with those treacherous fol
lies that are suited only to the pur
! pose of labors enemies.
''Your telegram is an affront t.
s. the labor movement and an assault
S upon the interest of that great bod
i of Americans who are determined
y that the present campaign shall re
= suit not in the destruction of ou
e liberties. but in the opening of tn
el way to. National progress and th'
= enlargement of opportunities
J man welfare safety and happiness.