The New York herald., 1921-04-25
OPEN SHOP Is ONLY
PAY CUT--GOMPERS
Calls on Workers to Fight
Industrial Democracy
i'm It's Advance.
Special Despatch 10 THE New YosK HERALD

Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
PHILADELPHIA, April "a. - Samual
Gompers, president OF the American
Federation of Labor. declared to-day
that "the workingmen and women OF
the United States who. in the war; sacri-
feed so much to free the world from
military autocracy. will not consent to
.ts substitution by an industrial au-
tocracy.'
Mr.. Gompers addressed three large
meetings at which "a campaign Of edu-
cation and cooperation against the open
shop was launched in Philadelphia. He
was greeted with great enthusiasm
In the Academy of Music the cheer
ing lasted three minutes. Throughout
tho demonstration Mr. Gompers stood
quietly smiling. and said to those in the
front rows:
60 ahead. enjoy yourselves"
Then he lifted a glass of water and
drank to the audience. He put the glass
down. making n wry face and a gesture
OF disgust. That was the signal for an
other outburst OF applause.
He spoke, in part, as follows:
The working people are the producers
Of all the wealth In this country. They
are able to work and willing to work,
and yet nearly 5000. 900 of our people
arc unable to find employment. The
thrown into the street
- there were nothing else, that sim
pie AMI obvious tragedy would be a suffl-
cient indictment Of the captains OF in
dustry and the princes of finance OF
their incapacity TO rule the industrial
destinies Of a nation.
"Only a few months ago the chambers
OF commerce and the manufacturers or
CARNATIONS shouted to us Produce
Produce 20 your fullest extentl' and
now, with that cry still ringing in our
ears. we find that the employers Of labor
have closed down their plants.
During the war all loyal men and
women gave over all they could for the
triumph OF freedom. Justice and democ-
racy. not only In the United States but
in the entire world We lowered our
standards OF living In order to subscribe
to the Liberty loans and other Govern
ment activities.
I'VE are told that wages are being cut
az remedy for hard times. That Is the
most foolhardy and disastrous theory
known TO common sense. II wages are
cut standards OF living go down and the
purchasing power OF the people de-
creases
And the open shop Is designed 70
destroy the cohesion and organization o:
the workers in order to cut wages.
But the american people during the
war were aroused to the real meaning
OF liberty and Of the sovereignty and
majesty OF citizenship in the Republic
OF the United States. And they are not
going TO surrender II 10 a gang of men
because OF their wealth. ! say this
advisedly and premeditatedly, despite the
fact that some OF those men wear the
garb OF ardent churchmen. place bed
In hospital and pray for US every Sun
day morning. They may pray for US
two minutes. but they prey upon us the
rest OF the time
The open shop means the closed shop
against against union labor. For in
| stance. the Cramp Shipbuilding Com
pany las, December posted n notice that
Il would deal no longer with the unions
despite the company's agreement with
the workers. The company acted with
out warning and without holding coun-
sci with the men. Now. ask you. did
| Kaiser Wilhelm. in his palmiest days
ever do anything quite so autocratic
The agreement became a mere scrap OF
paper"
Mr.. Gompers assailed the United
States Steel Corporation. saying II
bought the courts"