The Connecticut labor news. (New Haven, Conn.) 1921-1925, 1921-04-01
Gon1perts Assails
Hearst s Effort to
Dominate Labor
Publishers Records Raked Over
Goals Following Attacks on
Unions.

The following is an editorial by Sam
uel Gompers from the April issue of
the American Federationist, the official
organ of the American Federation of
Labor:
"HEARST'S ANIMUS."
From young boyhood the writer has
endeavored to obtain the fullest infor-
nation on any subject, particularly
those affecting the rights and interests
of the working people and the people
generally. He has read the newspapers
and the magazines representing all
points of view whether favorable or
antagonistic. His observations, both in
articles and editorials or in oral ex-
pressions, have shown to all the diver
sity of the course of reading. In re-
cent years, however, he has declined to
purchase any of the Hearst publications.
and has read only such portions of them
as have been brought to his attention.
Opinion, point of view, is the right
of all men and must be respected and
safeguarded; but when a publication or
a series of publications such as Hearst's,
are bent upon controlling institutions,
movements and men, or if unable to
control them, to destroy them,-that is
a matter not of expression and point of
view, but utter perversity.
For years Hearst personally, pOliti-
cally and through his newspapers has
undertaken to control the labor move
ment and those who speak for it. When
Hearst aspired to the presidency of the
United States he had his representative
meet and confer with the president of
the American Federation of Labor with
a view of claiming him to his presiden-
tial chariot This he declined. When
Hearst was candidate for governor of
New York, the same process was tried
with the same result.
When it has dawned upon him that
the people declined to follow the for
tunes or misfortuneS of Hearst's pOllti-
cal aspirations, he has by every COnceiy-
able means endeavored to undermine
their influences and destroy them.
So he has begun a repetition through
his newspapers, of the slanderOus and
contemplate attacks upon the character
and work of the president of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor and his asso-
ciates. His real enmity is not necessar-
ilv against those officers of the labor
movement, but the hope of minimizing
or eliminating the American Federation
of Labor itself.
And what has Hearst done for labor
that places him i'll the position of the
guardian and mentor of the American
labor movement!
When he was a member of Congress
he attended not more than two meet
ings of the committee on labor of which
he was member, absenting himself
from all its other sessions during the
period of his term Of office, two years
In the strike Of the Printing Pressmen
of Chicago, he was the most relentless
antagonist of all the publishers in that
city In the Boston NeWsboys' strike
for better consideration and treatment
at the hands of Hearsts Boston paper,
he significantly appealed to the president
of the American Federation of Labor
for support and he finally beat the boys
into submission. The strike of the
a repetition of the same situation.
In the mechanical department of his
newspapers, requiring expert skill he
has operated ;'union shop" and this
evidently for his own financial advant
age. In all else, he has assumed the
position that all who are employed by
him owe him not only industrial serv
ice but political subservienCy. That he
has not received the latter to the eX
tent that he desired is due to no failure
on his part to demand it.
In view of all the utterances and the
attitude Of William Randolph Hearst
and his managers, we deem it a duty
to labor as we'll as to the public gen
orally to make this brief reference to
Mr.. Hearst's effort to dominate or de-
strOy the American labor movement
and those who have been its respected
and trusted defenders and opponents.