Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1921-10-05
NO RADICAL DICTATORSHIP;
NO EFFORT TO CRUSH LABOR
Square Deal for All That None Get
Unreasonable Wages, All
Get Fair Wages.

In recent address at Atlantic City
Mr.. Gompers said in part. 1T is not
fair, it is not wise, to attempt to
crush the labor movement, SO thor
oughly humanitarian, so thoroughly
patriotic SO willing to give service
to attempt to crush that movement
between the upper milestone of em-
ployerS' antagonism and misrepre-
sentation and the neither millstone
of revolution and sovietism."
All of which has a plausible sound,
but needs analysis.
In the first place, there is no effort
to crush labor or any movement of
labor that is humanitarian, patriotic
and willing to give service. The labor
ers of the country, taken as who,c,
are humanitarian, patriotic, and will
ing to give service. So far as we
know, no one ever asserted the con-
trary. Mr.. Gompers, therefore, is set
ting up a straw bogey i'll order to
assume a spectacular role IN knock
ing it down. He leaves the inference
that all the effort to check the in
fluence of certain radical labor lead
ers is an attack upon the humani-
tartan, patriotic and faithful workers
of the country. No one will be de-
ceived.
There are certain facts of which
the people of this country are well
aware. Among these facts are the
following: Many labor leaders TO-
ment trouble and make unjust claims
in behalf Of labor in order to strength
en- themselves with their organization
During the war many labor leaders
encouraged workmen to shirk on
their jobs, particularly in ship yards
and on government work. Those
leaders are today striving to secure
the perpetuation of working rules
which require the rest of the country
to pay for service not rendered or to
pay exorbitant rates for services rem
dered outside of regular working
hours. The leaders who do these
things are not actuated by human
itarian or patriotic motives. They
are not giving service in any true
sence,
The contest that is now being wag-
ed in this country is not against the
labor unconventional against humani-
tartan purposes-not antagoniStic to
1t is aimed solely at those
relationships over industry and who,
in order to gain that dictatorship,
would threaten to tic up the trans
poration system regardless of the
suffering and loss of property and
life that would cnsue.
Mr.. Gompers seem to assume that
what he calls the labor movement
IS the only humanitarian, patriotic
md serving movement in the United
States He overlooks the farmers
who were unable to get help to care
or their crops for a period Of about
hree years. He overlooks the hun :
lreds of thousands of small house.
holders who arc unable to- get re-
,air job done at a reasonable price,
radical labor leaders are permitted
O fix the wage scale and the rules
f work He ovcrlookS the producers $
nd consumers who pay the cost of Q
All these are just II
S huma patriotic and will a
,g to serve as the 100000 for whom 4
fr. Gompers assumes to speak. If
here is any crushing done, it will be o
one by the 10000, 600, and it is safe
), assert that they will not use their
ltimate power to impose unjustt
rms upon the 100000.
All that the Ioo,ooo,ooo ask is al ,
luare deal, and they will not be di- I
.rted from their purpose by talk e.
,out crushing humanitarian and pa u
lotto movements. Every just de-
.mand of labor will be upheld, but
ere will be no permanent Dictator ia
lip by radicals who happen to be OF
positions Of power. tn