New-York tribune., 1921-04-25
Open Shop Falsely
Called American.
Conpers Asserts
Labor Chief Denounces "Au-
tocrats Who PrayforLabor
on Sunday Mornings and
Prey On 1t Rest of Week"
Special Dispa,ch 10 The Tribu,,,


PHILADELPHIA, April 24.-Samuel
Gompels, president of the American
Federation of Labor. attacking the
principle of the open shop at two mass
meetings here to-day. warned that it
was not safe or just for capitalists to
seek to force industrial tyranny on the
workers He assailed the open shop
doctrine as hypocritical, un-American
and autocratic.
I'VE are engaged in struggle of
self-defense," said Mr.. Gompers. "The
working people are the producers of all
the wealth of this country. They are
willing to work, and yet there are near
~ 100000 of them unable to find
work in country such as ours. This
state OF affairs is an indictment of the
captains of industry and princes of
finance"
Mr.. Gompers dwelled at length on the
patriotism and sacrifices made by the
Anne rlcan people. especially the labor
ing classes, during the war.
wen and women of Philadelphia, he
continued, 1T is my conviction that the
people who sacrificed so much to win
racy, will not consent to its substitu-
ton Ill the United States by an indus
trial autocracy. To cut wages will not
be remedy for bad times. If the wage
earners are forced to accept low wages
they must reduce their standard of
living. They will buy less. The re-
duced patronage and purchasing power
which Will result will cause more nm :.
employment.
Says Workers Demand Freedom
lhe working people of the United
States, like all the rest of ths worlJ
nave begun to learn the meaning Of
freedom. You can't shout FIGHT for
freedom and then in the next breath
submit to tyranny
we VIII not surrender this freedom
10 gang OF men because of their
wealth alone. When ] saw eanp 7 sav
1T premeditadedly, in spite of the fact
tnat some OF them may put on the garh
- " araen1 churchmen, endow bed in n
hospital and every Sunday morning
pray Tor us two minutes and then nrev
upon US the rest of the day.
Under the hvpocritical cloak these
men dared to mask their yillanv under
tne name of the American Shop. What
does the open shop mean-and that's
"hat they have IN mind? 1t means to
close Ine shops against the union work
els' @ DID Kaiser Wilhelm. in his palmi-
est Gays, ever declare anything ouite
SO autocratic? l would advise the en-, :
ployers and business men not to drive
she bargain too hard. There has not
neen any industry in the United States
Inat Una, mas had so much production as the
Chamber of Commerce and the Nation
al Association of Manufacturers in the
manufacture and production of Rol-
shev1sm in the United States"
: Unions Abused, Says Morrison
Frank Morrison, secretary of the
american Federation of Labor. asserted
that since the signing of the armistice
no set Of men have been more mis-
represented and abused than the trade
unions and their officers
lhere is no such a thing as an omen
s1op, he said. "a union shop is one
IN which the employer meets with his
employees to set the hours. wages and
conditions. The so-called open shop is
one IN which the employer refuses to
recognize the union EMPLOYEES. The
employer alone decides on the hours
and wages of his employees.
ne manufacturers are out to de-
stroy the trade unions of the United
states. They are being assisted by the
chambers of commerce."
"lf you stand together" said John
Noll, president of the international
Union OF Glass Bottle Blowers. then
the open shop win not be foisted upon
the workers Of this country. Whv
should the society of labor be dissolved
when capital is becoming stronger
every day."