The Washington times., 1922-11-16
BY SAMUEL GOMPERS,

BY SAMUEL GOMPERS.
President Of the American Federation
written for the Cosmopolitan News
Seryice)
The pendulum has not half swung
to its fullest sphere.
] speak not as Republican. not
as a Democrat, nor a member OF on
adherent to any political party. but
| am quite sure that the freedom
loving people of our country, the
humanitarians Of our country. and
the men who hold huma . above
dollars. brea he freer and are jubi.
liant over the results Of the recent
".ections. The sordid, the selfish.
the would-be masters Of all they sur
vey, the reactiona ries of all kinds,
have cause to be crt stfallen.
Gvse Labor Credit.
The American Federation of La.
Dor. with Its 100000 members, its
international unions In the trades
and industries, the forty-nine Stale
branches. the 902 local &c ltral labor
unions. and 1900 organizers all over
the country, have worked In pre-
vious campaigns and will continue 10
efforts AS In the last campaign, both
in the primaries and in the elections
November this co lcent ration has
been for men and not for parties. 1t
- generally recognized by the sue
cessful candidates that II was the
effective work OF the American
Federation OF Labor that was the
largest contributor to the achieve
ment sf the result Of last Tuesday s
election.
I'VE supported Senator johnson.
Senator LaFollette, Mr.. Frazier.
Senator Brookhart, DR.. Copeland
and others. We supported Demo.
Gratis, Republicans, farmer labor
candidates. We preferred TO be
partisan TO principal rather than
partisan to political parties.
Sees Reaction Past.
Now, rs to 1924, although less
than two years away, 1t Is a long
way off and there are very many
circumstances which may arise IN
which the political and Industrial
checker-board may change or he
moves upon II may change. SO no
one can truthfully say as to what
to expect.
"Of this. however. am con.
vinced: That the day OF reaction
which has manifested itself in the
last few years is past: that the
men or the parties or the groups
that can make the successful bid
for popular support must be one or
more of those whose foresight and
vision Is greater than their hind.
sight and that we are living in a
different industrial and commercial
era in 1922 and will be In 1924 and
thereafter than at any other time
in the. history Of America.
Against Third Party.
THE political history of the
United States has shown that the
third party is impractical and not
successful. One after another they
have come up, fitted around for q
year on two or perhaps more, and
then become absorbed by another
party.
The American labor movement
has its political program. It
strives and gradually succeeds in
establishing better conditions Of
life and labor among the great
mass OF the people. 1t strives to
abolish wrongs and injustices and
IL works for the attainment Of
right and the establishment OF equal
Justice.
NO lesser authority than our
present Chief Justice Of the Su-
preme Court, Mr.. Taft. said most
emphatically that there Is abso.
lutely no opportunity Of justice for
the poor. And a great legal lumin.
ary, EIhu Root, has just as EN-.
phatically declared the same fact.
The Carnegie Foundation in it's
Bulletin No. 13. has clearly demon.
strated this unfortunate fact that
the poor have no chance for equal
Justice.
Must Progress.
Perhaps those still entrusted
with power temporarily in the
United States may heed the lesson
of last weeks elections although
like the old Bourbons who never
learned anything and never knew
anything, their only understa nding