New-York tribune., 1922-09-12
(1orllToer's Sees
Death Blow t(,
The Open Shop
Miners Victory and Daugl1-
eriy's Injunction Bring
ing Labor More Closely
Together, He Tells [. r. u.
Scores Judge Wilkerson
Refers to Him as Attorney
Generals Pet and Pre-
diets Success of Shoprnen
BY Gilman Parker

ATLANTIC CITY, Sept. 1i.--organ-
lied labor's picture of the position In
which it stands at the present time In
the American body polite was pre-
sented here for the public to-day by
the men who guide It's destinies. Both
Samuel Gompers, who delivered the
opening address for the convention Of
the international Typographical Union,
and his fellow members of the execu-
tive council of the American Fedora.
tion of Labor, who issued q formal
manifesto to the public, drew up the
general case for labor.
The secretary described the National
Trades Union movement as having met
the attacks of its enemies and come
through them successfully, declared
the industrial tide has been turned
toward the cause of the united work
ers as the result of the coal miners
victory, and contended the Daugherty
injunction in the railroad shipments
strike has solidified the country's wage
earRers to greater extent than ever,
with the open shop further away.
1t was announced in the executive
councils document that the streetcar
strike in Buffalo will, on September 26.
when Mr.. Gompers will attend meet
ing OF the strikers, be made medium
presaglng an aggressive campaign
against the so-called company and
open shop"
"The executive council found in the
strike and settlement of the United
Mine Workers." read the statement, "a
turning of the tide that will brighten
the hopes of the wage earners and in
spire them to renewed and greater ac-
tivities.
See Further Victories
".fhe strike and settlement have
clearly demonstrated that, however
great the forces may be that are arr
rayed against organized labor, the
movement of the wage earners for
fairer treatment and a greater reward
for services rendered cannot be sup
pressed OF set back"
fis address in The typographical cor
vcntion, which IS meeting concurrently
with the executive council in the Hotel
Ambassador, Mr.. Gompers found oc-
casion to take issue directly with Presi-
dent Harding over the latter's course in
dealing with the railroad shipments
strike, whom he accused of "swingirg
the big stick" on the shopmen after
promising to use it on the executives.
~ believe the shipments strike is
now more effective than it has been
since it was inaugurated," he declared
'ln my judgment, the industrial tide
has changed. The men and women of
toll will cling more closely and fervent-
ly to this hope for their protection and
the omotion of their rights and in
terests, their trade unions and our
federation Of unions, And those of
labor still unorganized will join our
ranks as their only haven in this world
of struggle and development.
II wondered when this statesman and
head of our Department of Justice re-
ceived the authority of the law from
anywhere in our country to present 20
the court that he would use his power
to maintain the open shop? From what
source does this colossus obtain his
power or his right?
"The open shop has been inaugurated
now over two years, millions of dol
lars expended by our antagonists, and
it is further away than ever. Does
any one imagine that an injunction such
as secured Dy the Attorney General in
the railway shopmen's strike is going
to frighten these men or you or me :?
At the onset | said that the injunc-
tion would solidify the men and women
of labor. and it has served to do so.
The Drive for "Open Shop
The open shop drive was to debate
labor. To defiate labor is to make YOU
live in quarters less healthful, wear
clothes less becoming the American
citizen, send your children to work at
an earlier age instead of putting them
in the Fairgrounds and the schools.
"At that period we did not expect so
general and concentrated a drive. In
several instances they got away with
it. They thought it was so easy of ac-
complishment that the workers would
accept this new deflation that they
tried it again and again"
Here Mr.. Gompers discussed the re-
cent successful strikes of the printers
for the forty-four-hou week, the
granite cutters strike against wage re-
ductions and the textile workers and
coal miners strikes.
III wonder whether injunctions are
going to be issued by our courts, say,
for instance, to prevent possible cases
which properly come under the juris-
diction of the courts themselves. You
know that an injunction is issued by
court forbidding persons from doing
the things they have q perfectly law
full right to do, and commanding men
to do the things they have perfectly
lawful right not to do. For instance,
in the injunction issued against the
miners two years ago, among the pro-
visions was the command that the of
icers of the miners organization cam
eel the strike which the miners
through their representatives had or
dered. Is there any law upon the stat
ute books of our country or of any
state that commands officers to call off
strikes?
"Now, if any one who is enjoined
fails to carry out the provisions of an
injunction, prohibitive or mandatory.
he is guilty of contempt of court
whether what he did or left undone
was lawful or not"
Attacks Judge Wilkerson
The speaker then referred to the
miners strike, saying this was one of
the greatest contributing forces that
pried loose the drive for the open shou
and wage reductions. He then went on
to the railroad shopmen's strike as
follows:
''And now the railway shopmen-r
do not know of all the provisions of the
injunction which Mr.. Daugherty se-
cured from his pet, Judge Wilkerson---
say pet because, you know, he was
appointed only few weeks ago through
Mr. Daugherty's presentation and ad-
vocacy. From the information | have
| Vpri1u bAiievp fhe oh k',,,,