The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-05-09
Mr.. Gompers At
Home and Abroad

MIR. uompcrs' dcnuncintion of
bolshcvist propaganda In this
American labor movement T. ius,i-
fled by facts OF which the general
public is not aware. lgadlcnliim
At the moment Il not acting con.
picuously because the mood ol
tho hour b. not favorable. Tht
condition ~ liusHia has not cnn-
Vlnccd acaluts hut Il has reach, d
the rcason Of the mass OF he
American people. and ted revoin-
don. neyor at,raetiyo 10 The prac-
tical American mind. IA now eve
more than normally obnosious Bat
socialism has hceA act4Fely aud
effectively preached In this coun-
try for more thHn a hall century
and H. attack nl.on tsc pfiHeipit
u private property, IT, criticism
OF the evils ana alleged evils OF
indiyiduuhst society. have moi been
,nt.iiigcntly met and have created
an attitude and "a state Of mind
-uhtly porvasiye as well 40 per
versivc. a. the moment overt
measures are shrewdiy avoided,
but the Influence b. with ~ and
whether b. b. stimulated To a great
extent, M Me. Gompers believes
from holHhcvlst fources. on NOT. he
nnd other leaders % the organized
labor movement proper do well tu
combat u vigorously, II they do
not, their own authority and the
principles FOR which they s;hnG
VIII steadily wnne and some day
|rhsy will go out like a snuffed
candle.
But those who believe that or
sauizcd labor has a useful plnce
ia our economy and has done "a
legitimate service iu wage carncrR
and therefore tn the country. can
hardly MINI, that Mr.. Uompers'
stand on the Lands award aud the
building trades situation 70 rals
district &C. croditnbie to him ~ an
exponent OF union labor. Mr..
Compcrs' %uttcranceF in this city
are violently one sided and show
no consideration for the rights Of
the community or the RESPONSE
billy uf unionlgm for methods d.
neting serious injury upon the
public. lie has evidently adopted
tho theory that the defense OF The
landis award ~ a committee of
citizens g. not What u claims to
be-. h. a covert attcmpt 10 break
unlunlsm in Chicago We do not
deny that there may be men in tho
committee who would like TO sec
Chicago what b. called an ''opeu
shop town but 30 far aH evidence
BE- o~btniunblc by "a, the committee
has supported loyalty those unions
which have Kept their agreement
tn accept the results OF the nrbftra 70
linn nrHan LHHH ga.saAH4aN only fhams
unions which have refused to DO
as they pledged themselves TO do.
MIR. Gompcrs. IN short. throws his
influence ana pledges tho support
Of the American Federation OF
Labor 20 tn, preparation Of a
situation which no sclf-respccting
community ran afford to tolerate.
lie has approved "a breach OF faith.
tie has said nothing 60 weaken ths
hold of the vicious forces which
control IN building trades and
uninuism. on the contrary. he has
strengthened them. and as thU
leading champion of Conservative
labor ln thu country he has put
% Va the position Of condouing, ~
nof approving. conditions anu
method which discredit organized
labor aud are IL greatest weak
moss.
The situation In the building
trudcf iH "a serious threat at the
prosperity and progress Of Chicago.
II must be cleaned up Every de-
ccnt wage earnor. every inhahitnut
of the city. rich or poor l. vitality
Interested m that. Labor a. not
tho only factor. but L. one Of them.
and Mr.. Guimperf would have been
more BE- friend u ne had stood
cournReuusly Tor keeping faith
and repudiating the rule OF thug
gerry and graft which nffiiCts
unionisn In this town. No con-
spimcy 10 destroy lawful nfsucin-
ton among NaFe carncrs. law ahid-
ing unionism. could hope FOR the
support OF public opinion In Chi
cugp. or In the end succeed unlrss
II chose 10 Identify Itself with law
hrcaking. violence and irrcsponsi-
hiiity. Mr.. Gompers' evasion Of
the fundamental issues involved boo
the Lands award tends to do that.
and n Is not "a help to the cause %
legitimate unionlHm.
Tho city ~ trying 20 get rid Of
the eNinrtionatc material men, ths
crooked contractor. and the labor
leader who holds his power by vlo-
lcncc a. the holshcvik. whom Mr.
CompcTH ahhors, has done In Rus
sia W. think the city will sue
coed and that will be good FOR the
waRc Garner ami for Legitimate
uninnism. But Mr.. Gompcrr has
put himself on the wrong side 81
The bpttlo.