The Washington times., 1922-09-04
Gon1pers Says Labor
Will Fight to Finish
In Industrial Slauer,
Hopes for Great Day Of Peace
and Good Will, but Is Pre-
pared to Struggle to End to
Preserve Freedom.
BY SAMUEL GOMPERS.

| Copyright, 1929. by International News
| Service.) .....s.
Labor Day this year finds all
labor and all progress challenged
by a great autocracy of power,
which is both blind and ignorant.
All right-thinking men and
women had hoped that the end
Of the war would bring oppor-
tunity for constructive effort in
the rebuilding of a shattered
world. They had hoped to see
a great edifice Of progress reared
upon the ruins of war and upon
the grave Of defeated autocracy.
Autoeracy Destroyed.
Political autocracy was destroyed
by the war. We could not foresee-
1t was too incredible-the coalition
of industrial autocrats that would
arise to thrust into the arena an
issue as vital to the maintenance Of
freedom as was the issue settled IN
the political world by the war.
The issue today is industrial free.
dom versus industrial slavery
through enforced labor.
Everything now uppermost in the
industrial word combines to make
and shape that issue.
Great organizations of employers
have declared war upon the labor
movement. Organizations formed to
do the propaganda work of reac.
tionary employers have been work
ing night and day. Organizations
such as the United States Cham.
ber of Commerce and Associated
, Industries have done their best to
embitter employers against the
labor movement. The coal mine
enlisted in the fight on labor. The
textile mill owners added their con-
tribution.
Flays Administration.
Last, comes the Administration
through the Attorney General,
pledging the strength of The Ad.
ministration to what he calls the
open shop" That also is what IL
shop closed against union work.
ers. 1t Is the shop called by the
more unscrupulous among en-
ployers the "American-plan" shop,
in which autocracy is developed to
the last degree and everything
really American is repudiated with
brutal indifference.
This onslaught on the unions, the
efforts to establish Governmental
tribunals, called industrial courts"
having compulsory powers, the
movement to enforce wage reduc-
tions, combine to form a great effort
to destroy organization among the
workers. to render them helpless and
to compel them to work regardless
OF their will, their desire or their wei
fare.
No nation can call itself free or
democratic when its workers are en-
shaved.
VIII Fight Enslavement.
But let me say this: American
workers will not submit to enslave
ment. They will not submit to de-
struction of their standards. They
will not submit to restoration of au-
tocracy. They will not permit the
destruction of freedom. They are de-
termined that the principles upor
which this Republic was founded
shall endure, law.breaking judges.
greedy financial powers, grasping,
reactionary corporations and paid
propagandists to the contrary not.
withstanding.
1t is time that tries mems souls
and mems courage. 1t is a time that
demands calmness, patience, courage,
fortitude and great determination
1t may demand great sacrifice. But
| no price Is too great to pay fop Tree
dom-for the freedom envisaged by
the Continentals under Washing
ton. for the freedom envisaged by the
serene. determined Lincoln, for the
freedom whose spirit inspired the
great American armies that crossed
the sea to France.
That this freedom, the great prize
held forth by America to the whole
world, signalized by the appraised
torch of light, toward which the
eyes Of the oppressed have turned
from every corner of the Garth,
should be destroyed now by the
power of wealth. the might of mere
investment, at the behest of divi.
dends and interest. is unthinkable.
The people of America are made Of
the stuff that does not bow the knee
to tyrants, in whatever garb they
come.
Labor Seeks Peace. i
Labor has not sought this con-
flict. 1t has been labor's hope and
is labor's hope that the day may
come speedily when 1t may be pos
sible to give full effort to the tasks
of production, perfecting relations Of
goodwill, working in cooperation
with a management unburdened by
Wall street masters to the end that
there may be a greater volume of
production with which to enrich our
people and enlarge the horizon Of
their lives.
Labor hopes for the great day OF