Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-05
"HOG-T|ED,'
'GOMPERS CHARGES
Loader Says administration
Illegally Gagged Poor Devil"
In Dispute With Capital
ATTENDS CONFERENCE HERE

The Government. through the rail
sAop strike injunction. has left the
workingman at the mercy OF corporate
vsalth. Samuel Gompers. president OF
tie American Federation of Labor, as
esrted here today.
The Administration he said.
snnding corporate wealth and the
vorkinsman in dispute, illegally and
unconstitutionallv and with all the
power of Government. hog and
eagsed the poor devil struggling against
Q deterioration of his standard of life
and work. and leaves him at the mercy
of his antagonists.
Mr.. Gompers made this declaration a
esw moments before leaving the Hotel
Adelphia for a meeting of the 1nterna-
t3onal Cigarmakers' Union in the Hotel
Hanover. Members of his staff said the
meeting there would be routine bust
ness affair. The federation chiettain
and his wife expect to leave this city to-
night.
Efforts 70 obtain enlightenment from
Mr.. Gompers regarding his statement
''to look out for smoke of organized
labor" brought no response.
His warning was given Yesterday In
an address 10 union men at Point Breeze
Park.
Denounces Company shop
He declared that big business and
financial interests are making radi-
calism in this country more radical. or.
indeed, making q manufacturing plant
Of radicalism in this country
Shouting at the top Of his voice,
the American Federation leader de-
uounced the company shop
"We will not have the company
shop. The tide has turned. II they had
thought labor had lost or was about to
lose they would not have issued the in
junction. But the tide has turned and
look out for the smoke Of organized
labor
The speaker asked who "'hry' were
going TO get 10 esforce tee injunction
and answered II with another query
"willi5m J. Burns. that same Burns
who was denounced by Attorney Cen
eral Wickersham TO a Republican Pres
ident-Mr. Taft"
organization might have been good
thing forty or fifty years Hgo-thGt II
might have done great deal Of good,
bat that IL has outgrown It's usefulness
They say they should treat with us as
individuals or as shop unions. We have
the same type of antagonists we had
forty or fifty years ago. ORGANIZATION
men were threatened then with jail, as
they are now
Lauds LabOr's Part In War
''If there ever was any necessity for
organized labor now is the time. thun-
6sreu the speaker. and when the ap-
plavse died he went on:
'They would substitute shop or
company union. II would be n company
union and not workers union. How
could the members express their indc-
pendent thought when the power would
be In the head Of the company?
"we are not going TO have any com.
pany unions if we can help it, and pray
God that We can help it,"
Mr. Gou.pers lauded labor for It's
part In the war and said labor would
not now bend the knee ITO any indus.
trial autocracy.' The drive for the
''open shop" he said wRs on. He
rehearsed the history of the strikes fol.
lowing post war wage reductions and
praised the striking railroad shopmen,
saying:
Had they accepted the reductions
they would have had TO accept still
others. but thank God for the American
spirit. The tide has turned and reduc-
leads to n better day.
Mr.. Gompers denied that the men on
strike stood for outlawry and declared
such tactics would be against their in.
terests. lie said the organization was
not in favor Of strikes, but that there
came times when IL 1t did not strike It
would write itself down as towards
and poltroons.
Attacks Legality of Injunction
Free men may stop work for any
reason or for no reason he said with
studied delberation and followed with
d" "Whence comes an injunction II n gov
ernment is for the people: Attorney
General Dnugherty q few months ago
advocated compulsory labor laws. The
President of the United States as n
member Of the senate IN supporting the
Transportation Act voted for compu-
sorry labor. In his special message on
August IS he advocated compulsory
to enforce compulsory labor on whites
and blacks.
Congress mad refused to pass com
pulsory labor legislat!on. Up to the
present il refuses TO pass Eich legisla-
ton. Now, because Of that failure the
Attorney General by direction of the
President applies for an injunction more
far reaching than any legislation Con-
gress was asked TO pass.
Let Senator Reed, your new Sene-
tor from this State. understand that
there are six million organized labor
men in the United States. Not three.
as he said IN the Senate. They have
families and, assuming the proportion
of five TO one holds. then there are
thirty millions of labor people. When
the tide begins 10 turn look out for the
smoke OF the advancing army Of Ameri-