, 1922-04-05

tiude of Samuel Gompers and Matthew Vol. presi-l
dent and vice president respectively of the American
Federation of Labor, who promptly came out in in-l
terviews commencing Mr.. Ford for his splendid att
tude toward the working classes and the very great
consideration he showed his employees. Laboring men
cannot understand how a fat cut of Is % per cent
in any working mans wages is showing him very much
consideration. Furthermore, it is very difficult TO eN-
plain, purely from a labor standpoint, why Mr.. Comp
es and his associates should rush into print in com
incubation Of Henry Fordts cutting the wages of his
employees I6 23 per cent, while at the same time they
are urging the textile workers in the New England
states to strike, rather than TO accept a similar wage
cut A prominent labor leader, who is interested in
labor, rather than in politics, in speaking of Mr.. Com
pers' praise of Henry Ford's wage cut, said: eff Sam
Gonper can get that enthusiastic over Henry Ford's
layirg off his force one day a week, I wonder to what
heiL.as of ecstasy he would go in event Henry laid off
all his force all the time"
While it is impossible to reconcile the viewpoints Of
Mr.. Gompers and his associates from purely a labor
angle. it is not difficult to reconcile them when it is
recalled that Mr.. Ford and Mr.. Gompers are hand-n-
glove in a fight against the Republican administration
IN an effort to carry the congressional elections this
fan for the Democratic party. Mr.. Gompers is a life
long Democrat He has always folnd IL easy to con-
done deplorable industrial conditions in Democratic
sections Of the country and to excuse any act of Demo
cratic administrosio that wozks to the injury of the
laooring classes. By the same political rule he has
never found anything in connection with any Repub-
lican administration, or with industrial conditions in
Republican states, that he thought was satisfactory.
Mr.. Gompers has Just completed a tour of the tex
tile industries in the Republican New England states
urging the workers to go the limit in opposing a re-
duction Of wages which he says would drag them
down to the miserable conditions of the southern tex
tile mill employees" Yet Mr.. Gompers never has and
will not make any effort to organize the employees in
the southern textile mills and bring their wages up to
the New England level because to do so would offend
his associates in the Democratic party.
Mr.. Gonpers is very critical just at present Of the
attitude Of some of the administration officers toward
federal employees. Yet Mr.. Gompers never opened his
mouth in denunciation Of Postmaster General Burle-
son, whose treatment of the postal employees was a
stencil in the nostrils of all working classes.
Mr.. Gompers has always faced two ways on the Ia
Dor situation. Vixen he thought he could make poht
ical capital against the Republican party, either in ma
tional nhairs or in any state. he would exhibit the
most earnest solicitude regarding the welfare of work
ing classes downtroddsn by Republican rule. But
wherever Industrial conditions have been under Demo-
cratic administration. or in the Solid South. Mr.. Com
pers has conveniently overlooked them. His attitude
in fulsome praise of Henry Fords wage cut of 16 23
per cent in contrast with his denunciation of a textile
wage cut amounting to the same amount, is the latest
example of Mr.. Gompers' t~wo-faced attitude regarding
labor problems A