San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-06
Is Too Wise Politically to
Commit Himself on Con-
troversial Subject.
GOMPERS IS CRITICAL
Labor Head Says President
Is Listening to "Open
Shop" Arguments.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


Copyright. by The San Antonio Light.
Washington. ID. C.. April eft
forts to make the open shop an
issue of the 1924 presidential cam
paign viii fail--anl for the very con
elusive reason that President Hard
ing will not he drawn into the con-
irOversy.
Samuel GompcrS, president Of the
American Federation of Labor. who
summoned the Washington CORE
spondcnts to his office 10 take a fling
at dispatches sent from the scene of
the presidential vacation, made it clear
thar SO far as he is given 10 under
stand. Mr.. Harding has not expressed
himself on the subject. Mr.. Gompers
heard not only through the newspd-
pefs. but through other sources, how
ever. that good deal of argument in
favor If the open shop side of in
dus;rial warfare was being poured int1
the ears of Mr.. Harding in the hope
that he would slant his campaign to-
warl the employers and thus assure
himself of the solid support of BIZ;
business in his next campaign.
The President has ever since his adj
ministration began been the rccipien;
of letters and oral arguments relating
10 the controversies between labor ana
capital. but except for the comments
made in connection with last sum-
lner's rail strike. he has carefully bal
anced every utterance so that neither
side could take offense. Mr.. Harding
did lose some of the support of the
extremists on the employer side when
he favored acceptance by the railroad
anl Al,nF t.ssl
be taken back without loss of seniority
rights and this to some extent ac-
counts for the movement on the part
of those friends of the President who
think he can recover lost ground by
making some positive statements on
his western trip which will express
displeasure over the attitude of labor
in recent strikes affecting the public
welfare.
Knows It's Delicate Matter.
MIR. Harding is not Il newcomer in
politics-having spent many years OIL
the practical side of campaigns and
he knows the delicacy of the labor
question as it affects votes. No Pres
ident in the last generation has made
an open campaign against labor. al
though the latter has on more than
one occasion endorsed one Or the other
Of the candidates. There is much I'M
certainty. however. even among poll
ticians as to the power of the labor
vote for in those campaigns where 1t
is said to have been welded as a unit
for a presidential candidate, the LAT
ter. has not always been the winner
In the last campaign Notwithstanding
the friendliness of the Wilson admin
istration to organized labor and the
presence in the cabinet of a former
vice president of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor as secretary of the
Department of Labor. the great body
of laboring men are believed to have
cast their votes for the Republican
nominee.
Whether Mr.. Harding can retain
this support in the next campaign is
not yet determined, but it is fact tina
ever since the American Federation
of Labor failed TO persuade Mr.. Hard |
in. TO put into his cabinet one Of the
list they suggested. there has been in
tcrmittent hostility and Mr.. Gompers
is not as frequent a visitor at the !
White House under this administra |
ton as he was under the last.
Criticizes lIardirg's Action.
Mr.. Gompers took occasion during /
his interview 10 criticize the course |
of President Harding during the last /
rail strike. One of the reporters
asked him this question:
The administration came pretty /.
close TO declaring in favor Of the open !
shop lest summer
We'll. during that strike" replied |
Mr.. GOmpers. the President secured |
the promise of the railway shOpmen /
10 accept his proposal and said to !
them AT the time that if they accepted. !
he would Use the big stick. the club.
upon tie railroad executives and com
pei them TO accept i. The men ac-
ceDted the Presidents proposal and |
fhe railroad executives rejected it. and |
then the big stick and club was used !
GU the workmen." /
Mr.. Gompers in reply 10 a 0ucs-
ton said he was given TO understand 1
that big business, bankers. railroad !
executives" were urging Presiden.
Harding TO make declaration in