Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-02
GOMPERS TAKES
SERIES OF RAPS
AT PRES. HARDING

AL FhEO. HAROlNG
Washington, June 30-Statements
made by President Harding in his
labor speech at Helena yesterday
were assailed today by Samuel
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation Of Labor, who declared
that Labor requires more than a
speech to balance against the acts
that have gone before"
I'VE believe the President is sin
cere in not wanting the unions de-
stroyed," said the veteran labor
leader. mo sane person could want
any such catastrophe. But we can
not indulge in any tumult of ap-
plause over this late profession of
faith because the unions themselves
have saved the day and they have
done this in spite of the official acts
of some of the Presidents leading
officials and advisers. For their ex-
istence today they owe no thanks to
the administration"
Mr.. Gompers pointed out that the
oft-repeated charge of a conspiracy
to crush organized labor had been
repeatedly denied by big business"
and added that the Presidents dec
laration that he would not be a party
to such plan should remove any
doubt as to it's actual existence.
The Harding administration"
continued the statement. Itself has
been charged by labor with lending
aid and comfort to that campaign
and we are by no means inclined to
withdraw the assertion. 1t is diff
cult to find in the injunctions
brought by the Harding department
of justice against the miners and the
railroad workers any great effort to
conserve the forces of organized la
Dor. Those whose memories are not
too short will recall that when the
Presidents encouragement secured
his injunction against the railroad
workers that encouragement said
to the court, so long and to the ex-
tent that 1 can~speak for the gov
eminent of the United States 1 will
use the power of the government to
prevent the labor unions of the coun-
try from destroying the open shop
THE great concern of Mr.. Hard
ing's representative during that
strike was to prevent that strike
from becoming effective and to pre-
vent the unions from destroying the
open shop The institution, mis-
called the open shop, was and still
is the principal agency in the en-
ployers fight to destroy the unions
which the President now declares he
does not want destroyed"
Discussing Mr.. Harding's reference
to the effort to force naturalization
! of important national industries, Mr..
Gompers declared that 1.-The labor
movement" never had stood for ma
tionalization.
"But belief in government owner
ship" he continued. lis not crime,
and even if the whole labor move
ment stood for government owner
ship Of basic industries, that would
constitute no reason'for joining gov
eminent forces with the forces of
private capital in war on organized
labor. 1t is not q proper function
Of the government to hold the scales
even between a labor demand for
government ownership and capitals
demands for the destruction of Or
ganized labor.
Labor is glad to find that the
President now records himself as
totally out Of sympathy with the
plutocratic war on the organized ef-
fort Of the wage earners for their
common protection and advance
ment. but labor requires more than a
speech to balance against the acts
that have gone before. The admin
istration's representatives in the last
Congress surely presented no such
point Of view as the President now
expresses"
Continuing, Mr.. Gompers said:
"They piled effort upon effort to hurt
and cripple labor and to favor and
pander to capital. There have been
in the course of this administration
certain notable acts of constructive
character. but for the most part they
have been performed by men or
groups out of sympathy with the
main industrial policies of the adj
ministration and strong enough in
their own right to rise above their
surroundings and political ties"
AT the proper time the whole ca
reer of the administration must pass
in review. obviously this is not the
time. But this is the time to say that
q declaration such as the President
has just made is welcomed for itself
and for what it may mean in the fu-
ture, but it cannot erase a record of
performances and omissions and the
sentiment now uttered has not been
administration policy in the past.
Labor has stood throughout the
whole period since the armistice
fighting two INSCRIPTIONS opponents,
the one entrenched in Wall street, the
other entrenched in the fanatcism,
hatred and bigotry of disorganized.
terror stricken, despotic Soviet Rus
Fsia. Labor in America has stood be-
tween these two forces, alike in so
many ways, cooperating in so MANY
instances, fighting for life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness, fighting not
alone for it's own life, but for the life
of the republic.
1.-THE fight goes on and it will go on
as long as democratic American la
Dor is menaced by either destroying
force and as long as American in
situations are menaced by either. La
Dor wants understanding, it wants to
serve in cooperation and cooperate
with al who will understand and CO.
operate, but whether it fighst alone,
or company with others, it will not
desert. it cannot desert, the principles
for which it stands"