Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-09
Saturday, August 9, 1924.
"convey q libel in . frown.
And wink q reputation down."
Swift.
LABOR AND DAVIS

Labor's millennium by way OF pro-
letariat revolution 10 a vision that
has never appealed to the well-sea-
soned mind Of Samuel Gompers;
neither has he been intrigued by the
notion that a labor party was need
ed by organized labor. His influence
in these matters, the steadiness with
which he has in the past helped to
keep these ebullient fancies under
control, are greatly to his credit. as
1t has been to that part of organized
labor, that has supported him. This
element In the labor organizations Is
approaching a somewhat perilous
situation In endorsing LaFollette's
candidacy. There Is likelihood. In
event Of any appreciable success for
the LaFollette plan to muss up mat"
tors. of the formation Of third
party.
1t would avail little that labor had
announced it was not supporting a
third party, but only LaFollette him.
self. The trend would be likely to
sweep organized labor into the sup
port of third party.
It looks very much as though
Compers and his following are yield
ing to the pressure of the younger
and more radical element, but the old
man bears up bravely. His personal
affiliations are with the Democratic
party but he nevertheless vigorously
presents reasons for not supporting
its Presidential nominee on the
ground Of his attitude toward organ
lied labor and he reveals a surpris-
ing effort on the part of the candi-
date to curry favor with labor.
Replying to former, Secretary OF
Labor wilson's plea for labor's sup
port of Davis he has this to say,
from which the whole tenor OF the
letter may be judged and from which
manifestly the Democratic candidate
may draw little Of comfort:
You know Of course that the Of
ficers of the American Federation OF
Labor are fully informed to all that
TRANSFERRED In connection with the en-
actmer1t of the Clayton law. especial
Nv Sections and 20. We are ike
wise fully informed as to all VINO
rendered valuable services In tnat
legislation. We must dissent from
the conclusions related by you. TINS
dissent is borne out by records ana
facts readily available. At an OPP
perfume time these records and facts
4 fn,.tt, In OF
which does Mr.. John w. Davis ap-
pear =.
Regarding your statement that 1t
was the Supreme Court decision up
holding the Adamson law which pre-
vented a strike on the railroads OF
the country and giving Mr.. Davis
credit for having won that decision
and thus preventing the strike. let
me recount facts with which you are
familiar and which are in direct con-
flict with the statement In your let
ter.
president Wilson appointed a
commission Of four. President DAN
Tel Willard, Of the Baltimore ana
Ohio; Secretary OF the Interior,
Franklin X. Lane, You and myselt,
for the purpose of mediating ana
preventing a strike.
This commission brought about
an agreement between the Railroad
Brotherhoods and the representatives
OF the railroads and that agreement
was signed in the presence OF the
commission, Of which you and were
members, before the Supreme Court
decision was handed down and con-
sequentiy before anyone had knowl-
edge of what that decision would be.
II was this agreement, and not the
Supreme Court decision, which pre-
vented the strike"