The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-27
Teapot Dome and Gor,pers

The Teapot Dome scandal is the topic of
discussion in every city and hamlet in the
United States. Farmers lean across the fences
and cite the latest revelation to their neigh
bors; wage-earners on their way tos and from
work and during lunch hour in the shop talk
of little else. In other nations the scandal that
has ripped American political life wide open
is of major importance and its effect on the
coming presidential campaign is made the sub
Ject. of comment by scores of writer's
The headquarters of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor in Washington is silent as the
tomb. Not a single official pronouncement on
the most important national event since the
declaration of war in 1917 has been issued for
the guidance of the organized workers, no
word has been uttered or written that would
give the membership any idea that the shat
tering of political regulations and the panic in
the ranks of the capitalist parties is anything
out of the ordinary.
Surely this is a remarkable circumstance
and one that should occasion serious thought
on the part of organized workers. Here is
an administration that broke the shopmens
strike by mobilizing the full power of the gov
eminent against it.; involved in the scandal
is the encouragement, who secured the is
suance of nationwide injunction that made
the strike illegal and who used the bureau of
investigation with its thousands of employees
to frame evidence against the strikers, yet no
word of condemnation has passed the lips of
Samuel Gompers.
On the other hand the acknowledged lead
er of the democrat party and candidate for
the presidency has publicly told that in re-
turn for fee he attempted to prevent the
recognition of the republic of Mexico until it
had come to terms with his oil company en-
ployers.
The American Federation of Labor was in
favor of the recognition of Mexico at the time
these attempts were made-successful at
tempts, by the way-but no condemnation of
these nefarious acts has been made by Samuel
Gompers.
Here, then, is situation in which both par
ties of American capitalism have furnished
indisputable evidence of opposition to the most
ordinary demands of labor-political and eco
nomic. He who runs may read but Samuel
Gompers is as silent as the sphinx.
There are times, and this is one of them,
when to remain silent is to condone great
abuses; Samuel Gompers must know that
here is an opportunity for organized labor
that may come but once in life time, an OPP
portunity to hold the enemies of labor in both
capitalist parties up to public scorn to
strengthen immensely the position of organ
lied labor.
He will do nothing, as usual, except to cast
around for some friend" in one or the other
of the capitalist parties to whom labor sup
port can be thrown. He is opposed to indie
pendent working class political action and he
trucking for petty favors rather than boldly
explore the vast fertile spaces in which class
political party can grow like the green bay
tree.
The comment in the official labor press on
the Teapot Dome scandal differs not at all
from that in the capitalist press. Both regret
the impetus it has given to radical criticism of
the government and both deplore the blight
upon the fair name of America.
Here is the key to the Gompers position.
He does not want the people to lose faith in
their government and far from welcoming
the scandal as revealing the inner corruption
of capitalist rule he worries over it because
it confirms the statements made by the Com
munsts whom he fears. Only individuals like
Fall for whom no one has good word will
incur the Gompersian displeasure-no criti-
cism of the government as the instrument of
oppression will fall from his lips
Truly the American labor movement is well
led-for the capitalists.