Evening star., 1924-07-31
LABOR D|SAV0WS
!. PARTISAN VOTING
Gompers Says Federation
Will Study Services of Men
| + and Platforms.

!: ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., July 81
!, Only one thing can be sure as to the
political policy of the American
Federation of Labor in the coming
! campaign. its president, Samue
: Gompers, declared yesterday. and
, that is that I'VE shall commit our.
!. selves to no political party as patti.
Il sans to a party"
" Mr. Gompers' assertion was made
/ in a statement on the eve OF the
b meeting here of the executive coun-
Gil, in which he discussed the politi-
cal problems now confronting leaders
} of organized labor, and added:
Neither l nor any other person
can say what will be the result OF
the deliberations OF our executive
council until those deliberations have
matured."
While the statement did not touch
upon the efforts to procure the in
dorsement of the federation for Sena-
tors La Toilette and Wheeler, the
presidential and vice presidential
candidates, respectively. of the third
ticket organization, Mr.. Gompers
agreed that particular interest at
= tached to the session. The federation
would proceed to consider men and
, platforms on the basis of their serv-
ice, past and promised, to the wage
, earners and the great masses of the
people OF our country" he said. and
promised a vigorous campaign be-
fore the electorate for the candidates
found suitable.
See Lone Hope.
Our great movement is firmly con-
WINGED as the result of long practice
that the one hope for the wage-earn-
ers on the political field lies in being
partisan to principles and not to poll
. tical organizations.
In the last campaign" Mr.. Com
i pers said. we supported candidates
representing four political parties
:, proven records. AS a result of that
, support which we were able to give,
! and as result of the support which
: the friends OF labor were able to give,
, there were elected to the last House
. of Representatives 40 Progressive
members, the great majority of whom
8 nave since justified the faith reposed
, IN them by service rendered That
= was triumphant vindication Of the
> tremendous advantage of non-parti-
= san activity adding its great weight
to the long chain of evidence as to
q the value of the policy which the
American Federation of Labor has
tor SO many years pursued.
Calls Situation Critical.
, The political situation at the pres
ent moment is extremely critical
, and those who seek to bring about
Iesuils most aoNantdReouS TO all our
people will be required to exercise
their most careful judgment We are
meeting at a time fortunate for that
, purpose. All of the political conven-
, tions have been held. candidates NOM
: mated and their platforms completed
The convention atmosphere has been
. cleared away and we are in that
. period of comparative quiet between
" convention time and the time of the
= actual opening of campaign work.
" I'VE shall seek to take into account
all of the facts and to advise the
wage earners of our country fairly
and intelligently. What final form
5, our action will take in the way of
formulating expressions of opinion
: am unable to say. That cannot be
. said until the action has been taken.
II may add that however careful