WHICH WAY NOW?

As the annual speakfest of the American Federation of Labor proceeds another source of discord is becoming evident which is likely to disrupt the ranks of labor. That is the candidacy of John L. Lewis, of the United Mine Workers, for the office of President of the A. F. of L. This move apparently marks the solidification of opposition to Samuel Gompers, who for thirty-nine years has held the office now coveted by Mr. Lewis. Labor's "grand old man", however, has declined to give up without a struggle. His supporters have resurrected the well-worn charge of a "slush fund", and are plying their trade with all the gusto of professional politicians. There will be "great doin's" in Denver before long. Factional strife was never so ominous as at present. Labor has had pretty much its own way of late years; one begins to wonder whether the discordant units which make up the A. F. of L. can much longer work in close harmony.

Under the unified lead of Gompers the Federation has made enormous strides since he took up the reins again after a temporary set-back by McBride in 1894. Now it is a powerful machine which each of the units would like to control for its own benefit. The creed of the A. F. of L. is a selfish one -- very likely copied from that of the employers whom it opposes -- but this selfishness is made up of that of the individual unions, and it is a constant menace to the solidity of the Federation. The candidacy of Mr. Lewis, which is described as "the first serious opposition which President Gompers has had since 1894", is an attempt on the part of the United Mine Workers to get control of the policy of all of organized labor. There is undoubtedly a crisis in the affairs of the Federation; the election of Mr. Lewis may well mean an almost complete change of methods and aims. No wonder then that developments are awaited with the greatest interest.