The “Jewish Daily News”, in an editorial of Dec. 15, while eulogizing the late leader of American labor, Samuel Gompers, points out his shortcomings, particularly in reference to his attitude toward the immigration problem.
“Gompers shared with the American workers their shortcomings as well as their virtues. American labor was always narrow-minded in its attitude to immigration. Even in the 18th century American workers protested against immigrants for fear that the new arrivals would take their jobs. This attitude was wrong. Immigration did not hurt American labor; on the contrary it has expanded American trades, but the labor organizations maintained a narrow-minded stand even before Gompers became the leader of the American workers. And Gompers, unfortunately, did not have a broader vision; and once he accepted this opinion, be fought for it with all his might. Thus he became the severest opponent of immigration that America has ever had.”
GOOD SHOW, SAYS HEYWOOD BROUN
In yesterday’s “World”, Heywood Broun has the following paragraph on the Duchess Cyril:
“The Empress has gone home on a free ticket and everybody is bitter about her and the promoters of her trip. I don’t see what was wrong with the show. As to whether society is more fastidious than when she came, I am not prepared to say. The tides of fastidiousness in society could race this way and that without wetting my feet. That issue is academic as far as I am concerned. But out of the visit of the lady from Russia came at least half a dozen excellent first page stories, jokes for the comedians of the theatre and a few paragraphs for the columnists.”
BETWEEN TWO GRINDSTONES
The anti-immigration and anti-alien activities of both Republican and Democratic politicians at Washington is likened by the “Hebrew Journal” of Toronto, in a recent issue, to a race between them to see which of them can excel in persecuting and hounding the foreigners and immigrants.
“The alien in America now finds himself between two heavy grindstones,” says the “Hebrew Journal.” “The Republicans and Democrats are competing with each other and the alien will emerge all beaten up from this competition. It is a struggle not for a short period. Whether the Republicans or the Democrats are in power the aliens will be hounded for a long time to come.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
