The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-02

has gone to his head, and made him
Imagine that he is much greater
man than he really is, is undoubtedly
the case, and accounts for the tactics
he has adopted in dealing with ques-
tions before congress, where he has
unnecessarily antagOniZed men to
whom organized labor must look for
recognition Of their demands, and
where labor measures are often op-
onism, which would otherwise receive
support.
There is no doubt but what organ
lied labor in this country would be
much stronger with a leader who was
more in touch with conditions as they
actually exist, and who would bring
to the front the new policies which Or
ganized labor must adopt if it expects
to even maintain it's present standing
to say nothing of making future pro-
gress.'
We quote portions of another art-
Gle. reprint, from the same labor
paper:
ers, must recognize the mistakes of
the past if they expect to perpetuate
their organizations or to develop the
movement which they head. No move
ment. no organization, no nation can
develop beyond the intellects which
guide these organizations, and if the
leaders are dominated by a selfish
no
tinged with spirit of selfishness,
which has never appealed to man
kind in any walk of life at any time
since history began.
1T can be said in extenuation of
certain leaders of organized labor
that the precarious position which
they occupy as leaders has had a ten
dency to cause them to lose sight of
the object behind the organization.
The natural instinct in man for power
and position is in no small measure
responsible for the mistakes of the
leaders, not necessarily in labor un-
ions alone, but in every branch of So
ciety This desire for power and lead
ership and personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
causes men who have been earnest
and sincere in their efforts in the
start to deteriorate into mere politi-
clans whose every act and utterance
is tinged with the desire to cater to
the baser passions of the working ma
jority in the societies or organizations
applied to the present leaders of the
Federation. We, mention the FEEDER
alton of Labor particularly in this ar
ticle because that organization is the
only organization Of labor which has
vet found itself in direct opposition
to the laws Of the land. There are
other organizations of labor whose
leaders have made mistakes. but they
have always kept themselves and
their organizations within the bounds
of the law and respected the rights of
every other man in considering the
rights of themselves and their con-
stituency: whereas, the motto Of the
Federation is Just the reverse. and
unless the leaders conform themselves
and their organization in accordance
with the laws of the land. the leaders
and the organization itself must be
disintegrated and pass into history,
for in America the common sense in
mankind is developed to a greater eX-
tent than in any other nation on the
earth, and the people. who are the
court of last resort in this country,
will never allow any system to devel-
Cd in this country which does not
meet with the approval of the major
ity OF the citizens of the country.
This must have forced itself upon
the leaders OF the Federation by this
time. If it has not. the leaders must
be eliminated. The organization
which they head has done many mer-
itorious things in times past and the
people are always ready and willing
to acknowledge the benefits which
their efforts have brought TO their
as whole. but at the
present time labor organizations in
general. and the Federation of Labor
in particular. stand before the bar Of
public opinion, having been convicted
of seIfishness and disposition to
rule all the people of the country in
the interest Of the few. The people
are patient and awaiting to see if the
object lesson which they have been
forced to give to these leaders is 60