Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-02

organization. and to have his faithful henchmen
in the positions where they could do him the
most good whenever their services might be
needed
Further than this, he has never failed. at the
last conventions TO HAVE SOME SENSATION
TO SPRING ON THE CONVENTION AT THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL MOMENT. WHICH WOULD
PLACE HIM IN THE LIGHT OF MARTYR
TO THE CAUSE OF UNIoNIsM and excite a
wave of sympathetic enthusiasm for him. which
would carry the delegates OF their feet. and re-
suit in his reelection.
That his long leadership and this apparent
impossibility to fill his place has gone to bis
head and made him imagine that he is much
greater a man than he really is, is undoubtedly
the case, and accounts for the tactics he has
adopted in dealing with questions before Con-
gress, where he has unnecessarily antagonized
men to whom organized labor must look for rec
ognition Of their demands, and where labor
measures are often opposed on account Of this
very antaeonism. which would otherwise receive
support.
There is no doubt but what ORGANIZED
LABOR IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD BE MUCH
STRONGER WITH A LEADER who was more
in touch with conditions az they actually exist
and who would bring to the front the new pol
icies which organized labor must adopt II 1T ex-
poets to even maintain its present standing. to
say nothing Of making future progress
We quote portions of another article. a reprint.
from the same labor paper:
"Organized labor, through its leaders. must
recognize the mistakes Of the past IL they ex-
velop the movement which they head No move
ment, no organization. no nation can develop be-
yond the intellects which guide these organiza-
lions, and II the leaders are dominated by a sell
fish motive the organization will become tinged
with a spirit of selfshness, which has never ap-
pealed to mankind in any walk Of life at any
time since history began.
"It can be said in extenuation Of certain lead
ers Of organized labor that the precarious posi-
tion which they occupy as leaders has had q
tendency to cause them to lose sight Of the OBJ
ject behind the organization. The natural In
stinct in man for power and position is in no
small measure responsible for the mistakes Of
the leaders not necessarily In labor unions alone
but in every branch Of society. This desire for
power and leadership and personal aggrandize-
ment causes men who have been earnest and sim
cere in their efforts in the start to deteriorate
into mere politicians whose EVERY ACT AND
UTTERANCE is TISGED WITH THE DESIRE
TO CATER TO THE BAsER PASSIONS OF
THE WORKING MAJORITY in the societies or
organizations. and this is undoubtedly true when
applied to the present leaders of the Federation.
We mention the Federation of Labor particularly
in this article because that organization is the
ONLY ORGANIZATION OF LABOR WHICH
HAS YET FOUND ITSELF IN DIRECT oP-
POSITION TO THE LAWS OF THE LAND.
There are other organizations Of labor whose
leaders have made mistakes. but they have al
ways 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 constituency;
WHEREAS, THE MOTTO OF THE Fedora
TIoN is JUST THE REVERSE. and unless the
leaders conform themselves and their organiza-
ton 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 devel-
oped to a greater extent than in any other ma
ton on the earth. and the people. who are the
court Of last resort in this country. will never
allow any system to develop In this country
which does not meet with the approval OF the
majority Of the citizens Of the country.
This must have forced itself upon the leaders