New-York tribune., 1918-07-16
GUARANTEE
Violent Conservatism

From time to time we receive publica
tions whose apparent design is the de-
fence Of business, big and otherwise, and
whose chief weapon is a violent assault
upon all the radical and scciaistic ele-
ments of the country. They come mostly
from Washington. One of them, called
"American Industry in War Time may
serve as type. From the latest issue
we Gull few extracts:
"The domination of union labor in
Washington is a matter of public record.
The unionists are exercising controlling
influence in the affairs of the nation.
"The Socialists are a close second, and,
while some of their number are in jail,
others under Indictment, most Of them
under suspicion, they have representa-
tives in many departments of the gov
ernment in Washington.
The Non-Partisan League is sedi-
tious, unpatriotic, socialistic organization.
1t is not only growing and hourishlng,
but it is electing Members of Congress,
Governors Of states, securing the appoint
ment of representatives in government
Offices in Washington, and its representa-
tives are defenders of the Industrial
Workers Of the World.
''Is the nation to be destroyed by its
public men because they are intimidated
by the bowling derwishes of radicalism
and chaos"
On what may be called the more Con
structive7 side we take this paragraphs:
'If we are to destroy GO per cent of
our industries through inability to keep
them going-and it is we'll to recollect
that the other 40 per cent will decrease
sharply in output the moment war is
ended-what will be our position in the
worlds markets, or in our own markets,
after the ware"
Now, this sort of thing would not be
worth noticing if it were not sample
of good deal of similar stuff and if the
whole Of it were not being paid for by
otherwise intelligent and serious-minded
business men And the harm of it is
this; There is very little doubt that
there is in many quarters strong and
highly organized campaign to make the
war an occasion for putting over
radical economics and plans and policies
of a socialistic nature For example.
the project of organized labor is truly a
prodigious project. This is nothing less
than the complete unionization of the
main Industries of the country under
the sanction of the National War Labor
BoarC's peace pact"
Certainly this is not momentous. But
1t is certain, nevertheless, that the indis-
criminate denunciation of union labor,
socialists, anarchists, l. W. WIS and non
partisan leaders-as if, save the mark,
they all meant the same thing!-is SIM
ply 100 per cent hurtful to the cause
it would sustain. And to suppose that
the government is ready to "destroy so
per cent of our industries' is so mani
festly absurd that it merely recoils on
him who would suggest it.
There never was a time, even in the
Bryan free silver days or back in
the "greenback" days, when there was
greater need in this country for eco
nomlc sanity and sound economic educa-
ton. And if the wild inf ton which
the war is forcing on the country goes
on unchecked it must inevitably end in
violent readjustment so that we shall
have the after the Civil War bogies
to fight all over again. All the more
reason why we should have cool and
sensible counsel, having the confidence
of the more thoughtful part of the COM
munity, to call the country to reason.
Denunciaton is the demagogue's weapon.
Neither a Socialist nor a on-Partisan
Lacquer is by that fact a German spy