Denver labor bulletin., 1918-01-05
By DAVID J. BERRY

least, that is what the average man
thinks. Anybody can be an editor. If
you asked plumber to take flying
machine ten thousand feet up in the
air, he would think you We're crazy.
If you asked a bricklayer to carve out
a beautiful image in granite he would
think you were nut. If you asked a
member of the United Mine Workers
to cut and polish diamond, he would
say frankly, "I'm classy guy at my
trade, but there are whole lot of
other things in this world that don't
know"
But anybody can be an editor. That
is to say anybody can tell the editor
the proper way to do things. He
thinks he can and let me place the
emphasis on the word think" He is
always ready to write in to state that
member of the Typographical Union
the busy printers who are some in
tellectuals themselves-to say that an
''e" was left out of his name, or, more
important, that some enemy of his,
in the labor movement, had not been
roasted and toasted sufficiently
enough. He wants blood, bloody blood.
If you talked to him on the street, you
find he is normal conservative, self
contained man, rather pleased to boost
the other fellow, and very sparing of
his enemies. That's his personal plat
form and splendid one, but he'd like
the editor, and he tells everybody his
opinion, to roast his enemies, to do all
the dirty work in print, and in public
that he himself doesn't dare to do in
private life, and, in his relations with
his fellow laborite, on the street.
Now, the Labor Press is not COM
fn hn nd
subscription or few kind words.
Like labor itselft it is not an article
of commerce. Publicity-that is, the
consistent placing of labor ideals be-
fore the great public is today the
most masterful measure in the entire
labor movement. No person can quar-
rel with this statement. Every person
must admit that publicity-proper
publicity-is our sharpest weapon and
our most efficient tool.
The National Labor Publicity Or
ganization, of which l have the honor
to be vice president, and one of the
founders, has been very successful in
| bridging this gap. Since its organi-
zation, nearly year ago, it has main
tained news service, portraying la
bor's triumphs and struggles, just as
effectively as the Associated Press.
This service reaching the labor papers
| and the big newspapers, as well, has
| had much to do with rallying the great
American public to its cause, during
the war. Labor has won more vic
tories this year in wages and living
standards than in its entire history
| Why? An enlightened public senti-
ment has backed up it's just demands.
Whence this public sentiment? Sim
ply by proper publicity. 1t is enough
| tn hat ha f,,1 Nd
of the American Alliance for Labor
and Democracy goes thru this pub
licity channel. The weekly bulletin of
the American Federation of Labor is
another powerful weapon.
| The publicity given to the labor
movement, particularly in its strikes,
and struggles for the betterment of
living standards, often appears in the
daily newspapers. But how? In
variably, in distorted, twisted form,
oftentimes designed devishly to de-
ceive the man on strike and weaken
his faith in his brothers and in the
American Federation of Labor. In
variably, when the issue is clean be-
tween the worker and money, that is,
between the organized worker and or
ganized money, the newspaper is found
| fighting the battles of the employer,
the exploiter, and of Capitalism.
This is not strange. This is not re-
markable. Every dog, if he is a good
dog, answers his masters whistle. He
comes when he is called. 1t so hap
pens in America that it requires mil
lions of dollars of capital to publish
a big daily paper, and wherever a mil
| lion dollars is present, there is a little
worry about the common workingman
| Newspapers take the attitude-and it
is very sensible attitude-that "God
helps those who help themselves" Ac-
cordingly, if workers don't help them
selves and fall willing, eager, victims
to their enemies, it is ridiculous to ex-
pect that the press, which is getting
away with it" should vouchsafe them a
single thought. Strictly speaking,
they don't deserve it.
| Now, does labor deserve the tremen-
dous and self-sacrificing support given
| the movement by hundreds of local la
Dor papers thruout the United States
Do they give half the support that
capitalism gives to the publicity or
| gans? This is time for plain speak
| ing and | regret to say that labor is
not on the job with proper support
| This lack does not seem to hamper the
labor press for the reason that the ed
itors, with fire in their eyes, are de-
termined to battle for the cause that
they love. However, this indifference
ma kes the labor papers skimpy. 1t
| reduces their circulation which ought
to be enormous, and, believe that if
the Gospel of Publicity, outlined by
our peerless president, Samuel Comp
ers, were given it's full recognition,
we would see well-supported labor
press which would be the most incisive
and powerful dreadnought in America.
President Gompers says publicity is
q mighty force nrnnapatinp anv Gauge