Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-11-19
AN INTOLERABLE SITUATION

II HCOAu ubhO9b iOlCIiIuO III Im0 lCh
country, with all its advantages and opportunities, and gov
erned by an enlightened people, that in the midst of the great
est prosperity we should be threatened with a nationwide en-
barge on freight; a forty per cent. cut in passenger train serv-
ice and a closing down of all non-esscntial industries thereby
throwing fifteen million workmen out of work-all because a
certain class of men cannot get exactly what they want.
Yet that is the situation confronting the United States Of
America today.
Coal is the most essential thing in our industrial life.
Without coal practically every wheel stops turning and the ma
ton becomes paralyzed. 1t could hardly be any worse if a for
eign foe had trampled rough-shod over the land leaving ruin
and destruction in their wake.
But no foreign foe has ever reached our shores. Rather,
during one of the most destructive wars that Europe has ever
experienced this country has been enjoying the utmost pros
perity. Our workmen have been busy and have received the
highest wages in history. Never before has there been so
much money to spend and everybody seems to be spending it.
Yet, in the midst of it all we are face 10 face with national
paralysis, bringing The greatest suffering and loss to millions of
people.
The coal miners, although better off than ever before,
feel that they are being abused and therefore they refuse TO
work. No doubt there is still room for Improvement in their
condition and if there were no disposition on the part Of anyone
to give them consideration there might be some justification in
their sedfsh attitude. But with the government doing every
thing in its power to bring about a satisfactory settlement the
miners have not a leg to stand on in the attitude they have as
sumed.
Realizing what it would mean to the country as well as TO
the whole world to have the mining Of coal cease for any
length of time at This particular period in the readjustmcnt Of
worldwide affairs, the government took steps to compel the
miners union to call off the strike that had been decraled. For
a time there was some doubt as to whether the leaders OF the
miners would defy the government.
The better judgment prevailed, however, and the court
order commanding the heads of the union to call off the strike
was obeyed. In taking this action the acting president of The
miners union to call off the strike that had been declared. For
our government 1t was a noble sentiment and well expressed.
1t was hailed with enthusiasm fall over The country as showing
the real attitude of labor on the question of loyalty and patri-
Otsm.
But what are the conditions as they exist today?
The strike leaders obeyed the court and called tha strike
but it would seem as if they knew that the men would not
r6tVn to work even though the strike was declared off so that,
as far as the country at large is concerned, the strike might as
be continued.
1t is true that in this free country nobody can compel a
man to work If he does not want to. That is one of the prvi-
we enjoy under our form of governmental privilege that
some of our radical element, many of them in the labor move
ment, are doing their utmost to destroy along with the destruc-
ton of every other advantage we Americans have under our
present form of government.
Now, to every reasoning man 1t is apparent that the min
es' officials could get the men back to work if they really
wanted to. They have merely called off the strike verbally, but
1t would appear that it is generally understood among the rank
and file that the strike will continue until the demands of the
miners are granted regardless of the justice of such demands,
And organized labor as a whole cannot escape response
bilHy in this unfortunate situation. The officials of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor sanctioned the coal miners strike and
promised to stand behind the miners even after the court had
ruled that the strike was unlawful. If organized labor gener-
ally wanted to see the men go back to mining coal and save the
country from the paralysis that is now threatened they could
easily persuade the men to do so pending the outcome of the
negotiations. If the leaders in organized labor cannot do this,
then organized labor, as such, has lost its hold on the workers.
If the United States Of America Is to continue to be the
land OF the free where there is the greatest opportunity for all,
such a situation as now exists in the coal mining industry can
not be tolerated. No one set of men having only their own
selfish interests In view should be permitted to bring about al
embargo on freight; q forty per cent. cut in pas
senger train service and a closing down of all non-essential
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The situation is one for every loyal American to think
over carefully, 1t is for the people to determine, right now,
whether or not a government of the people, by the people and
for the people is to perish from the earth.