Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-06-25

WASHINGTON, D. C.-Not only
labor but the whole nation has it's
eyes turned toward the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor convention at Allan
tic City. The progressive elements
are wondering whether the convention
Is going to tndorse independent polit-
ical action; the old-line politicians and
the big interests are wondering
whether Gompers and others are TO-
ing to be strong enough to keep the
convention away from it.
The big struggle which will decide
this issue has not broken out yet.
Whatever the convention does in re-
gard to 1t. labor in many states, such
as Pennsylvania, Illinois and North
Dakota, are going to keep on in po-
nt1cal independence. Endorsement by
the general federation would merely
give encouragement to a movement
we'll under way, and failure to indorse
would not hinder it.
The convention has indorsed the
Plumb plan for government owner
ship of railroads, plan which pro-
v1des for the squeezing out of the
water In the stock and a joint control
by the public, the officers and the en-
ployes. 1t has demanded the with
drawal of American soldiers from
Russia and recognition of the "repub-
lie now existing in Ireland"
On the other hand, the convention
has apparently turned down the strike
IN favor of Mooney. There may we'll
be differences Of opinion in value Of
this method, but the arguments
against it, especially those advanced
by Secretary Of Labor Wilson, appear
decidedly weak. The division appears
to break rather over opinion as to-
relative seriousness Of the Mooney
case. One side sees that if the no.
torious Mooney frame-up is allowed
to stick, no honest labor leader In the
country Is safe, and that beyond this
the whole organized labor movement
Is seriously threatened. The other
side sees it as merely personal mat
ter OF getting another radical labor
leader out of Jail. The conservative
wing Of labor naturally takes this DO.
s1t1on, because 1t Is in little danger
while there are advanced labor leaders
receiving the brunt Of the special in
terest attack.
Treaty-Snatching Scandal.
Senate hearings on the peace leak"
demonstrated the fact that Wall street
has no fear of secret diplomacy. A
president may find it convenient to
negotiate compacts to a conclusion be-
fore making them public, but the bank
Ing interests confess and boast that
the people" who have no moral right
to advance information, do not include
themselves. Elihu Root made that
quite clear when he came to Wash.
1ngton without an invitation to help
the bankers out Of fix.
II should be inclined to resent any
suggestion from any one that I am
not entitled to this document, and to
make any use of it that see fit, which
l propose to do" he said 1.-THE Ger
man government, having the full right
to make it public, has made it public,
and it is public
Root to the Rescue.
Many plain people felt just that
way about it, but the president cabled
US from Paris that it would be a dis
honorable thing for the people or the
senate to see the treaty draft at this
time. Millions respected Mr.. Wilson's
feelings. But not Elihu Root. Root
tells the world fiat that he takes his
tip from Germany, not from the White
House; that Berlin has certain rights,
which, when exercised, automatically
overrule the president of the United
States.
None but Root would have dared
base his defense upon such "seditious"
grounds, at a time when Americans
are not supposed to concede that ene-
my governments have any rights left,
much less that they have rights which
free the American people from presi-
Dental injunctions. These awkward
implications, and the equally dis
tressing fact that Wall street got
Its copies of the treaty from the In
ternational Red Cross league, the en-
barrassed newspapers have thought It
best to drop and forget.
When they looked into Roots fear
some eyes the senate investigators
also deemed that the probe had gone
far enough. The mystery had been
solved. The incident was closed.
kenyon's Labor Program.
Senator Kenyon of Iowa believes
that the policeman's club is not the
only remedy for social unrest In
America. His mother taught him that
when the baby howled it might have
a pin sticking into it. So, while the
department of Justice applies the
birch, Kenyon bel ayes congress ought
to busy itself at removing some of the
established causes of unrest and re-
bellion. His first thought is that PEG
pie who own their own homes do not
want to wreck the world. And, since
farmers are being helped by the gov
eminent to buy land, he thinks the
town worker should be helped to buy
home. To this end the farm loan
. banks might be empowered to extend
credit to the city workers, without any
. aoriOuo alteration of fho3r rrocor& 49,