Evening journal., 1919-11-05
cOMpuLsIoN-THE CONSTITUTION AT STAKE.

IL but few Of the most radical labor leaders insist
"A that they believe in law and order. although they
continue urge strikes the for attaining their
ends.
A strike is attempted coercion by force.
Coercion by force is the resort of a militant minority
which has failed gain OF the reins Of
ment held by a majority.
What constitutes law and order in this country al
ways has been and always will be dictated by majority
Of IFS people.
The mere fact that labor leaders resort to coercion
by force is admission that they in the minority,
and hence opposed to our system Of law and order.
The moment those opposed TO present form o'
government PERSUADE not necessarily majority bal
bare two-nfhs OF The voters TO support their
they enact what laws they please overthrow
the Constitution With unlimited amendments, and sub
sute any sort of government soviet or otherwise that
suits their fancy.
It may seem a startling declaration that so small
fraction Of the people destroy the Constitution, when
that instrument specifically provides that amendments
it SHAH receive the approval OF two-thirds of each
House Of Congress- well threeourths OF the States
but it is an assertion susceptible OF proof
Two-thrds OF both Houses OF Congress propose
amendments to the Constitution
Puralities Of votes send those two-hirds to Wash
ington.
Usually The plurality is less than majority, but.
sumng a majority in every case, II follows that
half OF two-thrds. two-nfhs. Of the voters OF the
country control Congress TO the extent OF proposing
constitutional amendments provided that those votes
Starly evenly distributed.
once such amendments have been proposed they must
be approved by threefourhs the States legislatures
to become operative.
In the calculations which follow It is assumed that
viii have the vote, and that the voting strength
Of the country distributed according TO population.
The estimates OF the Census Bureau show that in
1918 thrtysix Of the States-threefourths Of a-con
tanned i2iOsS inhabitants Of total for the country
Of los 253SOO.
In order to win control OF the legislatures in those
States is necessary to control majority Of the
That majority is to the total vote Of the country, the
assumption above made, in the proportion Of little
than one-nfs.
So it is that if labor sgtators win two
nhs Of the voters enough to control Congress and pro-
pose Constitutional amendments. they will have ample
strength In the States to approve those amendments when
hey presented
But labor leaders make no attempt to win pub
ic favor and achieve their end through the ballot
They spurn the method provided by the law for the
zen to express his views government and resort TO
coercion through suffering.
Theirs is a rule OF force and not OF law
They would wreck established government and
tear up the Constitution by main strength spite Of the
fact that is provided for peaceaby attaining their
by simply persuadng two-ns Of the electorate
That their principles the only sound ones
That they tacy acknowledge to be impossible by con-
centrating all their efforts in the direction of the strike
II they were successful any form of government which
they might set up would derive what power had from
the same source-compusion by force.