The Alaska daily empire., 1919-11-07
Demands True Democracy
(Washington Post)

If the whole question of wages is to be put upon another footing President Wilson suggested, what is to be the footing? All sorts of suggestions have been thrown out since the President made his cryptic statement. He has not vouschafed any in- The ideas of voluntary labor reformers range from autocracy to anarchy in the industrial world, and as being absurd that not even self-respectfng An archsts, if any there be, would indorse them. "
 One mischievious plan masquerading under a plausible has some support from individ- uals who do not to have the faculty of under standing the quality of liberty. Industrial democ- racy" is the decent and attractive which masks the Lennist scheme which is winning advo- cates in this country. If industrial democracy meant true democrary in industry and did not tend to de- stroy democracy in civil lie-that is, if it did not strike at the equality that is the foundation of ib crty-it would properly take its place with democ- in art and other worthy democracies.
 But that is not what the disturbers of the in dusria peace mean by industrial democracy. What they after is not democracy at all, but class tocracy. They would call certain class democrats, all other classes to hardship discrimination and even prison and death
 Who are the "workers?" certain class in Rus sia sets up the assertion that they alone the workers and the fasehood has been used to stir up the blackest passions of human nature. Appalling crimes have been committed against the most popu- lous white nation in the world through the attempt to create class autocracy under the of indus trial democracy.
 In Russia the combination of sharpers and dupes which make up the Boshevist regime has attempted to establish Government that is not based upon the quality and equal rights of men. In ancient Rome citizen could say "I Roman" and it was known that he possessed rights, which could not be infringed. In the United States citizen say 'I am an American and he has the that he possesses the rights of any other American But in Russia native who should claim any right on the simple fact that he is Russian would be fortunate to escape with his life. His rights as Russian are denied. He acquire rights" only by affating with persons in his trade, organizing local council and sending representatives to soviet If he Is a barber, he has rights; but if he be merely Russian, he has no rights.
 The German agents and Russian sharpers who control the Boshevik Government take good care that democracy shall not subvert Boshevsm They permit wide latitude in the lower levels but as the Government reaches It's real center of power they eliminate Individual and collective rights gather all power into their own hands Thus few men really control and direct millions of Rus sians and send to death those too independ- ent to bow their necks to the yoke. That is truth ful picture of 'industria democracy" as practiced m Russia; and yet they deluded and mercenary Lenln1sts In this country who praisng the 'so- viet system" improvement upon America a old-fashioned and played-out equality and liberty
 The workers of the United States are entitled to square deal in every respect; merely in wages put Tn decent treatment, housing, insurance 3secr- ity of employment, opportunity for sef-government vacations, etc. But the workers are not confined to men who work with their hands as employees of and farm hands, Government clerks postal clerks brain workers of all kinds, household servants and many other classes that have never been .organ- ;zed.' The whole American Union is made up of workers. with so few drones that the population may be described human beehive They can if thev indestructible foundation of American liberty-the foundation of equality of men. On that foundation all workers which means all Americans can be and should be equal