Americus times-recorder., 1919-10-27

he point raised by the writer of this letter
was not overlooked. But it has no merit whatever
In the present great controversy between capital
and labor, labor is the aggressor; it is contest of
labor choosing and making 1t is heralded largely
as fight for principle. Being such, consistency
at least might be expected of the aggressor If it
is fight for principle that is right, it might be
contended that there should be no demand that
the opposing side arbitrate right not being an arbi
trabe matter. On the other hand, if the demands
of labor are fair and just, as in the case
of the coal miners who insist on the abrogation of
their contract, great increase in pay and work
week of FIVE days at shorter hours per day. as
against days heretofore, why should arbitration
as last resort be refused9
In this controversy, which is of labor's max
ing, labor and not capital are on trial. except as
each respects the rights and welbeing of the great
third party to the controversy, the public Capital
did not initiate the dispute; declared no lock out
changed no rules, reduced no pay and asked moth
ing If the coal miners, instead of holding knife
to the heart of the nation in insisting on their de-
mands, and giving notice they would use the Knife
! it they could not have everything they asked for
/ If they had laid their whole case before the
world and let public opinion be the arbiter, public
sympathy would have been with labor in this in
stance because the public would have been con-
vinced of the good faith of labor, would have
been certain of the belief of them in their own
case and their willingness to trust the native sense
of justice and right that lies in the conscience of the
American public.
But the miners have done nothing of the sort
Like the highwayman, they have shown their inten-
ton to wrest by force, by the wrecking of indus
try and the bringing of misery upon the nation s
millions of helpless who have had no hand in the
dispute on either side, that which they refuse to
submit to argument and reason.
/ The time has come when the menace of dicta-
torship by the organized minority, must be ended
i That is Russian Bolshevism a greater curse than
keiserism.
j President Wilson has thrown down the gaunt-
let. The rights of the majority-the great public
must come first; the law must be upheld IF labor
and capital cannot get together their heads be
the consequences hot the heads of the public
i Production must be kept up; there must be no
stopping now, regardless Instead Of making the
public sit and suffer and industry decay while capii-
tai and labor fight it out let the industries go on
even at the point of bayonets in the hands of I'm
Gle Sans troops, and let the direct parties to the
controversy do the suffering while the disputes of
their making are being settled.
The miners may be justified in their demands;
and they may not That question cannot be deter
mined of-hand by the public. But high-handed
methods which would turn the nation into chaos
and wreck industry not only wrong but are
criminal And 100 OOO 900 of our TO- OOO, 900
population will be with the President in his notice
Ito them that the mines must be kept working come
3 what may