The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-10-25
THE INDUSTRIAL STRUGGLE.


The dramatic withdrawal of the labor group from the
Industrial conference rendering futile President Wilson's
ndeavors in the present crisis to bring about better
between employers and employees, had
been inevitable from the moment it had forced upon the
consideration of the body matters of bitterly conrover
,al character 1t was hopeless from the beginning that
an academic discussion could solve the problem Of adjust
ing question upon which it obvious that two Of
the elements in the conference were SO far apart.
If there had been even short delay in the presenta
ton of such subject certain to create at the outset
animosites that might later have been smotheredI
away it very likely that the conference could have,
by easy and harmonious stages proceeded to discuss first
less dangerous matters and then later when better
feeling and understanding had been engendered in the
of between delegates those vital
points directly involved in the immediate industrial stu
alton The opportunity to render great service to the
nation was thrown away when the effort made to
place the work of the conference upon the plane of
cfc rather than general accomplishments Given
chance calmly to lay groundwork the conference might
have succeeded in doing great constructive work bene
fetal alike to labor and to capital.
AS it is on of the tendency of both sides to
lose their tempers it is quite possible that the industrial
conference has done more harm than good, although
there no good why the employers and employed
should not shake hands and part amicaby, in the hope
Of meeting again under favorable conditions. The
rock which the conference split not such obstacle
as to give reasonable men valid for parting
pany Mr. Gompers resolution collective bargaining
nearly carried 1t lost in sense, by only vote
Thus it be held that there real abyss sep
aratng the employers and the employees.
The real reason for the breakup is to be found in
the loss of the resolution, but in the makeup of the
ference and the conditions under which it has been held
The conference could not possibly succeed while there
country steel strike 1t would be just logica
without armistce in the field to expect the indus
trial conference to draw up industrial peace treaty
without armstice in the field AS President Wilson
cogently remarks in his touching plea for harmony in
dustral strife war; with the very weapons and method
of Why expect treaty to be made when thu
armies are changing the situation in the field?
1t best that the industrial conference should end
1t cannot settle anything The test of strength must b.
made elsewhere Radical influences have gained contro
of union labor, and determined to try out thei
strength against the conservative elements in the United
States Neither Mr. Gompers nor his able colleagues cal
stop this struggle They have earned the gratitude O.
their countymen for their and useful work dur
ing the war; in which union labor performed galan
and patriotic part No decent American will forget thi
devotion of organized labor in the critical hour of hi
Americans will tolerate injustice toward union labo
as SUCH if it should be led by misguided or crimina
demagogues seeking their own ends at labors expense
The leaders who msead labor will be thrust out of powe
by intelligent American labor ITSELF backed and assisted
by friendly Americans of all sorts and conditions
There no classes in this country here all are work
ers, and all producers and consumers The l. w. W. d.
not control this country and neither do the rich TIL
people control themselves as was magnifcenty show
during the war, when rich boys and poor boys wer
drafted equally and sent to do freedoms duty Now
if the industry Of the United States must be subecte
to test to determine whether or not Americans are il
control of the United States, the sooner the test come
the better The quicker the enemies of the Union ar
smoked out the quicker they will be annihated
| One thing has been forgotten by the reds who ar
pushing the workingmen into this struggle: There is
Union to which all Americans belong, and it will hav
no other union before it while this world standsWash
ngton Post.
Anarchy in America shrieks as Nick Lenne falls down