The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-07-03

WASHINGTON, d C-asos only
labor but the whole nation han it,
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 indorse Independent polit-
zeal action; the old-line politicians and
the big interests r wondering
whether Gompers and others are 60
ing to be strong enough to keep the
convention away from Il.
The big struggle which will decide
this issue has not broken out yst.
Whatever the convention does in re-
gard to it, labor in many states, such
as Pennsylvania, Illinois and North
Dakota, are going to keep OF in po-
lttical independence. Endorsement by
the general federation would merely
give encouragement to q movement
we'll under way, and failure to indorse
would not hinder it.
The convention has Endorsed the
Plumb plan for government owner
ship OF railroads, q plan which pro-
vides for the squeezing out Of the
water In the stock and q joint control
by the public, the officers and the en-
ployes. It has demanded the with
drawal OF American soldiers from
Russia and recognition Of tho "repub-
lilo now existing In Ireland"
On the other hand, the convention
has apparently turned down the strike
in favor Of Mooney. There may well
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 II 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 1t as merely a personal mat
tor Of getting another radical labor
leader out of Jail. The conservative
wing Of labor naturally takes this 20.
sition, because it is in little danger
while there are advanced labor leaders
receiving the brunt Of the special In
terest attack.
Trsaty-snatehlne 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 q 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. Elfhu Root made that
quite clear when he came to Wash
ington without an invitation to help
the bankers out OF q fx..
II should be inclined to resent any
suggestion from any one that / am
not entitled to this document. and to
make any use Of It that l see fit, which
I propose to d." he said. 1.-THE Ger
man government. having tho full right
TO make It public, has made It public.
and It II public"
Root to me Rescue.
Many plain people felt Just that
way about It, but the president cabled
% from Paris that It would b q dis
honorable thing for the people or the
senate to . the treaty draft at this
time. Millions respected Mr.. Wilson's
feelings. But not Elihu Root, Root
tells the world tat that he takes his
tip from Germany, not from the White
House; that Berth has certain rights,
which, when exercised. automatically
override the president Of the United
0tates- r.. ~
None but Z Root would hass dared
base HE defense UPON such "ssdtttonse
grounds at q time whom Americans
are not supposed to ooncede that enc,
my governments have any right, lett
Apch lisa that they have rights which
fpas the American people from presi-
Dental htnnct1onss These awkward
implications, and the equally dis,
tresatng tact thsk Wall street. sut
its copies Of tho treaty from the In
transitional Red Crpss league, tho ern.
berrassed newspapers hare thought II
best to drop arid forget, -..@. .. .
When they hooked Into Roots tear-
some eyes tie senate investigators
also deemed that the probe had gone
fa1 enough The mystery had been
solved. The incident was closed.
kenyon's Labor Program.
Senator Kenyon Of Iowa believes
that the policeman's club IL not the
only remedy for social unrest n
America. His mother taught him that
when the baby howled It might have
. pin sticking into It. SO, while the
department Of Justice applies the
birch, Kenyon believes congress ought
to busy itself at removing some OF the
established causes OF unrest and re-
bellion. His first thought IL 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 thu
town worker should be helped to buy
Q home. TO this end the farm loar