The Arizona copper camp., 1919-12-13
THE PLUMB PROPAGANDA

The country at large is beginning
to think, or being induced to think.
on political topics. Congress has
opened its regular session. The shad.
ow of the conventions and election
of 1920 looms larger.
Yet there is danger that one
vital phase of the political situation
may escape the proper attention.
j from the general public-while pret-Il
ty sure of what may prove improperI
attention from an interested quarter.
The possible candidates. for the
big nominations already offer an
inviting theme, personal and sec
tional. But that is as yet very
neEular hypothesis. Booms born inl
December often perish in the heats
of midsummer.
! Congress has before it big and
important grist There is the fate
of the treaty, now engaging the att
tention of many citizens in pro orr
naturalization masss meetings
There are such large issues as those
affecting Mexico, the railroads, the
merchant marine labor, the "reds,
foreign credits, a budget, certain tax
and tariff items, and other tasks of
r reconstruction. The achievement rec
, ord of the past six months does not
promise much for the next six.
But the scrambling and the quar-
reling that will ensue in the effort
, at achievement are quite likely to
: divert public attention from the vital
| phase aforesaid. In these times,
politics has very much of an eco
nomic complexion. The case is very
much so in this instance, wherein
politics would dominate economics.
| It is the case of the Plumb plan.
Popular inclination has been to re-
, gard this as a buried issue. Did it
not meet thumbs down" from con-
gressional committee while ago?
: And also a canny avoidance from
Federation heads? Yet it is perma-
f nently dead?
, Apparently not, if persistent
i, propaganda has it's way. That prop
aganda may be the more effectively
: aiming at it's end because just now
) it is working quietly and thereby
, not counting much aroused opposi-
ton. 1t has two distinct assets
the already created organizations of
railway workers, tending to an in
creased solidarity and the selfish in
] centive it supplies for the class use
of that organized power in politics.
4 There are 100000 voters who
could be thus marshaled to seek
: through political pressure the in
> creased money and power it would
9 bestow on them as a class, at the
q expense of both security holders and
/ the public at large. When it comes
. to electing congressman in 1920, will
0 this potential pressure, nursed mean
iwhile in reserve, be suddenly and
strategically applied-and the task
:, be thrust on an improvised opposi-
!, tion to educate hurriedly the bulk
!, of the voting public, amid the dis
fractions of presidential campaign
A shining example of what de-
termined and skilful minority can
;, achieve in politics offers encourage
: ment to the Plumb propaganda. That
prior shrewd- use of political mass
play, taking advantage of war op
portunities and distractions, reached
it's climax when it stampeded eight
legislatures onto it's band wagon
within three days. Will the Plumt
planners take leaf out of the pro
hibitionists' book?
That the pressure is already being
quietly applied is evident from the
;. mail of a certain member of the
senate. AS result of his opposition
to the Plumb plan he has received
not a single letter of commentator
from business men, but literally
4 thousands of letters of condemnation
7. from labor men.
I'll If success crowns this propaganda
st what assurance that it will stop with
Q the railroads? That a host of other
< large lines of business will stay i'm
p mune?
eI And what assurance that the fal
It lacies and dangers of the Plumb plar
l. will be defeated if American bust
; ness remains dumb and Indifferent:
II