The Cordova daily times., 1919-10-24
THE WRONG WHIP

Lion tanners make a practice of car rying whip in either hand when en- tering the wild beasts cages. With the whip held in the right hand they punish the lion when he is disobedi- ent or pugnacious. But with the whip in the left hand they merely threaten. Cautiously enough, the lion merely dis likes the right-hand whip, but greatly fears the left-hand whip; he knows the right whip from experience, but the left whip holds all the terrors of the unknown. When he turns, snarl- ing, under the right-hand whip, and would spring, the upraised left-hand whip sends him covering to a far corner
 Similarly, organized labor has faced the American public with whip in either hand The public is well scored and welted with the right-hand whip the whip of strike, riot, disorder and property loss. But when it's anger deadened the sting of this whip it al ways recoiled from the uplifted left hand whip-the whip of a general strike, tying up of basic industry, a removal of the agents of law and order.
 The bare mention of these has al ways been sufficient to call up horri- ble pictures of bankruptcy and com plete cessation of industry; starvation, and mobs rioting for bread murder, pillage, cities in flames; and-dread- full word only to be whispered-reVo- lution Repeatedly the unions have lashed the public with unreasonable demands, enforced by strike, while the dreadful left-hand whip chilled the public anger with menaces of what labor would do if affronted.
 Sometimes, however, in the heat of the moment, the trainer strikes the lion with the wrong Whip-the left hand whip. Then he is indeed agile to escape alive from the cage h. stantly the king of the jungle perceives that the left-hand whip is only whip after all; that it has no more real power to stop him than has the right hand whip. Then he springs upon his trainer.
 Has organized labor, excited with . power, struck with the wrong whip the left-hand whip, the whip of gen. eral action? Has the public eXperl- enced the same disillusionment as the lion? England had general strike, and life went on and business went on; what though they limped? Babies did not die, factory doors opened, the gov ernment stood Because the public went into engine cabs and switch tow CTS and demonstrated by courage and initiative its title to stand amongst free and independent peoples.
 The steel industry-a basic indus try, indeed-was threatened with dire punishments by the representatives of practically all their employees. It gave battle Today the fiery breathings Of labor's captains are become gentle signs; their camps are emptying, and it is shown that the representatives stood largely for themselves.
 The misled police of Boston left their posts in strike" designed to terrorize the city into acquiescence with its demands. The city was not burned, nor did crime and disorder pre- vail longer than a space of hours. The citizens armed themselves and proved that freemen could keep their house clean.
 The public and the lion have been victims of fear of the unknown, But disillusioned lion and an awakened public are alike dangerous to those who face them. The public is suffi' cient unto itself and need turn from no class or clique. Like truth, it is mighty and shall prevail.TBoston