The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-10-11
THE THIRD PARTY IN A

In every strike there is a third
party-the great public. 1t Is
never consulted when a strike is
called. Often it is ignored by the
press. Always it has been the
greatest sufferer, says Leslie s
Weekly
The epidemic Of 1000 strikes,
which has swept the country
since the armistice, has accom-
plished one thing not upon the
program-it has aroused the pub
lie. The public has not made
noise, but the politicians have
discovered that it embraces more
votes than both the other parties
in industrial disputes, and that
when aroused, it is the biggest
factor in any election.
The New York World very per-
tinently points out that the Bos-
ton police struck not against COM
missioner, mayor or governor, but
against the community itself. "
Governor Coolidge Of Massachu-
setts was absolutely unassailable
when he declared, "There is no
right to strike against the public
safety by ANYBODY. anywhere
any time. 7
President Wilson was guilty of
no eXaggeration when he said that
"a strike of the policemen of
great city, leaving that city at the
mercy of an army Of thugs, is a
crime against civilization. So
unanimously did the public stand
behind the governor and police
commissioner at Boston that con
seryative labor leaders used their
Influence to have the strike called
off. Senator Thomas, democrat,
Of Colorado, referring to the fact
that rioting had subsidized only af-
ter the appeal of Samuel Com
pers, president of the American
Federation of Labor, declared
:" the little finger of Mr.. Gompers
has proved as thick as the loins of
the commonwealth of Massachu-
setts. "
According to Louis Seibold, a !
reliable political correspondent Of
the New York World, President
Wilson told q delegation of radi-
cal labor leaders at Seattle that |
he did not propose to counte-
nance the control of government
affairs by any special interest, |
whether it was labor or capital.
These are good words and we
hope the president will stand by |
them.
Representative Cooper of Ohio,
for twenty years railroad work |
er and still holding membership |
in the Brotherhood Of Locomotive
Engineers, speaking of the strik- !
mig policemen in Boston, said:
1t is the most disgraceful con
dition that could occur in civil
lied community for men who are
sworn to enforce the law to
strike, and leave the city at the
mercy of a bowling irresponsible !
mob. / fear it will react in a
thousand ways against organized
labor throughout the country, and
| cannot help but believe that I
such condition is not encoraged
by the better class of wOrkingmen
or their leaders, hut that is being
inspired by those who would
overthrow our form Of govern
ment and establish soivetized /
bolshevik system like that in Rus
sia. As one who has the interest
of the workingmen at heart, be-
ing one of them, | appeal to the
better class of organized labor to
use their better judgment and do
all in their power to offset this
radical movement. ''
Labor leaders are beginning to
see that the strike mania has in
jured labor through alienation of
the public May Hays a radical
leader and editor of a labor
weekly, the Cleveland Citizen. de-
plores the calling of a general
strike because it entails a vast
amount of suffering to large num-
bers of workers. and to the public
in a more or less degree" !" This