Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-11-12
AMERICA FIRST!

union leaders in withdrawing the strike order.
Its the true spirit of every loyal American today. Many
things take place in government circles that we may not ap-
prove of and that cause us to criticize and protest. We will
do everything within our power to correct that which we be-
lieve to be wrong. But, being Americans, we cannot fight our
government once the government has taken a stand. We will
obey the laws as interpreted by the courts like good citizens,
but there is nothing to prevent us doing what we can to elect
men to office who will make the laws what we think they ought
TO be.
The action of the officials of the miners union in calling
off the strike in compliance with the court order is particu-
larly gratifying because it was beginning to look as if labor,
under radical leadership, was inclined to place allegiance to
their federation first and allegiance to their country second.
The Boston police strike was, perhaps, the first outward indi-
cation of This. 1t caused much surprise and not a little
concern.
As soon as any large body of citizens set up a government of
q class to supercede the government set up by the whole people,
this great republic of ours becomes a failure and Washington
and Lincoln would, indeed, have lived in vain.
OF course, this tendency to defy the constitutional author
lily and to set up a class government to supercede the govern
ment by the whole people pleased the radicals immensely. The
%Bolsheviks, the l. w. w the Communists, anarchists and all
other revolutionary types rejoiced exceedingly. The tendency
was all their way, Even Samuel Gompers, the great conserva-
tive leader who has fought the radical element in the labor
movement SO successfully for so many years, seemed to have
been won over. 1t looked as if the situation was getting be-
yond his control.
Upon the outcome of that momentous conference of the
nlne workers Wlcn III was 10 De deCldeu WIeJnef 10 uely tne
court order and go ahead with the strike or obey the mandate
Of the government and call the strike off, rested not only the
fate of the miners themselves, but the future of organized
labor as a whole.
There are million of Americans who readily see the de-
fects in the American government. No government has yet
been devised that is perfect. But of these millions the vast
majority realize that the government, even with all its imper-
fections, must be upheld and maintained.
If the miners union could defy the government and ignore
the rulings of the courts, so could any other organization that
might be set up. Things would soon come to a pretty pass and
the result would be chaos.
Had the miners union decided to disregard the court or
der and thereby defy the government which the courts repre-
sent. it would have set back the cause of union labor fifty years,
for through hasty and ill-advised action on the part of its ma
tional officials, the American Federation of Labor, which in
eludes most of the organized workers of the country, had en-
dorsed the miners cause and promised to stand by the miners
In their strike regardless of what action they might lake. Not
only would this action in defying the government lost labor
thousands of its friends, but many loyal union men themselves
would have refused to follow such leadership. The disinte-
grafton of organized labor would have set in.
But as dear to their hearts as is the cause of the miners,
cropping into the bowels Of the earth to earn their living, the
cause of America and all that America stands for is dearer.
The cause of labor is a just cause and one worthy of the
utmost support, but it cannot supercede the government of the
people, by the people and for the people,
America lrstl Then our union, our lodges, our sect or
any organization that we may hold dear.
With the statement, 1--WE are Americans. We cannot
fight our government" the crisis in the great unrest that has
so disturbed our national life since the war ended has been
passed. The fear that was beginning to enter some minds that
IN attempt would be made to overthrow the government and
set up some form of q Soviet rule such as has wrought so much
havoc in Russia, has gone. The radicals made a strong play
and almost, but not quite, succeeded.
No matter what may happen from now on, labor will re-
main loyal. The attempt to capture uionism and turn it
against the government has failed. The cause of organized
labor has been saved.
This should be a turning point in the whole economic sit
uaton as it exists today. The greatest need of the hour is pro-
duction. Everybody should be working to their utmost to make
good the awful destruction Of the war Not until this loss is
made up can we hope to return to normal conditions. For
fhOnSan6S IF man In stand ornnndi idle of clnb n 1ion &c fbic 10
9 crime against civilization.
But the lesson is not to the working man alone. Capital
must be taught that it cannot dominate absolutely. There are
protiteers at work who must be punished. Labor must be given
a living wage and decent working conditions. The government
has a great work to perform in this particular. Not only should
there be a thorough investigation into the conditions regarding
the mining and marketing of coal, but there must be Justice
and fair dealing in all other industries.
Labor must be treated on am eanalitY with canital RuL