Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-01-02

| Ciu curry dtoilS lildllN VI ulclI llltHl-
bcrS when they put forth a plan to
coniiscatc other peoples property
for the benefit of the unions? Or
when they propose to mortgage one
hundred millions of people to the
extent of twenty billions of dollars
to turn over the railroads to two
million employees?
Is ii any wonder that the United
Mine Workers should follow their
radical leaders into demand that
we mortgage ourselves five or ten
billion dollars more 10 buy for them
the coal mines and in the meantime
so OH strike to enforce Il demand
for an increase in wages and a
shortening of hours TO thirty per
week, which, if granted. would
either have meant confiScation OF
the mines or Il burden Of Il billion
dollars Il year on the public in an
increase III the price of coal?
And who is largely to blame for
this condition--for this general sit
uation?
Does not the largest share of the
responsibility rest upon the heads
of the public officials who have
lacked the moral courage to stand
against the threats of the radicals?
The average citizen, in the past.
was sympathetic with the demands
of labor, made so by corporation
wrongs and abuses. in the old days.
with which you are perfectly ia
miliar and which ! need not dis
cuss now. The average citizen had
put his foot down upon the public
service corporations. which were
chief among the offenders. and he
put it down SO hard that he just
about stamped the life out Of many
of those corporations. The average
citizcn-representi the great
American public. will do the same
thing TO the labor unions if they
persist in their attempts to run the
country exclusively for their own
! interests.
Labor autocracy can no more be
tolerated in this country than cor
poratiOn autOcracy or German au-
tocracy, to blot out which thouS-
andS Of patriots young Americans
!: yielded up their stainless lives.
SO, when we reflect upon who has
brought US to the present pass.
should moi all the people who love
! Constitution and all for which ii
! stands. make Il solemn compact
among themselves that they will not
support any man for Il public posi-
! ton who is not for America and
pure and unadultcratcd American
! ism first, last and all the time? And
who does not possess the courage
! to defy those. under whatever name
| they masquerade, who are seeking
! TO destroy our form of government
30 matter whether that destruction
be planned by force or through the
enactment of laws. State or nation
al, rcpugnant to our Constitution,
our form of government. its insti-
tutionS and its ideals.
Nearly one hundred years ago a
great Virginian. James Monroe, in
Il message TO Congress announced
to Europe that she must keep hands
off this continent. Though this ma
J ton was then in its infancy the ali-
tocracics of Europe knew better
than 10 defy the Monroe doctrine.
America. North and South, from
that day has been free from Eu-
rOpcan interference, except when
MaNimillian set up shop in Mexico.
at Il lime when this country was in
vOlvcd in a great civil war.
Not being able to tear down our
governmental structure set UP by
Washington and Adams. Jefferson
and Hamilton and their cOmpatriOts
the agitatorS and theorists; the Boil
sheviks and !. w. VS. that have
been Spewcd upon our shores by
the Old World, aided by their con
vcrts here. have started out to
wreck it by ''boring from within"
They came here 10 find freedom and
get big wages. They have decided
they want license instead of liberty,
and your property instead of work
and wages.
While the true Americans have
been busy at their work these for
cign-born agitatorS and their con-
vcrtS have been pouring stream
of poison into the veins of organ
lied labor and getting their Fitz-
ScraldS and Fosters at the heads of
some of the unions. SO persistent,
SO ingenious and so adroit have
they been that they were making
some Roadway toward The accomD-
lishmcnt of their purpose before
Americans began TO get awake and
look around. They are waking up
now, however. and beginning to
take a hand. They have slept so
long they cant undo in day all
The enemies of Amcricanism have
done in the past ten years. But
when the American people do once
Start they do job well and they
do it quickly. Germany can give