The Connecticut labor press., 1920-07-24

stry. Mr.. Babson' s statement said
I. There is no doubt about it-labor is
| beaten. Mr.. Gompers was at his zenith
IN 1913. Since then he has steadily lost
power He has lost power with his
own people because he is no longer able
to deliver the goods. He can no longer
deliver the goods for two reasons: For
one thing, peace urgency has replaced
war urgency and we are not willing
to bid for peace labor as we had to
bid for war labor; for another thing,
the employing class is immensely more
powerful than it was IN 1914
He had then an organized labor
| force more numerous than ever before
Relatively twice as many workers are
organized as in 1913 But this same
labor force has lost its hold on the pub
lie. Furthermore, it is divided in its
own camp. 1t fears capital. It also
| fears its own factions 1t threatens,
but it does not dare.
We said that the employing class
was immensely more powerful than in
1914. There is more money at its COM
mand. Eighteen thousand new million
| aires are the wars legacy. This money
capacity is more thoroughly unified than
ever. In 1914 we had 10000 banks,
funchon1ng to great degree in inde-
pendence of each other. Then came
the Federal Reserve Act and gave us
the machinery for consolidation and the
emergency of five years war furnished
the hammer blows to weld the struc-
ture into one.
THE war taught the employing class
the secret and the power of widespread
propaganda Imperial Europe had
been aware Of ll1is power 1t was new
to the United States. Now, when we
have anything to sell to the American
people, we know how 20 sell it. We
have learned. We have the schools.
We have the pulpit. The employing class
owns the press. There is practically no
important paper in the United States
but is theirs
English labor has come out of the
war with great gains. During the war
the United States workers fooled them
selves and fooled some of us into
thinking that labor here and in Eng
land stood neck and neck. We forgot
England's long generations start of us.
There is no such labor force in the
world. English labor was ready to
wiring advantage out of the war;
United States labor wanted to do so.
but it had not lived the life needfu1 to
that end
What, then, are we going to do to
our opponents? When, in 1913. we
gritted our teeth and said that we were
going to show them where they got off,
we had no very definite aim In view
beyond just words. Now that we have
indicated successfully the point of dis
embarkation, the question arises: What
are we going to do about it ?"
Babson's batting average in this state
ment is just about zero.
His source of information about La
Dor must be wonder to behold.
His power of analysis and deduction
are marvellous and weird
His ability to pass the bunk to en-
ployers and get money for tiff this
is samples amazing.
Babson has posed as liberal. He
has written kindly advice for newspa-
per syndicates. He has Babsonized
everybody that would stand for it. And
on top of that he helped win the war.
Now he has labor beaten.
Of course if labor really is beaten
that ends Babson's job, for it will not
be necessary to keep employers inform
ed about a labor movement that has
gone on the rocks and got all smashed
up.
But is labor beaten? Where does
Babson get that stuff?
Does the Republican platform look
as if labor is beaten?
Does the nomination of Harding look
as if labor is beaten?
Does the effort being made by num-
Der of employers associations look as
if labor is beaten?
;. Does the pitiful publicity of the VIII
hanson Coal Operators Association
look as if labor is beaten?
Does the American Federation of
Labor membership of 4,5O0,OOO look as
if labor is beaten?
Does the reelection of President
Gompers, with but one opposing vote,
look as if Mr.. Gompers has been
crushed?
Does the wonderful enthusiasm back
ot the non-partisan political campaign
ok as if labor is beaten?
Labor is surging forward at an in
spring speed.
Labor's influence in America was
never so great.
Labor's constructive craftsmanship
was never so effective, never wiser, new
er SO badly needed.
Labor's demand for relief for every
citizen, labor's battle for the common
welfare, has brought hope and cheer
and inspiration to thousands of HELPLESS
Individuals.
Labor's aggressive fight for the pre-
'ervation of American liberty and the
traditions of American democracy is
one of the big, hopeful signs in our
public life.
Babson slipped.
He got the dope reversed.
He passed to the haters of labor a
,alse cheer
He handed them lemon.
Babson says labor is divided in its
'wn camp, that it fears its own factions.
md dares but doesn't do.