The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-09-25

! 1eS1re is 60 IOllOW g. course InaL ledQS
Backward and if elected to lead the
nation in such a course.
Desires To Go Forward
Governor Cox proclaims a desire
to go forward and determination to
lead: the nation in a. forward course
it he Is elected to the presidency.
Both Of these statements are alb
stractions and Of themselves mean
nothing beyond a definition Of the
general trend of thought of the can
didates. The important fact is. how
ever, that the platforms of the parties
upon which these candidates stand
and their own personal philosophers
lead inevitably and naturally up to
the conclusions found in those two
brief utterances. Because that is SO
| it is fair to accept them as broad
though brief statements Of general
policy.
Would Go Backward.
"Harding says. I am for going back
ward.
"Cox says, I am for going forward.
'The platforms and the speeches Of
acceptance by the candidates have al
ready been analyzed by Labor, but it
may serve SOME purpose again to call
attention to the principal points at
issue as found in these documents.
eff it is Senator Harding's desire
to follow a public policy which leads
| backward, and he has so expressed
himself, he will but have to go along
with the declarations Of the platform
of his party.
&c oopooro. %bo ;ce,,o x,oe%
vital to labor the Republican party
platform makes no acknowledgment
of the right Of the workers to organ
ize into trade unions and to elect
their own representatives for CONSUL
tation and negotiation with employ
ers. Neither does the Republican
party platform make any provision
for the protection Of the workers
against unwarrantable use of the writ
of injunction. The. silence of the
platform, upon which Senator Hard
ing stands on the question of injunc-
| tions in Industrial disputes is most
complete and profound.
A Left-handed Declaration.
THE Republican party platform in
terests itself in the question Of strikes.
The interest manifested. however. Is
clearly the interest>pf those who are
| looking backward and who would in
| duce the nation to look backward
with them. There are suggestions Of
Tribunals. governmental investigations
and the influence Of the public opin-
| ion, the whole plank constituting what
| Labor has described as a denial Of
Labor's demands and contemplating
| the erection Of government machin-
cry for the coercion Of Labor and for
the suppression and limitation Of its
proper, lawful and normal activities
Senator Harding places himself wholly
in the spirit Of such platform declara.
tions when he says, Let US return to
/ normalcy.'-
| THE high cost Of living 10 an Issue
felt in every home in the United
States. Step by step the cost Of living
has been increasing since the armis-
tice, even as it increased before the
armistice, and there is today no more
promise Of relief than there was SIX
months ago. The increasing cost Of
living has been in effect reduction
Of the purchasing power Of dollar
fully one-half.
. A 50-cent Dollar.
! '"Those who earn today the same
number Of dollars they earned in 1913
and in the early months Of 1914 are
getting in real wages one-half the
amount they earned then because OF
this reduction in the buying power
Of the dollar. To earn the same.
Co.tisasd % Do0s t.oo