The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-16
A. F. of L. Enters Politics.


The American Federation of Labor is
going to work for a labor government.
II viii strive to elect a labor congress,
supporting in each district the candidate
l-Republican or Democrat-most favor
able to its demands. 1t will enter into
local and state primaries and elections
| II will seek the choice of governors, leg
islatures, judges friendly to its de-
| mands. The making of laws the inter-
probation of laws. and the administra-
ton of laws, are to be in the hands of
men representative Of or well disposed
or obedient to the federation, which
reckOns its numbers at 1000 900. In eff
! feet, 1t puts the labor vote up at auc-
| ton. It will go to the party that makes
the highest bid in its platform and in
the character of it's candidates. That
| is the program and the aim. If the
federation's political hopes are crowned
with success our local, state and ma
| tional governments-the executive, leg
islative, judicial, every branch, func-
| ton, process-will be controlled by and
for class, by and for a small majority.
simultaneously and in evident concert
with the federation manifesto Labor,
official organ OF the Plumb Plan league,
| cries for the mobilization of laborers'
and farmers votes, the election of at
least 200 workers and farmers to con-
| gress. We needn't concern ourselves
about the farmers, whose responsible or
terests, are opposed to the Plumb plan of
running the. railroads for the benefit OF
| the railroad employees and at the eX-
| pense of the taxpayers. Fiat paper
money and financial ruin would be the
| inevitable result of the adoption Of the
| Plumb plan. The body of the nation,
Epassionately bent on national economy
| the reduction of taxation. could look
with colder eye on hardly any other
proposal, 1t is naked class selfishness
IL is consonant accompaniment to the
scheme of class minority government,
Der
The Plumb planners and the fedora
ton challenge the majority of the
American people. There can be no
doubt Of the answer. The politician who
expects to succeed will win by courage,
the class party.-New York Times (Ind)
Situation Serious.
We have in the United States the only
really strong and solvent banking sys-
tenn in the world and by far the largest
supply of gold in the world. Our in
dustries are in splendid working order
and are capable of producing much more
in volume of goods than they are now
turning out. There is but little accu-
mutation of output on hand and there
forward to a successful and productive
year, The problems by which we are
faced are those Of reimbursement and
reconstruction. Prices are too high and
their advance must be stopped Spec
ulation, not merely in securities but
in lands, commodities and other values,
has been too excited and extensive; it
should be checked. Profiteering and
disregard of the interests of the COM
munity in general has existed in some
quarters and has caused dissatisfaction.
The time has come to eliminate it. In
our foreign trade we must content our
selves with a smaller volume of bust
ness carried on with greater conserva-
tism and probably with a smaller mar
gin OF profit. These are all matters that
can be taken care of with proper at
| tention to detail and they must be stud
| led and acted upon without delay, The
| process of restoring more stable and
permanent balance in our trade will be
somewhat painful, but will bring far
greater good than it will do damage.
| There Is no occasion for fear or pes
simism in the present circumstances
but merely for recognition of the true
causes of existing conditions and a will
ingness to assist in remedying them. 1t
has been apparent for a long time past
that all could not go on charging higher
prices, paying higher wages and selling
to the recipient of such wages in new
er-ending circle of initiation. If the
break in these vicious conditions has
come now it merely betokens the arrival
Of the time for setting our feet upon the
straight path to more genuine prosper
ity. Careful work on the part of finan-
cers and statesmanlike management of
the large public problems now facing
our government are called for. with
this as a basis we shall be able to work
out of present difficulties and perhaps
sooner than any other nation restore
ourselves to something like the normal
course of business life. which existed
before the war--New York Journal of
Commerce Und).