Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-21
Labor Should Heed the
WarnGnQ
From the Baltimore American.

|
Whatever else may happen, labor seems De,
| tcrmined that it shall lose none OF the ground
it gained through the war emergency OF the
nation, II this position shall be successfully
maintained, prices will remain crystallized at the
| present level. That is, until something more
fundamental than the edicts of labor unions
shall become operative. Labor is. dependent
| upon one employment When labor
ceases to be an asset to society it becomes a
,burdep. Capital, also, comes to be unemployed
and unproductve, but It has resources and labor
does not; it can afford to weather an era OF de-
be employed or suffer poignantly. In the pres
cnce of an industrial crisis all the finely spun
theories and hard-built-up prerogatives OF labor
organizations fall to the ground. A school, OF
desperation holding to doctrine of despair has
sprung-up in these latter days that goes under
turned to, but, unfortunately, the workers of
America have come to be capitalists; to own
their own homes; to own bonds and bank ac-
counts and to have provided investments OF one
make impossible the adoption of bolshevism in
any case, for that is set for the direct destruc-
ton OF wages as commonly understood in this
country. The threat of bolshevsm could hold
no terrors for the United States Here it could
stand y only for gToup;,outawry, to be treated ex-
actly like any other kind of outlawry.
The labor organizations, therefore, would do
we'll to do some clear thinking before they seek
to control the-politica parties by their interest
vote Such a position for interest only is thor
ooughly un-Americah: 1t does not fit into the
American system of party politics. It could
be justified only in the expectation Of the crea-
~tion OF a labor party such as appears to be upon
the brink of taking over the administration of
England out of the hands of the coalition gov
,ernment. Had the United States established
coalition government at the time of going into
the war, course that had strong espousal, the
foundation would have been laid for labor
party as in England. As matters stand, there
is no foundation for anything of the sort. The
American skilled worker has no taste for the
segregation of himself and fellows into a labor
camp: He looks upon his daily toll as means
OF subsistence and his connection with union
as protective of the same. But he is far from
willing: to have the men who govern his union
control his entire destinies. Nor is he to be led
thing of supreme interest to the country. He
IS hrst OF all an American and not union man |
with internatonalism as the dark shadow tral- |
ing at the skirts Of the Unions in politics. 1t is
all right for the Federation Of Labor to ques
ton all candidates for office, to ascertain their
labor views. 1t would not be difficult for any
one OF them to answer favorably ip general
terms. As for specific commitments the very
nature and reach of labor legislation and legis-
lation bearing upon labor makes impossible for
would be at all binding. Then it would develop I
upon group of labor autocrats to administer
punishment upon candidates. Here is where the |
independent American citizen would break loose
from the assumptions Of few interfering in the
field of his privilege.
Congressman Frederick H. Gillett speaker of
the house, says that with which 90 per cent OF /
the men in organized labor will agree namely,
that when labor unions go SO far as to threaten
tor their own advancement to stop the wheels
of the railroads and to close the output of the
mines, without which the whole industrial or
ganization would collapse, they, in turn, are ex-
ercising power that no govexQment would per-
NIT. 1t becomes question whether combina-
the business life of the country than a conn.,
bination of the unemployed.
What does he mean by more threatening?
He leaves no doubt when he gives warning that
the country is facing financial panic similar to
that of 18o5 unless all shall work together. The
basis for this condition lies in the matter that
is wholly out of the control OF labor to effect
BY its self-interest program, namely, the float
ing debt of $40O0000O00 in treasury certificates
Unless cooperation prevents the crisis and
panic shall come, where will be the house of
cards of the labor organizations? These have
power only in time Of prosperity. They are su-
pine in time of adversely Let them isolate
themselves from the sympathies of their fellows
in the great body of consumers, and precipitate
thereby panic, and see how much sympathy
the debris of business for which they will be
held responsible 1t is fine talk, this nonsense
about a labor vote, cast for labor, but, unfor-
unately for the short-sighted labor leaders, it
ioes not accord either with the American basic
political conditions or conditions for economic
welfare.