Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-25
Plumb Planners in Trouble

IT HE Plumb Plan League is having
troubles OF its own. II began its career
by making trouble for other people and has
been fairly successful in that particular. hut
it has found that it cannot go along forever
throwing bricks at political candidates and
political parties without having 10 dodge a
few henred in its own direction
Just now the Plumb planners have dis
covered that some of their original sup
porters are getting cold feet" with regard
To the Kind OF propa sanda that is being car
ried on in the name OF the great railroad
brotherhoodS. The trainmen have let il he
know that they do not care TO be parties
10 the extreme radicaliSn which is being
preached by the semi-Bolshevist writer's and
haranguers who have been attracted to the
service OF the league. and the reports are
that the trainmen are preparing to with
draw from the organization Also. il is said
that In" cnsinemen and hremen are no
longer enthusiastic over the policies OF
the league in the beginning. Only the
conductors seem to be standing unwayerng
ly behind the estimable Mr.. Plumb and his
group of erratic coworkers. II tn" conduc-
tors should be deserted by their brother
hood associates they. too. conceivabiy might
phil ont, leaving the league high and dry.
The reason for this weakening on the
part of the railroad men who started ont
:" convert the country 10 the cause OF rail
Way nation2lzation" is the charge that in
he recent strike the league gave too much
sympathy and support to the OUTLAW
strikers and. in sense Joined in re-
pudiation of the brotlierhoods. A is we'll
known now. the strike was engineered
largely by extreme radicals who bored from
within" and bored also from without These
radicals. many o. whom are hand in glove
with the l. W. MS and other Red elements
in this country. went out deliberately TO
break down the leadership of the railway
hrotherboOds. They asserted openly through
their speakers and their literature that the
old-line organizations are moribund. have
ceased TO protect the interests of the men.
and some OF their leaders had sold ont
to the capitalists.
il was this sort OF campaigning which
brought the brotherhood chiefs TO the side.
OF the public in the strike. These chiefs
suddenly found themselves lighting for their
official lives and the Integrity OF their or
saniza,ons. It is natural. therefore. that,
they should feel resentful over the repeated
iniimalionS that the Plumb Plan League,
which they were supporting, should have
given encouragement, 10 the strikers and the
radicals who Were leading the strike.
Not all the men engaged in Plumb prop
uganda have turned against the brother
hoods, OF course but it appears that many
OF the spokesman OF that organization. some
OF whom are merely hired writer's and
speakers. seized upon the railroad strike az
an opportunity to start IA revolt and in do
Ing that they created serious degree OF
diSco"d in the ranks OF the railroad men.
There are great many people in this conn-
try who would regard with satisfaction any
rupture which would destroy the Plumb
Plan League. people who are nor capital
Isl ana never expect To be.