The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-11-06
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rapable Of no double Interpretation.
Senator Harding has been elected
president by a great popular vote. His
total vote at this moment will in all
probability exceed that cast for his
combined opposition.
It is wonderful victory for the Re.
oublicans and tremendous defeat for
constructive liberalism in America. So
Tar as the United States is concerned
the League of Nations has been re.
pudiated, the passage Of the Esch Cum
minis bill has been approved and war
profitecring has been legalized.
The new administration, in complete
control Of the legislative and exccu.
i've branches Of the government, has
4 big job cut out for it. The problem
Of reconstruction is mighticr than that
Of the war itself. Back to normally
means back to pre.war conditions, pre-
war prices and lower wages. Where
labor is not organized to resist wage
reductions the drop in wages will be
much more rapid than reductions in
prices. The forces that nominated Sen.
ator Harding are no more DESTROYS of
letting go of their big profits than the
workers are disposed to surrender their
present wages. Labor will have little
to say about wages, but the profteers
will have all to say about both wages
and the prices they will exact from
the people.
When the celebration Of the present
victory is over the party leaders will
have time to mediate over the respon-
slbility the victory places upon them.
Never since the civil war has the Re.
publican party been confronted with.
such problem. 1t has job to do
and as an American newspaper we wish
the new administration we'll. What
ever is done may it be in the interests
Of all the people and not in the in
tcrest Of any special group.
The Republican victory comes as the
result Of we'll planned scheme that
was launched against President Wilson
Immediately following the signing Of
the armistice. The controlled news
papers poisoned the atmosphere. Big
business sent out its emissaries to dis
credit every good thing that had been
done under the Democratic admins.
tration.
President Wilson met such opposition
single handed and alone. He fought
like tiger for the League of Nations
and declared its acceptance by America
would be the beginning Of permanent
world peace and prosperity. He pre-
sented to Congress specific program Of
reconstruction, one designed to stop
prehtcering and reduce the high cost
of living. Congress did nothing. The
system controlled organs of publicity
threw mantle Of protection over it
aud "passed the buck' to the admin
istration.
Then came President Wilson s sick.
ness and his passage from the field Of
activity. That was the administra-
tons misfortune-possibly the coun-
try's misfortune. With it's leader in
capacitated one after another of the
cabinet officers, principally Burleson
and Palmer, started out to prove what
great asses they were. Every move
that Palmer made against the radicals.
and his sham fight against the profteers
played into the hands of the enemies
Of the administration and cooled the
ardor or drove from its support many
of its strongest pillars, the real liberal
Democrats who are against Privilege
and who stand for the ordinary liberties
of free press, free speech and lawful
assemblage.
Burleson s autocratic administration
of the postal service made every city
and rural letter carrier, every postal
and railway mail clerk in the country
= propaganda against the Democratic
party. Even postmasters complained
Of the shabby and frigid treatment
accorded to them by both field and
Washington representatives Of Mr.. Bur-
:eson. The people all these postal en-
ployes were able to reach and influence
was a body blow to the Democratic
party. 1t was doomed to defeat from
the date of President Wilson's afflic-
hon.
There were a number Of other con.
tributing factors to the downfall Of the
Wilson administration, but to Burleson
and Palmer may be credited tho most
costly. Governor Cox should have won
on the League Of Nations issue alone.
He should have won on the excellent
record made by tho party before aud
during the war, but the people are H.
.s. u: