The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-10
THE BIRMINGHAM AGEHERALD TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10, 1920

other alternative than 10 surrender This
 surrender was the time on which or
 gsrized labor proceeded to drunken itself
 lt demanded repeated increase in wage.
 and got it. For the war was on. It de-
 manded many other progressive" con
 sessions. and when employers refused or
 indicated an intention to refuse. organized
 labor, despite the existence of war,
 struck. And then the war came to an
 end. Congress recovered some of it's equilibrium Since then labor has re-
 oeived nothing more than it was entitled
 to receive.
 When the railroad question was precipi- i tated, organized labor presented the Plumb plan, a plan providing for the ac- quisition by the government of the rail- roads. and the surrender of the property, in part, to organized labor. No mem
 beT of Congress spoke for the Plumb plan. If any member of Congress nursed se-
 cret yearning to his heart that the plan might be adopted, he lacked the cour- age which the confession of such Warn ing would have required. And the Plumb
 plan went out of gear despite the threat
 of organized labor that it's rejection might precipitate a revolution.
 And then organized labor came for
 ward with a demand that the govern ment continue to hold to the railroads. or if not to hold them permanently, to postpone for two or five years their re- turn to their rigatfui owners Congress paid little attention to the demand, though some members, moved by the pro- paganda which expressed itself from every district in the United States. swayed in their course to the extent of embracing the idea. President Wilson ig- nored the demand, and announced that he would restore the railroads March I. And then came the fight for the Esch and the Cummins bills. The E-sch bill,
 though without teeth in the beginning,
 was denounced as completely as was the
 stronger and more American Cumr1fns
 bill. When the Esch bill passed the House
 it's so-called anti-strilSe section was as firm as clabber. as strong as milk. The
 House had surrendered to the demands of organized labor, but organized labor, de-
 string no bill. continued to denounce the E,sch bill. Its fight in the Senate against the Cummns bill resulted in complete failure. That measure passed the Sen
 ate with a clause declaring strikes il- legal and providing penalties for viola tion of the law.
 In the conference the penalties were
 stricken, but the vital provisions were retained. As result. all disputes between capital and labor must be referred to a board composed of representatives of each faction. From that board either may ap- peal to a body to be appointed by the President and representing and speaking
 fo. the government of the United States, the great American public. Organized labor cannot conceive how it could, in view of those provisions. strike against the governmnt, and against public opin- ion It knows that it's victory in striking the penalty clause was an empty victory Therefore, organized labor goes on the war path. II demands wage increases lapproximating $500. GOO 600 per amum. Di- rector General Hines will not grant such l an increase. Should the .brotherhoods strike new the President could exercise his war power Should the brotherhoods strike after the restoration of the rail roads they would do so in the face of the law of the land Therefore. they go into politics They call their 100000 clans men together for the purpose of wipme out the present Congress. They want 2 Cong gress which will represent labor. That is their purpose which they do not deny. i It is understood that organized labor like the Anti-Saloon League, will Joir the democrats where it desires to defea a republican and the republicans wher | it desires to defeat democrat It is un