Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-28
Editorial Digest
Forcing the "open Shop"

When the Christian Science Monitor
Boston. independently states editorially
that something more than . mere Ia
Dor union protest has been raised by
the attitude Of the Bethlehem Steel Cor
poration on the open. shop ISSUE" and
finds raised against it voices that
ordinarily speak rather more directly
for employers interests than for the in
terests Of the workers. it sums up the
general tenor Of editorial comment on
the labor policy of Bethlehem Steel
Both from the standpoint Of the moral
right of manufacturer to discriminate
in the sale of his product. and of the
effect OF such a policy on the present
open shop movement" condemnation Of
the practices of the steel corporation is
severe. Some papers regard this avow-
ed policy IS a natural reaction and re-
taliation against "labor dictation" and
few papers which consider it a support
able principle.
Measured from any angle. as the St
LOUIS Star Independently sees it, "the
policy laid down by President Grace
carries threats of disaster
The question Of "dictation' arouses
strong protest. The Salt Lake Telegram
(:ndependenD calls the steel company
"a modern Frankenstein," which, 'hav-
ing grown to gigantic proportions on
role Of dictator. defying the ideals and
the sentiment which permitted Its un-
restricted growth" The Elnlira IN. W
Star-Gazette independently regards the
matter not "a question Of whether the
open shop principle is morally or eco
nomically sound.' but wholly "a ques-
ton of a corporation seeking dictation
by means OF boycott" In the prosecu-
ton Of such a policy the st. Louis POST
Dispatch independently sees hardly an
imaginable limit TO the power big bus:-
ness may ultimately WELD. Arrogance
could go no further"
But 1.-The tTanscendent considera ton"
in the whole matter, says the New York
| relation to "the fight for tbs, closed Or
open shop" From this point OF view
; the attitude Of the steel company is
criticised by nearly all Of the papers
! which support the principle Of the "open
! shop because. the Fargo IN. D. Forum
credit the open shop movement more
| than for a corporation which has adopt
| ed the open shop to attempt to enforce
| 1t on all firms with which it does busi-
ness
The demand for the open shop is
gathering force every day. the Boston
Herald independent republican, finds,
and power Is coming back into the
hands Of the employer" but the atti-
3tude OF Bethlehem Steel lis an ex-
treme position that the leaders Of in
dustry cannot afford to take at this
time If the open shop is to be
brought about by methods which: in
the opinion Of the Philadelphia Public
Ledger independently differ in no
essential from the most coercive
methods Of trade unionism in its most
aggressive and oppressive FORM" it
will prove to he only "a challenger
and a bone Of contention
| The Chicago Tribune independent
republican, agrees that "the autocracy
recently rampant in certain labor cir
tcies cannot be successfully fought by
autocracy on the EMPLOYERS side" II
that policy is pursued, the Syracuse
that sin self protection the unions
viii employ all their power to make
unionism complete for the whole
process of production. and We shall
have a lineup between closed shop
land open shop. dividing all industry
into belligerent forces" If the open
shop is to prevail at all, according to
the Boston Transcript independent
republican) 'it must play fair"