The Washington times., 1920-04-11

One Big Union, The U. S. A.
what the Masses Say"
Don't Mistake "The Masses
For "Them Asses"
By ARTHUR BRISBANE
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by ARTHUR BRISBANE
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Repudiating their leaders, GER
tain workers announce their plan
TO form zone big union" and end
The existence of smaller unions,
brotherhoods, etc.
There exists already zone big
union" In this country. Its name
is The United States Of America"
The members Of that union are
the people Of the United States.
As "one big union" they answer
tne purpose we'll, they do not in
vite, and do not expect, any COM
petition.
Not even the most stupid cor
Poration manager would dare to
talk Of zone big corporation" to
run all the affairs of this country.
he would be told promptly "if one
big corporation Is necessary or
feasible the country will be that
corporation"
There will never be zone big
corporation" or zone big union"
running this country. Write that
on your tablets.
Most important event, since the
war, Is the strike of railroad men,
running wild, as they frankly ad-
init, disregarding leaders, officers
OF their unions, elected by them.
To the United States this might
be more important than the war.
For the war was an outside thing
and could be attended to outside.
This strike is an inside matter,
iEportant to every citizen, espe-
cially to those that work for q
living and have no accumulated
resources.
\ II would be serious for the
United States il disorganixation in
one great branch Of public service
affecting all other branches were
not subject to reasonable settle
ment. But this matter fortunatA-
~ win be settled properly.
A small group of men, not rep
resenting one-tenth Of one per
cent Of the inhabitants Of the
OAutCu oSoSCc, aAC oCCuoCu w 1AICAI
four great union labor leaders,
Shepherd, Lee, Stone, and Carter,
Of violating obligations, menacing
welfare Of all workers, by attempt
ing to destroy labor unions
To the protest Of their elected
officers In the four labor union
br0therh0ods of conductors, train
men, locomotive engineers, and 10
comotive firemen and enginemen,
one leader Of the so-called "out-
law strike" replies: "You say we
can't strike lawfully, but what the
masses say is law"
Precisely, what the masses say
Is LGs0. The masses are the hun
dred million inhabitants of this
country, and the real masses, the
people Of the United States, say
that they do not" intend to have
travel and food delivery checked
every time q quarrel occurs among
relatively small groups Of citizens.
The outlaw strike gentleman
who calls himself "the masses"
should remember the seven t9ilors
of Tooley street who began their
statement, ave, the people Of Eng
land"
That same leader and those as
sociated with him in the belief
that thirty thousand men can die
tate to a hundred millions should
bear in mind the statement of
celebrated radical leader: "The
people that have imagined them
selves to be the masses often act
like them asses.'"
: The more conservative among
the men that repudiate their
union leaders are quoted as fol-
lows: 1--WE want to get w. G.
Lee, president Of the Brotherhood
of Railroad Trainmen. He did not
represent us, fairly at Washing
ton"
That may be true, and it. is for
union men to act if they want a
new representative. But intelli-
gent men will change an official
without subjecting all the in
inhabitants of the country to lack
of employment, food supplies and
transportation.
With men demanding eight
hours and wages sufficient to meet
the high cost Of living, whatever
such wages may be, the public
has sincere sympathy.
The public has not deserved
that the effort "to get" an individ-
ual labor leader should be held as
excuse sufficient for menacing the
welfare of the entire nation.
Suppose the stockholders Of a
railroad, wishing ito get" their
president, discharged every work.
man and Inconvenience the whole