The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-09-24
"NORMALCY" VS..
PROGRESS
(By Samuel Gompers)

attitude toward the great public is.
ues of the day. In a sentence each
has summed up his position.
In effect Senator Harding says
Let us return to normalcy."
Governor Cox says, 81 am fol
progress"
Senator Harding does not use the
word normal" he speakes of "nor-
malcy." The word is obsolete and
so is the condition to which he would
return.
Unquestionably in the mind of
Senator Harding a return to normal
means return to the conditions that
existed before the war-a return to
something that is past. Obviously
/ it is impossible to return to some
thing that is not past. 1t is clear
then that in keeping with the spirit
of the Republican platform Senator
Harding's personal desire is to fol-
low a course that leads backward
and if elected to lead the nation in
such a course.
Governor Cox proclaims a desire to
go forward and a determination to
lead the nation in a forward course
if he is elected to the Presidency.
Both of these statements are alb
stractions and of themselves mean
!. nothing beyond a definition of the
general trend of thought of the can
didates. The important fact is,
however, that the platforms of the
parties upon which these candidates
stand and their own personal phil
osophies lead inevitably and natur-
ally up to the conclusions found in
those two brief utterances. Because
that is so it is fair to accept them
as broad though brief statements of
general policy.
Harding says, am for going back
ward.
Cox says, am for going forward.
The platforms and the speeches of
acceptance by the candidates have
already. been analyzed by Labor. but
1t may serve some purpose again
to call attention to the principal
points at issue as found in these doc
uments.
If it is Senator Harding's desire
to follow public policy which leads
backward, and he has so expressed
himself, he will but have to "go
along with" the declarations of the
platform of his party.
Insofar as concerns the issue most
vital to labor the Republican party
platform makes no acknowledgment
of the right Of the workers to or
ganize into trade unions and to elect
their own representatives for con-
sultation and negotiation with en-
ployers. Neither does the Republic
party platform make any provision
for the protection of the workers
against unWarrantable use of the writ
of injunction. The silence of the
platform upon which Senator Harding
stands on the question of injunctions
IN industrial disputes is most com
plete and profound.
The Republican party platform in
terests itself in the question of
strikes. The interest manifested.
however, is clearly the interest of
those who are looking backward and
who would induce the nation to look
backward with them. There are sug
gestions of tribunals, governmental
Investigations and the Influence" of
the public opinion, the whole plank
constituting what Labor has describ-
ed as denial of Labors demands"
and contemplating "the erection of
government machinery for the CO.
erclon of Labor and for the sup
preston and limitation of it's power.
lawful and normal activities" SEN
ator Harding places himself wholly
IN the spirit of such platform declara-
tlons when he says, LET us return
to normacy."
The high cost of living is an issue
felt in every home in the United
States. Step by step the cost of liv-
ing has been increasing since the
armlstice, even as it increased before
the armistice. and there is today no
more promise of relief than there
was six months ago. The increasing
cost of living has been in effect a
reduction of the purchasing power
of dollar fully one-half.
Those who earn today the same
number of dollars they earned in
1913 and in the early months of
1914 are getting in real wages one
half the amount they earned then
because of this reduction in the buv
ing power of the dollar. To earn
the same amount in real wages that
they earned in 1913 the workers
must earn twice the number of dol
lars, and there are thousands upon
thousands who have not been able
to advance their wages to any ap-
preclable extent. Thus by pro
cess that has been subtle and gradual
thousands of Americans have had
tnelr wages reduced and their whole
standard and manner of living al
tered.
Upon an issue so vital the Repub-
ilcan party platform comes to us
with no word of hope and no promise
OF relief. In the language of La
bor's analysis, the Republican party
platform "evades the issue and Of
fers no remedy; it denies the import
ance of profiteering as the leading
cause OF the high cost of living"
AS the months pass the problem
of immigration is bound to become
one of increasing Importance. Re-
ports from Europe are to the effect
that millions from northern, south
ern, and central Europe are only
waiting the ships to bring them be-
fore coming to our land. The only
restriction upon unlimited and per-
haps unprecedented immigration is
the lack of sufficient ships to bring
all those who are waiting with eager
ness to embark. No part of our
public life can escape the effects of
unrestricted immigration. The ques-
ton is one of paramount Importance.
The platform upon which Mr.. Hard
ing is a candidate and unon which
he would have us return to NOR
malcy" makes no mention of the sub
hct. It's silence is unmarried bv