Evening star., 1921-02-15
Editorial Digest
The Evil of Briudell.


While most of the press of the coun-
try agrees with the Baltimore Sun
| independent democrat) that moth
| ing has happened in the country since
the armistice" that will afford more
| satisfaction" than the conviction Of
| Robert p. Brindell. president of the
! Building Trades Council of New York
| city. wide range of views is ex-
pressed as to what the effect Of the
scandal will be upon labor. Mr..
among employers" have been let off
with fines, while a labor man. has
been the only one thus far sentenced.
| meets with little sympathy.
The crimes Of this man, who rose
from dock laborer to GEAR" of the
building trades, are summed up by the
Brooklyn Eagle independent demo-
craD: He blackmailed builders. He
held laborins men as serfs. exploiting
them for selfish. sordid ends. He de-
based the whole craft of honest labor
by submitting it to his manipulations
and making it the unconscious tool
for his schemes of graft. He raised
! the rents of innumerable citizens who
in the last analysis had to pay the
cost of his depredations"
His conviction the New York Trib
une (republican) sees as hopeful
sign" that society is still able to pro-
tect itself from the most subtle efforts
of cunning wickedness to prey upon
it," and the New York World (demo-
craD. which had much to do in stir
ring up the investigation, rejoices
that New York is a better city to
live in for this justice that has been
done"
AS to the exposure of Brindelrs ac-
tivit:es and their effect upon en-
ployers and labor in general, the
Providence Tribune independent re-
publican believes they will at least
be an 'eye-opener" for members of
tractors who may be willing to pay
tribute to some such CRATER as Brir-
dell. when. instead. they should help
send him to the penitentiary." Organ
! iZed labor everywhere, the Tribune
believes, has been done IAN irrepara-
BILE injury.
The Buffalo Commercial Gndepend-
"nD sees in the affair an argument
for the open shop"
The Rochester Herald Gndependent)
expresses the hope that ''the lesson Of
| this will be taken at the full meaning
by the workers." and will teach them
that "a labor organization which does
not honestly and consistently strive to
promote the mutual benefit of both
employers and workers is the enemy
of both" However. 1T adds, "the EN-
ployers We're equally guilty with
3rindeil' and Infinitely more to be
despised.'
A similar view is expressed by the
New Haven Journal Courier Gnde-
perdent in demanding that "a cor
rect emphasis" be laid upon the Cor
. "''nr ie"d"r." He should not be
accepted 'impulsively as a type" thus
establishing all labor leaders as
'scoundrels." Two lessons are
Dointed out: First it will give build
ers courage" to resist the demand
fpiv nf c1, Lo
them share the guilt. and. second, 1t
demonstrates that members of Or
ganized labor" must watch the steps
OF their agents" The New York
Globe independently also feels that
abor isn't to blame. for "the treach-
parable with that of an elected polit-
ical official. and if the labor nff'o'"'
goes wrong he no more discredits
labor unionism than the grating -.
litical official discredits political gov
ernment." The Grand Rapids Herald
labor in the United States is stronger"
for the conviction of Brindell.
The Worcester Telegram (repub-
lican) declares that Gompers' at
tempt to hold up as martyr for
labor a man who exploited labor for
himself alone should be resented and
repudiated first Of all by the labor
unions themselves" and the New
York Mail independently sounds the
warning that 1.-The best thing trade
unionism can do is to wash it's hands
Of him for good and ALL and what
the country was entitled to hear from
Mr.. Gompers, because of his fine
record In the war. was ''a clarion
call to his followers TO weed out from
their midst any leaders who were
bringing. or who were likely to bring,
as much odium on the name of or
ganiZed labor as Brindell did"