Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-22


yersies between employer and em-
ployed. Experts on industrial relations
are going in for psycho-analysis ct least |
10 the extent Of agreeing on this. In |
deed. some Of them are ready 10 state II /
more vigorously md say that fear /
breeds labor troubles.
II is recognized that fear is one Of the /
great springs Of human action, and his |
| tory shows that Intimidation when !
| miperind,,ces fear has always been the !
! favorite weapon Of autocracy. mat
autocrncy may be czarisrn or oolshevlsm
| in Russia, or n self-centered and un-
enlightened industrial policy, either OF
capital or labor, in America.
Thus, 10 illustrate in a general way,
the open shop movement among con
siderable element of influential en-.
ployers has instilled in the minds OF
workers throughout the countr y fear
that the strength Of their unions IS TO be
broken down or destroyed. They be
lieve with all the feryor OF fanaticism
that their economic well-being depends
upon the maintenance Of their unions.
In the open shop drive they see a pur-
pose TO take away from them all the
benefits and advantages they have
gained through trsdes-unionism. They
visualize n return 10 low wages and long
hours and undesirable conditions OF
labor. They believe that the worker
has been exploited by capital ever since
the days Of the sons Of Mary and the
sons Of Martha, and in their minds only
eternal vigilance apd constant struggle
can guarantee them industrial and
economic freedom.
On the other hand, many well-in-
/, formed and wcll-meaning employers see
. n menace to established institutions and
property rights in the labor movement.
Radicals and radicalism within the ranks
: Of labor, which are arraigned and de-
= nounced even by labor leaders such as
? Samuel Gompers, arouses fear that
0 chilIs the hearts of these employers.
:, Bolshevism, to them, - q spectre that
!, will not down. In the spread Of trades
. unionism they read plan Of the wor kers
!. to dominate all industry and conduct
y IL for tho benefit OF the workers alone.
q. Confscation of capital is the real goal
y Of extremists in the labor group, accord
ing to these employers, and some OF
!. them 90 so far as to say that If you
!, scratch any trades-unionist he vii
= bleed radicalism.'
y No matter which side is right, oi
- whether each is partly right and partly
wrong, the important fact from th'
viewpoint Of the industrial Tels
n tions expert is that fear hmk
,? in the minds and hearts, Of ever,
individual on both sides When men ar
g dominated or actuated by fear their ever.
IT faculty is impaired Their VISION /
= distorted. Their judgments are un
sound. Their reason gives way To i'm
,r pulse. and their strength, alertness an
skill are Slapped.
p A Case in Point.
50 4 specific illustration that ia Yer
st much n case in point Is 20 be- found ]
the West Virginia coal controversy
~ which has been featured by little bit
T. everything from strikes 10 civil war, WIT
a climax Of murder and treason trial
70 now on the stage in old Charlestowr
West Virginia independent coal operator
70 decided that their employees should no
a? be unionIzed and that the United Min
Workers Of America should be barre
vs from the counties in which their mine
a. are located. Certain of the employees, o
I, the other hand, decided that they had
on right TO belong to a union and that the
would exercise that right. The union,
an organization, decided that 1t had
right to send organizers into those coul
-, ties 70 assist the miners IN periectiT
their locals, and that it would exercl
that right. Thus an impasse vi
established.
The first recourse OF the operators VI
TO intimidation. The operators do n
- call il intimidation; they say tn
they merely exercised the constIt
tional night to refuse to employ anyboC
who belonged to a union. Whereupo
according to the operators, the mine
and their organizers instituted car
paign of coercion and reprisal again
which the operators were compelled
take measures to protect themselv
and their properties.
However. whatever it is to be name
the results of the operators policy a
unuuestioned. The miners had instlll
in their minds the fear of losing TIT
Jobs, Of being evicted from their HON
without notice, of being thrown into ia
Of being beaten or shot by nine guar
and deputy sheriffs, and of being driv
from the communities in which they h
lived for wears. There is no nlghtma
so horrible TO a working man rs I
prospect Of losing his Job, and OF bei
unable TO provide for those depende
upon him.
Driven desperate by such fear, m
will do things that they would neN
dream Of doing under normal condition
for fear begets hatred and revenI
ms. Therein lies at least a partial explaI
r g : keai 10 ma
in West Virginia.
Turning to thee Their side, it is Gle
that many OF the things done by
operators which contributed 20 II
understandings and led to trouble W
directly OF indirectly the result Of Il
none the less real. One of the operat
told the Senate investigating commit
that the impelling motive back ofs
position he took in the controversy wa
fear that the radicals IN the mine
union in conjunction with other radio
throughout the country might bT
about a revolution as a result CT VIII
industry would be taken over by
workers. His testimony showed him
be essentially Just and fair, a man
broad vision, and sincerely DESTROYS
establishing and maintaining good re
tions with his employees. II such a II
can be actuated by such fear it can
readily understood how other operat
may have been led into hasty decisi
and made to take drastic measures
the fear that their properties might
damaged or destroyed.
None Has Escaped 1t.
Apprehension, anxiety, worry {
suspense are but shades or degrees
fear, and it is not too much to say t
no man, operator or miner, who
Loor ;,x,ol,,al IN tho Weot N;rUi