The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-22

WASHINGTON. D. c., May %. -
Fear is potent factor in fomenting
controversies between employer and
employed. Experts on industrial re-
lations are going in for psycho-anal-
ysis at least to the extent of agreeing
on this. Indeed, some of them are
ready to state it more vigorously and
say that fear breeds labor troubles.
1t is recognized that fear is one of
the great springs of human action,
and history shows that intimidation
which superinduces fear has always
been the favorite weapon of autoc
racy. That autocracy may be czarism
or bolshevism in Russia, or a self
conferred and unenlightened industrial
policy, either of capital or labor, in
America
Thus, to illustrate in general way,
the open shop movement among a
considerable element of Influential
employers has instilled in the minds
of workers throughout the country a
fear that the strength of their union
is to be broken down or destroyed.
They believe with all the fervor of
fanticism that their economic we'll
/ being depends upon the maintenance
of their unions. In the open shop
drive they see a purpose to take away
from them all the benefits and adj
vantages they have gained through
;trades-unionism. They visualize a re-
turn to low wages and long hours and
undesirable conditions of labor They
believe that the worker has been ex
plotted by capital ever since the days
: of the sons of Mary and the sons OF
Martha, and in their minds only eter
nal vigilance and constant struggle
can guarantee them industrial and
economic freedom.
! On the other hand, many well-in
] formed and well-meaning employers
see a menace to establish institutions
| and property rights in the labor move
ment. Radicals and radicalism within
the ranks of labor, which are ar
raigned and denounced ever by labor
/ leaders such as Samuel Gompers
arouses a fear that chills the hearts
of these employers. Bolshevism, Il
them, is a spectre that will not down
In the spread of trades -unionism the.
read a plan of the workers to domi
nate all industry and conduct 1t 70
the benefit of the workers alone. Con
fiscation of capital is the real goa
of extremists in the labor group, &C
cording to these employers, and som
of them go so far as to say that 81
you scratch any trades-unionist b
will bleed radicalism"
No matter which side is right, o
whether each is partly right an
partly wrong, the important fact fror
the viewpoint of the Industrial rels
! fc hot In in h
minds and hearts of every individua
on both sides. When men are dom
mated or actuated by fear their ever
faculty is impaired. Their vision
l distorted Their judgment are III
sound. Their reason gives way
impulse. and their strength, alertnes
and skill are sapped.
> A Case in Point
: A specific illustration that is yer
much a case in point is to be foun
,, in the West Virginia coal controvers!
: which has been featured by little b
of everything from strikes to civ
war, with climax of murder an
treason trials now on the stage i
old Charles Town. West Virginia il
dependent coal operators decided tina
their employees should not be uniol
= 1ZeQ anQ tndJ the UHlleu MlHe WOTl
' ers of America should be barred frol
5 the counties in which their mines al
$ located Certain of the employees, o
4 the other hand, decided that they ha
g right to belong to a union and thu
r they would exercise that right. Tt
a union. as an organization, decided tn;
e it had right to send organizers int
n those counties to assist the miners
perfecting their locals, and that
d would exercise that right Thus a
a impasse was established.
d The first recourse of the operator
l. was to intimidation. The operators
g not call 1t intimidation; they say TIL
, they merely exercised their constit
e tional right to refuse to employ ar
e body who belonged to unto
l, Whereupon, according to the oper