The New York herald., 1922-08-11
FRIDAY. AUGUST ii. 1922.
The Party of Major Interest.

Pending the action and attitude of
the railroad executives In their Inn
portant meeting at the Grand Central
Terminal to-day THE NEW YORK
HERALD holds the following facts of
belief to be incontrovertible and at
the same time independent of the
merits or drawbacks Of any specific
measures proposed for settlement:
The party of major interest in the
strikes threatening transportation
and industries and the comfort and
convenience of citizens throughout
the land is neither the administra-
tive organization of the railroads nor
the organized railroad labor that is
now maneuvering for advantage.
1t Is the people Of the United
States as a whole, unorganized as
strikebreaking power but very def
nitely and adequately organized in
our system of government under the
reign of law.
Numerically, organized railroad
labor, or organized labor of any kind.
is but an almost insignificant frac-
tion of the citizenship referred to as
the major interest. The power exer-
cised by organized labor is millions
and millions of units short of ma
jority right to rule. 1t Is not con-
ferred by the Constitution. 1t is
merely self-assumed power, acquired
through favoring circumstances Of
economic conditions.
When this incidental and extra
constitutional power OF position is
used by the unions for legitimate pur-
poses Of self-protection or self-bet-
terment or the correction of manifest
injustice, or for any lawful purpose
which broader public sentiment can
approve and which does not infringe
upon the welfare Of the major inter-
est, organized labor appears as a
benefcent factor in the common life.
1t quickly receives sympathy and
moral support from the overwhelm-
ing majority.
But the instant the organized mi
nority begins to employ the power
derived from incidental advantages
of position to usurp majority rights,
that Is to say. to acquire prepon-
derance to which 1t is not entitled
and which would otherwise be i'm
possible, 1t becomes not a beneficent
but sinister and malignant factor,
menacing American institutions. For
1t is then seeking, consciously or un-
consciously, to revolutionize the Gov
ernnfent OF the United States by sub
stituting minority for majority rule.
That is the long and short of the
matter.
The foregoing remarks are sug-
gested by the apparent intention of
the chieftains of the railway broth
erhoods not now on strike to bolster
up the failing cause OF the striking
shopmen by threatening the public
with an unprecedented disaster In
case the shopmen's demands are not
granted. 1t Is hard to put any other
Interpretation on the messages Of
Mr.. STorE and other leaders COM
mending the Big Four men who quit
work In Illinois I'm protest" against
the presence OF State troops guarding
the peace.
II has not clearly appeared whether
this significant protest" was In
spired by actual fears for the per-
sonal safety Of the brotherhood men
who walked out at Joliet or whether
the presence Of the troops was con-
sidered by them TO be an affront
But It is quite clear already that the
commendatory messages TO Joliet
from President STONE. President
LEE and President ROBERTSON, of the
Locomotive Engineers, the Railroad
Trainmen and the Locomotive Fire
men respectively, are so calculated
and 80 timed as to remind the public
that an effective bar against q gen
eral strike OF the big organizations is
afforded neither by their known pol
icy OF not entering upon sympathy
strikes nor by their traditional fidel-
ity to greements-fidellty which In
this case would bind them for about
fourteen months longer.
II makes little difference as to the
real significance OF the implied threat
from Cleveland whether II is more or
less of the nature OF bluff, whether
SrorE and LEE are driving for an
other period Of Government opera
tlon of the railroads In tho belief
that the selfish interests they repre-
sent would benefit thereby. or
whether there II . serious purpose on