Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-20
AN ATTEMPT TO COMBINE
SOCIAL OIL AND WATER
The Chicago Gathering Of Radicals This
Week Has a Bio Task Ahead Of Il

'NHE failure Of an attempt in 1920 to
l. bring about political working agree.
ment among the farm organizations, the
Socialists. the Communists and the labor
groups has not discouraged the men who
made It.
The attempt Is to be renewed this year.
with view to action in the congressional
elections. A lot Of radicals. near radicals
and liberals are TO meet in Chicago this
week to see If they can find common plat
form. The meeting seems to he in charge
Of William II. Johnston. president of the
International Association of Machtnists.
This is one Of the most radical of the labor
unions.
John L. Lewis, president Of the Interna-
tional Mine Workers. has agreed to be pres
ent. and so has w. s. Stone. of the Broth
erhood OF Locomotive Engineers. and W.
S. Carter, of the locomotive fremen's broth.
erhood James II. Maurer, president Of the
Pennsylvania Federation Of Labor, will be
there, and so will Frederick G.. Howe,
former immigration Commissioner at New
York, and Morris HilQnit both Socialists.
Glenn Plumb, the inventor of the Plumb
Plan to give the railroads to the men who
run them. has also accepted IN invitation;
and officers of the Nom Partisan League and
of various farmers organizations and Of
numerous radical religious societies are on
the list Of delegates, along with Amos
Pinchot. of New York and the Rev. DR..
$. Zane Batten, of this city.
The only thing in common which these
and the other delegates have IS feeling Of
dissatisfaction with existing conditions, and
n belief that they can be improved by lesis'
lative action. Some of them are firmly con-
vinced that IL the law which they advocate
IS passed all discomfort and all injustice
will disappear and everything will be as
merry as a marriage bell. OF course. they
are mistaken. There is no panacea and
the man who thinks there is writes himself
down at once as member OF the intellectual
kinderga rten class.
No program for the meeting has been
published, but if short list Of definite
propositions should be made and II man
with the intellectual clarity and the diplo-
matte tact and the driving force of Secre-
tary Hughes should be put IN charge of the
gathering something might be done that
would be as noteworthy as the accomplish
men.s of the Washington Conference.
But the task of persuading the diverse
groups to agree on anything save on their
common discomfort will be much moro DIFF
fcult than that which confronted Secretary
Hughes. The farmers have their grievances
and they arise in part from the demands
of the members Of the labor unions. The
labor unions contain Socialists. but some
Of them are opposed to every form Of so.
ciallsm. The radical religious. groups seek
70 Apply a specific formula TO contemporary
ills. but the formula is one which does not
commend itself to the labor groups or to
all the Socialist groups. And the Com
mun!sts have nothing in common with the
farmers or with the conservative labor
unions.
The Chicago gathering may not agree on
anv definite program, but those who attend
i will learn how near together they are or
how far apart. And the rest of the country
will have the benefit OF this knowledge. 1t
" desirable that we should know how strong
the radical movement Is and in what direc-
ton it is headed Then it can be met in
such ways as seem good.
II the labor unions and the Socialists
back the demand of the radical farmers
for Government price guarantee of farm
crops. a situation will be created which will
demand the serious consideration OF the
rest Of the country. There are farm lead
ers who wish the Government to protect
the farmers against loss in the business.
They insist that the farmer deserves special
consideration and special treatment.
The labor unions hold similar views about
their members. They and the farmers wish
to be exempt from the regulations that gov
crn mon IN other forms Of business. II an
q alIlancc between the radical farmers and
the radical labor men can he negotiated the
rest OF US will have TO bestIr ourselves.
Senstor Kenyon introduced bill in Con-
crcss the other day TO give the members Of
the farmers bloc an opportunity to show
how far they would go 10 the relief OF labor.
This Chicago gathering will afford another !
to the farmers organizations |
md the labor organizations to show dis !
nosit!on to cooperate If such o disposition
exists.
They have coaIcsced in the past about as
successfully as oil and water.