The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-10-30
REGARDLESS OF "BIG FOUR" POSI-
TON GOVERNMENT MUST
TAKE ACTION

Announcement by President Lee of the
Brotherhood of Trainmen that the often
sive and defensive alliance of the Big
Four railroad brotherhocds has been
ended and that hereafter they will act in
dividuaIly in settling grievances has met
with the complete approval of the ma
TONS editors Most of them take the
position, however, that the change by
no means should mean abandonment Of
anti-strike legislation affecting essen
tial industries by congress. They hold also
that it sounds the death knell of the one
big union idea of the radical laborites.
1.-The leaders of the Big Four" asserts
the New York Times, ARE unqueStton-
ably the ablest labor leaders in America.
1t was all the more deplorable that these
men should cease to be source of fair
play and good sense and should take the
radical and threatening attitude that they
have taken from the hour Of the Adam
son act down to the recent shopmen's
strike The whole country should be
grateful to Mr.. Lee for his frank and
forcefuI words But the Tribunte cannot
see that the decision of the big Four
in the least obviates the need for legis-
lation against the strike in essential in
dustries. Mr.. Lee, has enunclated a broad
principle which must be enacted into the
law of the land 1t is to the interest of
the members CT the brotherhoods quite
as much as to the interests of everyone
else. that it shall be so enacted The
decision of the big Four" the Wash
ington Star points out, lis the more I'M
portant in view of the still prevalent d1s-
position among certain CT the more rad
ical factors to develop the one big union
During the recent railroad strike much
waas heard about the one big union II
was urged then, as before, that only by
concentrating all railroad unions under
one head could a strike be won. The dis
solution of the Big Four will distinctly
discourage this radical movement with
it's possibilities of infinite mischlef 10 the
welfare of American labor"
The Lee statement is "surprising,' the
Richmond News-Leader points out and
he probably exagerates neither the dan
gers of national agreements nor the adj
vantages of separate action. Now the
members of the Big Four perceive that
the railroads defense stiffens in direct
proportion to the magnitude of the disas-
ter that threatens the country. Applying
the neral and casting aside the weapon
of a general railway strike-a weapon
they hesitated to use-the Big Four prob
ably will benefit themselves as surely
as they will relieve the country" In ad-
dition the new policy certainly should
appeal to the public" the Manchester
Union feels, as obviously the average
citizen would prefer a regional tie-up
of industry and transportation rather
than a national stoppage of the wheels
of commerce. And the impressive fact
should not be overlooked that this new
conception CT trades union strategy tends
more than ever to neutraliZe propaganda
in behalf of one big union and offset
the possibility that the nation might fall
prey to the insidious efforts of the Com
munists, Bolshevists and mass action
chortlers."
This decision should hasten "a. con-
siderable era Of peace on the country