The Connecticut labor news., 1922-10-27

A BUGLE CALL TO DUTY.
 By American Federation of Labor Non-Partisan Political Campaign Committee.
 A campaign of unusual importance Is drawing to a close. National and state officials are to be elected on Tuesday, November 7.
 In practically every electoral dis
 trict in the nation the choice lies be- tween progress and reaction. Congress is now in the hands of reaction; 1t has performed no service for the people. Instead 1t has tried by every trick and device to serve
 predatory interests.
 There Is a somewhat popular inn pression that only those elections are of supreme importance in which a
 president Is to be elected. That is
 not the case This election-and ev- cry election-is of supreme import ance if the issue Is between progress and reaction. N-
 Consider the congress. 1t has been.
 Not single constructive measure has been made into law. On the contrary, one reactionary proposal after another has been brought forward There have been sufficient friends of the public interest in congress to prevent enactment into law of the most vici- ous measures, but not enough of them to take command and enact construc tive measures.
 Taxation was one of the subjects that came under consideration by this congress at an early date. Taxation may make life bearable or unbearable for the masses; 1t may make the road smooth and luxurious or a little less easy for the rich. Congress wanted to remove the excess profits tax for the rich and the reactionary leaders wanted to impose, a sales tax on com modities so as to place the greater burden on the poor. The reactionary leaders were able to remove the eN cess profits tax and reduce the sur taxes for their rich friends, though they have not yet been able to i'm pose the sales tax on the poor. This Thus far the rich have benefited; the poor have to the same extent been penalized.
 The adjusted compensation measure was another issue involving justice. Congress made of this measure a football, seeking to clear it's own skirts by adopting a measure which 1t knew would be vetoed by the pres1- dent. This is an old, remorseless trick, favorite among politicians The rcactionary leaders in congress have no intention of passing real adjusted compensation measure that the president will sign. They are more interested in doing favors for bankers than for soldiers.
 The ship subsidy project was brought forward by reaction as a measure for the ostensible purpose of building up a merchant marine. La bor immediately and vigorously eN- posed the truth about this proposal. It was found to be steeped in in iqt1ity of the most braZen and glarlng kind The subsidy proposal was ln- tended to make the government the 1imitless benefactor of powerful pr1- vate shipping interests. It was turth- CT intended to take from the workers at sea the rights and the freedom which had been won for them through the Seamen's Act.
 Compulsory labor was another pro- position fostered by the react1onary leaders of the present congress. They promised it in their platform, 1t was heralded again by their sympathetic attorney general, it was proposed in a bill introduced by Senator Poindexter, it was urged upon every occasion. It did not become law for the sole req son that Labor was eternally vlgllant and Labor's friends were ever on the watch.
 Teeth in the Transportation Act were called for by the reactlonary leaders as soon as the railroad shop crafts strike began. Teeth" meant compulsory labor for the workers and do as you please' for the railroads The reactionary leaders in congress have been consistent in their hatred of labor, in their determination to de- prve the workers of rights and llber- ties, in their envenomed, unenllght- ened policy of making for the rich and powerful a Roman holiday at the ex- pcnse of those who toll
 The Department of Labor was sub iected to attack early in the life ot the present congress. It was sought to destroy the one department of gov ernment that can be of service to the workers. This destruction was pre-