The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-05
THE BATTLING MIR. GoMrERs.

Federation Of Labor, says the resolution or the
United states labor board outlawlng the strk.
Ing shopmen "is too ridiculous and fatuous
TO be accepted as tho permanent American
government policy" IIo added. "tho railway
labor board as an institution functoning IN
the twentieth century is second In jncongrulty
only TO the so-caled open-shop movement"
Thus ns always the head OF tho organized
labor movomcnt in America puts himself and
his cause in direct opposition to everything
which tends to bring organized labor into the
same sublecton TO orderly government MS al
other interests and movements have been for
decades II appears to be the contention OF
this man that constitutional rights have van
ished In the twentieth century, that It IL silly
to appeal to the basic law, that only organ
ized labor--that part OF It which accepts
Gompcrs leadorshlp5s entitled to be heard
ot any time ana that all mon who work must
flex the knee to the American federation or
relinqulsh their rights as citizens
And thus once again this labor leader pro-
nounces the impossible doctrine that the gov
ernmcnt OF all the people may not not write
law or enforce a court decision against or
ganlsed labor unless organized labor volunteers
to abide by H.
Whatever one may think or say OF the OPEN
shop theory, or tho way its advocates have
conducted the movement, ono stubborn, out
standing fact remains: The constitution OF
tho United states very clearly establishes the
open shop while also permitting collective bar
gaining. 1t Is begging the question for or
ganlzed labor leaders to assert that they
not their ends while recognizing the
opcn-shop doctrine Because II tho rights of
other men are clearly contrnvened by those
seeking TO unionl2e everything, then It natur-
ally follows that tho union II seeking to ac-
compllsh more than It has n constitutional
right TO accomplish
Either the constitution Of tho United States
must be amended legally or subvertod illegal
ly before the ultimate OF unlonism can be prac-
tlced in this country. OF course It Is true that
collective bargaining may be practced by any
group of men desiring to practice II. provd-
ing they can find an employer willing TO recog-
nlze IT, In which case. SO fay that group
OF workmen and that employer is concerned
and long as the contract thus made is in
force, unlonlsm is within the law and the
rights OF those engaging In IT,
II follows that in that particular shop or
branch Of industry, only union men may de-
mand employment. Should nonuuion men
seek either TO drive the union mon off the Job
to force the employer 10 give them Jobs
the nonunion men would then be In precisely
the same relation 10 tho constitution and the
rights OF their fellows under tho constitution
are the union men. when having abandoned
their Jobs, they seek 20 prevent nonunion men
from accepting them seek TO inflict damage
upon their employer or employers for refus-
ing to meet their arbitrary demands
The line of reasoning Is as clear as tho pro-
visions OF the constitution in this respect. The
great weakness in the union labor movement
as 1t is being conducted by the labor ollgarchy
is that It is prcdcatcd upon forco and terror
Ism and not Justice or law. or even exception
al merit And anything predcated upon force
or terrorism must eventually fan OF it's own
weight. because It degeneratcs into such a uni
versal menace 10 all forms OF liberty, free
dom and justice that every mans hand IN
self-def,nso eventually turns against IT,
How perfectly absurd It is for union labor
10 assert its right 10 either work or not work
as It may elect; 20 either accept or reject
working conditions ns Il may elect; yet in the
next breath deny that right to other men or
another group or organization OF menl Equally
absurd IS the doctrine that iJ has a right to
prosclyte and seek TO induce mon 10 ion Sc
order, then claim the right 90 force them tc
do 20 by various forms OF duress. coercion
or positive terrorism,
Labor may not be n commodity; Mr. Comm,
ers objects strcnuously TO such a term nein|
applied 10 It. Yet union labor must yield g.
self 70 the immuntabo laws governing com
modi;ics. For instance It must depend for II
success on some Inherent superiority over th
general run OF labor else It will fail OF real
iziug its ambitions. II must compete on mer'
and win on merit; it cannot hope 10 succee,
regardless OF merit any more than can tn
manufacturer OF inferior article hope I
command the markets OF tho world for tina
article in competition with other similar article
of a superior kind
And 1t is the mature judgment OF the write
that organized labor never hope to wi
an enduring advantage through the use