The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-07-27
Are Large Unions
Superior to all Laws

The most diabolical statement
which we have ever seen in defence
of Union Labor is an editorial in the
Asheville On. c. Advocate, paper
largely devoted to labor interests. In
an effort to defend the right of I'm
ion Labor to picket plants the Ad-
| vocate says:
why pickett ask misguided per-
sons. Hasn't strike-breaker the
right to work if he wants to?' they
| inquire.
The strike-breaker occupies a po-
sition analogous to that of the traitor
in war. The industrial forces of the
nation may be likened unto an army.
When we declare war we do not per-
! nit any soldier to enlist with the
enemy. If one even so much as eX
presses sent iments which might be
construed as giving comfort to the
enemy we put him in Jail or stand
him up before firing squad.
This illustration is not overdrawn.
1t will be appreciated if one pauses
long enough to think over the situa-
tion created by employment of strike
breakers.
The army in the field must not
allow itself to be honey-combed by
the insidious operations of traitors;
the industrial army must likewise
protect ITSELF"
Here in effect, if not in exact
words, is a defense of murder by
Union Labor on the ground that
when Union Labor strikes it is en-
gagged in warfare and must defend
itself against non-union men, or
strike-breakers, just as nation de-
fends itself against traitors.
This accursed doctrine has some
times been proclaimed by radical Un-
ion Labor leaders, but never before
we believe have we seen it so clarly
and emphatically stated in print. 1t
is a fact that strikers are at war.
They are at war against society and
humanity, and it is they who are the
traitors for they are seeking to de-
stroy liberty. According to their
view Union Labor is superior to all
laws. 1t is under no obligation to
recognize human or divine laws for
the protection of other men or prop
erty. 1t is a law unto itself. 1t
claims the right, according to this
view, to commit any crime which
may be necessary to destroy men
who are at work against the dictates
of Union Labor. Union Labor is thus
the greatest propagation of class con-
sciousness and strife in existence.
No wonder we had the Herrin
massacre in Illinois; no wonder that
railroad strikers here and there are
beginning to ignore the law and seek
ing to destroy men who want to
work.
We are face to face squarely with
the question as to whether Union
Labor is a law unto itself, a govern
ment superior to our Federal Gov
ernment and whether it's members
under the direction of radical lead
ers have the right to destroy proper
ty and life and to prevent men from
working merely because they are not
stamped body and soul with Union
card.
For many years the Manufacture
ers Record has been warning the
country against the danger of the
growth of the spirit of unionism un-
der radical labor leaders who have
been preaching revolution, for they
have openly advocated the destruc-
ton of laws of liberty that interfere
with unionism. The editorial from
the Asheville Advocate is merely an
indication of the danger we are fac
ing, and it must be realized that the
Advocate is not speaking for alien,
llllIeraIe ldUOr, UuI IL IS opodhiAS LII
behalf of laboring men in section
where foreigners are scarcely known.
It is bad enough to have to face
the evils of foreign labor unioism,
but it is still greater menace to our
country when we find that men of
American birth, of Anglo-Saxon
blood, supposed to be men of fair in
telligence and patriotism are being
led by such teachings as that of the
Asheville Advocate, and the Advo-
cate apparently is only voicing the
thought that has been announced
time and again, insidiously it is true,
but always leading to the view that
Union Labor has rights which neither
God nor man must interfere with;
that Union Labor is freed from the
law against murder and every other
crime, and is free from service to it's