The labor world., 1922-03-04
STACKING THE CARDS.

AhC lCOVPt1VAA oSAeSkOA AA~AA
yon' IS views on the West Virginia sit.
uation is poor propaganda for "caa t.,
strike' advocates. who. say: Publish
the facts in an industrial dispute and"
the public will insist on justice.
Nothing is said, however, Of tho
time that these. facts will be pub
lishcd most sparsely-or not at all
as is the case with the following
declaration by the former senator who
has since became a federal judge:
"While the evidence is voluminous,
the causes are few. The issue is plain
and perfectly apparent. The opera;
tors in this particular section of West:
Virginia under consideration openly
announce, and did before the corr:
mittee, that they will not employ men:
belonging to the unions, for, as they.
say, they believe they will become
agitators; and further, that they have:
the right, and will exercise: it if, they
desire, to discharge man if he, be.
longs to the union,s and in making
these claims they believe themselves
to be within their constitutional
rights"
"The issue is plain and perfectly.
apparent says the late chairman Of
the senate committee, who informed:
his colleagues that turmoil in. West
Virginia is caused by the coal own,
ers' denial Of their employees right.
to join lawful organization; that
the coal owners are supreme, that
their. serfdom must not be challenged,
and that they. will discharge any
worker who joins trade nnion.
What does the United States senate
do in answer to this challenge, con-
veyed through the chairman of one of
it's committee?
Where is the public press, that sup:
poscdly mighty engine that is ever
molding public opinion in the inter-
est of morality and justice!
Where are our prominent citizens,
who lose sleep lest some trade union
interferes with the inalienable right
of unorganized to work for starvation
wages?
These forces are silent. They quiet
ly overlook the incident while gliblv
assuring the workers:
eff you accept our 'can 't-strikc'
plan we will tell the public all about
your troubles in the future. And tle.
public, of course, will forget its own
troubles and pick up your fight
! The answer to this reasoning is the
gingerly manner in which Senator
Kenyon statement has been handled
by these forces that chirp on the pow:
er of public opinion. This lawmaker
shows the cause-he says it is ''sper.
fectly apparent''-of one of the fierc-
est industrial disputes in the history
of the nation, and this information is
received in silence by alleged pub
licity advocates.
This silence is to be expected from
those who are in secret sympathy with.
the coal autocrats, as is proven by
their advocacy Of "can 't-strike' laws.
The public opinion they favor is to
be used only against the workers.
This one-sided public opinion is now
being developed in the event. that the
miners are forced to call a nation
wide strike. No union will be- made
OF coal owners who have broken their
agreement with the union.
| Labor is aware that all social. prog
ress depends upon an enlightened pub.
| lie opinion, but there is difference
between the real, substantial public
opinion and the imitation kind.
One is the result Of long experience
of a people who accept new view
points through education, necessity
and changing conditions. ..
The other is a. bubbling, artificial