The Connecticut labor news., 1923-12-29
E2:y the
 Way

Well 1t has come to this, the Old Year dies.
 It's simple fact, not new to any | one We knew a year ago that it would hoppen. Years are about the only things whose span of life is fixed at birth. Calendars proclaim 1t with nice precision.
 | To be sure, 1t was not always so. | And i'll the past there has been con fusion among the peoples of the earth as to what should be the life of a
 Y ear. The Russians used to kill their old Years off quite a way from al Jn- uary first And there have been other ideas than theirs in the past as to when Years should die. Even on our own continent the history of the past discloses a different date of demise, before the advent of white men.
 But we have all pretty we'll got around to the idea of a worldwide lnterment and a worldwide, universal birthday for Years. January first seems to have been picked on as the flight of time has brought us to an other Years end and by the same token to another Years birth
 Farewell, and greetings!
 The Old Year has been a hummer and don't let anyone fool you about that.
 Right off the bat the wage cutters and the "open shoppers" had to be attended to- They were crazy men with a crazy idea. Wage cutting meant a mild form of throat cutting. "Open shop" meant assault and bat- tery on the unions
 As Cicero might have said, Away with that stuff" And it has pretty much been put away.
 The fools have not all quit business at the old stand yet, to be sure, but the old stand is indeed wobbly as the Old Year dies
 Truth survives the cycles of time and forever works for human prog ress and freedom.
 * *
 Blazing like a golden star in the heavens, the American Federation of Labor convention stands out among the Years events.
 It was a wonderful gathering, de- voted to high purposes.
 Human kind will long remember the declaration there adopted, pro- claiming Labor's purpose to strive for industrial democracy-its faith in the will of the people, in industry as in politics.
 If only the political congress pos sessed the wisdom, the courage, and | the vision of that Labor congress!
 Ku Klux K1an-typifed by pune tured sheet-the Years contribution to the burlesque stage!
 With much mummery, much gib bering, much parading, torch-faring, and blah, the Klan has tried | to scare little children and frighten | timid persons.
 The Klan pulled the stopper clear out of the old mystery bottle and | tried to dope the country. llation recovering. Those who were they can go about without being afraid of the dark They are getting SO they can smile a little and not ump when the ysee an unfamiliar shadow. |
 Hokum, like tinsel, wears off with -1me.
 There was the Kansas Court, boom ng along with gusto when the Year came among us. Now look at it. The only place where it can find fitting surroundings now is in the musty | pages of old Joe Miller's joke book.
 There may it repose to amuse fu- ture generations. The Supreme Court | knocked it for a row of oriental hen | GOODS, and Gov. Allen went into | and retirement. For the | rest of us, we step on the gas and | say, impolitely-and perhaps even i'm told him so."
 The day of compulsion and coercion has went"
 The ranks of organized labor are stronger with the close of the Year than at it's birth. There's majesty about the impregnable character of | this tremendous movement.
 However it may be buffeted, it | moves on with added strength, al | ways with the same great purpose, always with greater and ever greater | determination.
 Altogether the Old Year has been I good Year The balance shows more | for which to be grateful than other wise. Progress has held the ascend | ancy. Much there has been of evil 1 and of destructiveness. But we have more than held our ground. It Is good. Come, 1924. It has been de- reed that your turn is next.