Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23
'"Orders From Moscow

munist dictatorship through what they
are pleased to cali soviets. There Is q
pretense Of q voice for the people through
the soviets, but 1t does not work out
that way. There Is no voice for any
person or any group outside the Com
munist party, and no voice for Com
munist party members Is ,1 once tney cease
Communist dogma laid down by the
masters of that party.
Now, lust what does the American
Federation Of Labor stand for? In the
first place, it is not a political party.
Under its constitution 1t can never be-
come a political party. The overwhelm-
ing majority Of its members do not want
q political labor party, either inside or
outside Of the federation. The feder-
alton is an economic organization--a
trade union movement.
We do not envy any other labor move
ment any political policy 1t may have;
nor are we jealous of anything that may
have been gained elsewhere through po-
litical action, If anything has been
gained. In passing it seems worthy of
note that partisan political action by
labor has not solved, or even appre-
ciably mitigated, the unemployment
problem In England; and in Russia,
under the Wanted dictatorship Of the
"proletariat," we are informed that out
of an Industrial population Of only g.
900, 200 there are 2,000, 900 unemployed
and these are met with red army guns
when they protest their unhappy lot.
Economic Program Outlined.
The American Federation Of Labor
has g political program and it is in
tensely partisan to principles. But that
partisanship does not extend to parties.
| Our economic program necessitates GER
tain legislation; we seek no other We
aim for success in regard to that legis-
| latton: we do not aim at political domi-
nation. We do not crave government
alisn. We fear bureaucracy. We are
suspicious Of government as an en-
| ployer because when government Is the
employer politicians become the bosses
Of industry. Geographical lines take
the place Of industrial borders, and
when we get fun competence, tntelli-
gence, understanding and fairness, we
get an exception that must be red
| lettered, because 1t is so unique.
The American trade unionist, politi-
cally, Is an American citizen. Most Of
our unions require American citizenship
| or the declaration of intention as O
membership qualification. That is the
best indication I know Of our major
trend Of thought.
There are wrongs In employment re-
lations. We believe those wrongs should
| NJ NOAACSOCO Al VAC RA6CCS III CkAlRlOyS
ment. Our future is within industry
and we want the best possible industrial
life. For all OF us American well-being,
American standards of living, American
ways OF life are bound up IN industrial
relations, industrial equities and in
equities and industrial productivity.
Difference In Methods Stressed.
I am setting forth these things, not 10
make case for trade. unions, but to
point out the difference In belief and
method between Communism and Amer.
lean trade unionism. The American
union functions in the workshop; the
Communist party seeks to become "the
state" and In Russia it Is the state,
controlling everything, denying all free
dom to those who oppose. The differ
ence goes to the very root. Of human
belief. practice and faith.
Our movement Is Of, with and for the
| state as we have 1t in its fundamentals,
We may seek change-some call 1t re-
| form-but we do not seek revolution. I
think one Of the best evidences Of this
complete differentiation Is found in the
implacable hostility Of the Communists
to the American Federation of Labor.
In every Communist proclamation Of
tactics the American Federation Of
Labor Is named as the first and fore
most foe. First get the American Fed
eraClon OF Laoor, Is the req slogan.
Those who rail- at both Communism
and the American Federation Of Labor
really ought to wake up and discover
that the federation, whether they like It
or not, is holding the first line Of COM
bat In defense. This Is not q mere
negative attitude on the part Of labor.
It is positive attitude. We are fight
ing for our principles, for our right to
live in q free Nation, for our right 20
enjoy democracy. The Communist party
Is no more militant than is the Arneri.
can Federation Of Labor, but the mill
fancy Of the federation is directed to-
ward the support of democracy, the en-
largement Of democracy, the perfection
OF democracy, not its destruction.