Evening star., 1932-10-20
Coercion and Politics.

Inc test OF Mr. FarleyS S sincerity IN
charging Henry Ford and others with
coercion because they have notified their
employees that the best interests of the
country demand the reelection of Pres
ident Hoover would be his reaction to
a statement by some other leading in
dustrialist, directed to his employees,
urging on similar grounds the election
of Gov. Roosevelt While it is not
known definitely what Mr. Farley would
do under such circumstances, it might
be taken for granted that the state
ment would be reprinted and distributed
under Democratic auspices as the patri-
otic utterance of one of natures lead
ing noblemen. In other words, it de-
pends pretty much, as far as Mr.. Far
ley is concerned, on who is doing the
coercing and for what.
But aside from Mr.. Farley's views,
which are not important, the Ford
statement and somewhat similar state
ments from Mr. Atterbury Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, Mr.. Schwab of
Bethlehem Steel and some other en-
ployers raise an interesting question
of when free speech stops and coercion
begins.
1t may be argued, and with good rea-
son, that the almost complete economic
dependence in industry of employe
upon employer literally makes coer-
con out of otherwise innocuous ad-
vice on how to vote. The employe may
believe that if he votes one way when
his employer has advised him to vote
another, retribut:on will follow. And
he accordingly smothers his own de-
sires and principles and votes as he
is told to vote. This presupposes that
the employe puts his job first and his
principles last. 1t also presupposes
that the employer is scoundrel. Mr..
Ford and others have disclaimed any
thought of coercion, and their dis
claimer is entitled to respect.
But there is another sort of CO.
ercion which exists when the employer,
without any thought of personal ret
ribution against his employees, warns
his employees that if the Democrats win
they will probably be forced out Of work
by another and graver economic dis
turbance than that which they have
already witnessed, or who warns them
that if President Hoover is reelected
the same sort Of consequences will fol-
low because of the absence Of new
deal. That sort of coercion is doubt
less being exercised. If the employer
actually believes what he says, he is
certainly warranted in saying it. Ger
tainly he has every right to say it.
And if he believes that the welfare of
the American people is going to be
seriously and permanently affected for
better or for worse by the forthcoming
election, he is only believing what the
politicians of each party want him to
believe. 1t is an unfortunate thing
that at this stage of the campaign
and every campaign-the future can be
described only in superlatives, with the
hope of capitalizing the elemental emo
ton of fear The worst will happen
il Gov. Roosevelt is elected. The worst
will happen if President Hoover is re-
elected. To the uninitiated, Gov. Roose-
velt and those who stand with him
might be conceived as aliens, bent on
destroying the country, while President
Hoover and those who stand with him
might be conceived as already having
done it.
That is politics. The reason the
country has survived, and will con-
tinue to survive, is that ninety-nine per
cent of the people know it is politics.
Those who are coerced, in the sinister
sense of the word, do not decide cleo
tions nor should they be credited with
holding the strings of this Nations
DESTINY