The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-01-26
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtchet Out
The Truth
. FLOURISH is OVER
. OUTWARDLY STRONG
. INWARDLY WEAK
. AFL OPPOSITION

Sit-down strike once fourished, or
at least appeared to flourish.
Now it has largely gone the way
of the dodo, the handle-bar mustache,
the big scent glass of beer and other
extinct things.
Past are the day when the sit-down
grabbed front page space. Now it
kets few lines on inside pages, when
it occurs at all, which is seldom.
When the sit-down was in it's prime,
back in early 1887, lots of folks were
sure it would sweep all before it.
Others didn't think so.
Among the dissenters was the
American Federation of Labor, which
saw at once the foolishness and dam
ger of the sit-down technique and
warned emphatically against it.
X X X
Fervid advocates Of the sit-down,
including the Communists, hooted de-
risively at the Federation's stand.
They extolled the sit-down to the
skies and could scarcely find words
adequate to glorify it.
These days most of the former
sit-down champions are quite con-
tent if the subject of sit-down is
not mentioned.
If put in position where they have
to say something, they sing exceed
ingly low. Why the change in heart?
Because what the AT of L foresaw
has come to pass and all but the most
bigoted Of the sit-down defenders
have come to realize that the new
form Of strike can do more harm to
labor than good.
X X X
AT of l. pointed out, among other
things, that the sit-down gave power
to a minority which could easily wreck
a union through it's reckless use.
Federation also pointed out that
the sit-down was bound to stir up
strong public opposition.
Truth of the two points was soon
evident and has become even more
evident in recent months.
The union that made the most use
of the sit-down strike, the CIO-affli-
ated United Automobile Workers of
America, has been torn with dissention
for months.
Flare-up of the sit-down by some
of its members in the last few months
has weakened it's position as a re-
sponsible bargaining agency and lost
it's friends among the general public.
Point two of the AT of l. indictment
was plain from the very beginning of
the sit-down strike movement. The
public didn't like it and likes it even
less now.
X X X
Public hostility to the sit-down is
generally conceded to have been an
important factor in the defeat of Gov.
Frank Murphy in Michigan, despite
his united labor support. His oppon-
ents made effective use of his concili-
atory during the biggest of the sit
downs.
This is not to say that Gov. Muir
phys policy was strong. Probably
most union members, AT of l. and
CIO alike, think he pursued the wisest
course under difficult circumstances.
But his refusal to enforce the law
against the sit-downers ranked with
many middle class voters.
incidentally, Gov. Murphy, when he
faced a Senate committee inquiring
into his fitness to serve as Attorney
General, didn't champion the sit-down.
The sit-down was illegal and has been
thoroughly discredited," he said
X K X
Truth is that the sit-down did not
really flourish, in the sense that a
healthy plant or tree fiourishes.
Outwardly it appeared strong. In
wardly it was weak. 1t was rooted in
soil in which strong popular sup
port was essential to its health and
continued growth. 1t did not have
large measure of popular support and
did not succeed in winning such sup
port. It's decline was inevitable.