The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-07-20
DEMOCRACY OR DICTATORSHIP FOR LABOI

(FrOm American FederatOnlSt)
\ S the months have passed the real issue that
"A has split the labor movement of this country
has become increasingly obvious to ALL 1t is be-
tween labor movement self-governed with con-
sttutiona procedures and movement created and
controlled by an individual-betWeen the ways of
democracy and the ways of dictator. The
secession movement had it's origin in defiance of
the constitutional authorities of the existing or
ganZation in order to put into effect policies form
ed by minority in the American Federation of
Labor
The pages of history show that causes start
with mnorties and win adherents on their merits.
But this rebel group not willing to win on it's
merits but decided to tear down the home that had
sheltered it and on it's ruins erect bigger and
better structure But human institutions are
not like material structures-they grow together
and gain tensile strength from joint ideal
ism, collective endeavor, and the common will that
comes from living and working together. Our
American Federation of Labor is not perfect for
it consists of human beings, but it has within it
the capacity for development. Every labor move
ment has it's periods of rapid and slow progress
and an essential of rapid progress is unity within
the ranks of labor.
There were those within the American Fed
Grafton of Labor who said: Let's build on what we
have, adding to wha we have instead of Scrapping
years of experience. And so we have dOne find
ing ways to conserve the crafts SO essential to a
machine era of production and to organize the
workers of machine production and to coordinate
ing. The American Federation of Labor is not
al-Wise perfect, but it has made sincere efforts
to bridge the chasm between the American Fedora
tion of Labor and the secession groups. An agree
ment was worked out satisfactory to the repre-
sentatves of that group, only to be arbitrarily
scrapped by the dictator of the group.
More recently at the request of the President
of the United States peace conferences were ini-
ated They were suspended because of the coal
conferences in progress. When the coal companies
reached an mpasse, the President of the United
States interviewed effectively to the end that the
miners gained complete victory. Then the Presl-
dent of the United Mine Workers, who is also die
tator of the rebel movement, instead of manifest
ing his appreciation of the Presidents aid which
turned defeat into victory, declared that there
would be no further participation in peace con-
ferences. Despite his deep obligation for help, de-
spite the fact that the Presidents program relies
upon Labor support, despite the repressive labor
legislation passed in many states last winter and
determined assaults upon state labor departments
and proposals to take functions from the u. S. De-
partment of Labor, this dictator declared his un-
willingness to bargain collectively upon matters
affecting him and thereby sealed the fate of many
progressive undertakings and laws.
No lasting labor movement can be built upon
dictatorial policies and principles. The welfare
of groups and individuals must not be imperiled by
the arbitrary decisions or the personal interests
of dictator. The American labor movement will
steadily move toward democratic principles and
procedures and will not tolerate dictatorship with
in its own domain