The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-11-09
Facing the Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

We hear so much about democracy
these days that it is natural to as
sumo everyone knows what democracy
means. The danger is we may con-
tent ourselves with the definition that
democracy is the opposite of dictator
ship and let it go at that.
But we must probe little deeper
for our own protection. In what re-
spects is democracy the antithesis of
autocracy?
Essentially democracy means gov
ernment of the people, by the people
and for the people, while autocracy
means government of the people by
an individual for that individual.
Therefore, in democracy the people
themselves are empowered to protect
their rights while in an autocracy the
the dictator assumes the power to
trample on their rights.
What are these rights which so con-
cern US? They are the right of free
speech, the right of free assembly, the
right to worship God as we please,
the right of free press and the right
to our day in court. Enjoyment of
these rights, it should be emphasized,
must be guaranteed in a democracy to
members of a minority group as well
as to those in the majority.
Now let us apply these elementary
but fundamental lessons to labor or
CARNATIONS.
Many years ago, in 1910 in fact, a
convention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor issued declaration on
the rights of a minority in demo-
cratic organization which has always
been the guiding rule of the Fedora
ton and which is especially pertinent
today.
Our Guiding Rule
We quote from this 1910 declara-
ton:
every report, resolution, recon-
mendation or suggestion coming be-
fore the convention received the earn
est consideration of the delegates.
There are many gatherings of men
and women in which things that are
thought inconvenient or unacceptable
are suppressed by reference to COM
mittee, where they are killed and
buried. The American Federation of
Labor has this record-that no mat
ter what opinion may be held by a
delegate, if he expresses it in the form
of a resolution it is given consider
alton by the convention. We realize
the thought and the principle that
that country is best, that organization
is best, where the greatest freedom
obtains and where the rights of the
are guaranteed"
How that convention of 1910 called
the turn on the c.. |. 0. of today!
For in San Francisco last week
there was held a gathering of men
and women-the c. +. Q. convention
where several things that were
thought inconvenient or unacceptable
were suppressed by reference to a
committee where such resolutions
were killed and buried.
AS an outstanding example, take
the subject Of labor peace. More than
49,. Lod;o. .S r. ii1.,i sei. o'1'e anu
S 'oulsS ,h,,ta any ron, animated ul'ioilS
5u'n,'veu ;A " Iie coi,Sei1.ioll oe
lI,I uli.Vs WIN 'ile -. T. ol H.
,rto'' t'oo ,I'cloi,s MeiI suppressed
ao,,,y,;ttno ,,i,;ai Ill ~ .,'e ieSoiu.ioliS LS
,,,l''' tbn', a. "i'.en -a1 Iii'tu anu ouLIou
S,,o,,eh. ,' , '.s'es,u, 'i'aI co,'i''isIee
red the peaca nlea fron, the pres;dan+
Of the United States to tbo eo-c.lIod
peace committee Of tbe G 7 q Il ;s
that committee which Jobn r. lewis
has refused to narn,it to continnn NO.
potiatinp with tbn A + of +
p,,o
'''''' De"'o'.a'
ny tiiaI very acElon the I. J. " e&-
posea lVSeh as an autocracy mas,quer-
daii'R aS democracy. beyond any
question Oh oouo' the oeiegates TO thaI
convention {. aS Wen as the rank ana
NE members they represented, We're
eager W tahe dcCioh leaulhS 10 iabof
peace Even II Ihey were only MI
,ior!Iy, they haa the rlght-or should
nave III democracy-to get up and