Evening star., 1939-01-13
Scores Appointment
Of Gov. Murphy
Sit Down Strike Incident
Held Disqualification
For Attorney General
To the Editor Of The Star.

lnOugh 1t LEADS 10 a most lame ana
impotent conclusion" that portion OF
the Presidents message to Congress con-
corning our foreign relations deserves to
rank with the very finest of American
state papers. But, in the balance, its
influence will be bad II 1t makes us
forget our domestic dangers, which are
very real and imminent. Our condition
is perilous.
The danger that threatens us is from
ourselves-that we may fail in plain
no wrongful act of a public servant,
however bad 1t may be, can of itself
work more than temporary evil so far
as the Nation is concerned. It is when
the wrong is ratified and made our own,
either by cooperation or passive acqui-
escence, that the fabric Of our state Is
permanently damaged and our fortune
impaired. Louis Napoleon made an in
famous proposal to Bismarck, the letter
embodying it was made public and used
to array the worlds opinion against
France. Thus fortified, Prussia entered
upon the War Of 1870 Had the French
people Immediately repudiated the act
of their Emperor and ended his leader
ship, there would have been no Sedan,
no "lost provinces" and, probably, no
World War!
Today, We are at the crossroads and
headed the wrong way. Those forces
which have been fighting on the side
NJ {oN 90;
France and Britain failed at the Munich
conference. 1t is in the form of pious
gesture of Christian charity and for
giveness.
A prominent publicist now says in his
column that it is easy to be unfair to
Gov. Murphy" because he betrayed his
State and its people, as the betrayal was
at the instance of the President, who
pulled the strings from behind the
scenes and adds that if he be confirmed
as Attorney General, he will make
desirable addition to the Presidents
official family" A great newspaper, one
that has been most discriminating and
confidence-inspiring in it's editorial COM
ment, now says that if there had been
an application Of forcible methods by
Gov. Murphy" in the sit-down strikes in
Michigan, 1t might have resulted in
widespread disorder and bloodshed."
Why, we may ask does the columnist
advance an argument which can only
make himself ridiculous and why does
the great newspaper reverse its previous
attitude over the Michigan situation?
Why does the latter put forth a defense
which is negatived by the actual hap
penings in those States where the law
breakers were arrested and, as in the
case of the Fansteel Corp and Douglas
Aircraft strikes, where the sit t-downers
were actually sent to Jail? In those
cases the dignity of the law was upheld
without any disorder and bloodshed."
In fact. that which the editorial said
might have happened had Gov. Murphy
performed his duty actually did happen
Ia Michigan, precisely because he did
not do 50. and did not happen in the
States where the authorities were free
from coercive influence on the part of
the Executive IN Washington. In the
latter case, the Governors are not en-
titled to praise for having performed
their plain duty, but it is contemptible
OF us to supinely acquiesce in their
being passed over while the one recreant
Governor is selected for signal honor. It
is matter of official record that while
local law enforcement officers were re-
strained by the Governor from the per-
1ormance OF their duties, armed forces
entered Michigan, destroyed .private
property, assaulted defenseless and law
abiding citizens and brought to utter
contempt the peace and dignity of a
great State. President Roosevelt has
said that Gov Murphy settlea the sit
down strikes in "the American way,"
and even Adolf Hitler has not perpe-
trated grosser libel upon America
than that
The explanation: Frank Murphy is a
f1ne man whom no decent man would
care to wound. He is a good citizen
with the defects of his lovable qualities.
Among those is an intense loyalty, but
it is loyalty to persons not to insti-
tutions nor to principles. where personal
loyalties conflict with the others. His
official career is untainted by greed of
money nor has he descended to the vile
practice of making Government Offices
parking places for incompetent relatives.
1t is very easy to forgive man of the
fine type of Frank Murphy
Forgiveness is the exercise of the first
OF the virtues: Charity. But forgiveness
is solely the prerogative Of the injured.
II man sinned against me, would find
thrill OF pure joy in the consciousness
OF the fact that could and did forgive
him. But. if the forgiveness was vicari-
Gus, exercised. say, by the prosecutor or
judge whose official duty it was to bring
the sinner TO book for his outrage against
me, would regard their attitude as one
OF outrageous impertinence. The people
of the State of Michigan, who knew all
the facts of the sit-down strikes could
not bring themselves to forgive their
recreant Governor They scourged him
at the polls and d@ied him further
trust. But away from The State, there
has been a mad scramble of outsiders
to see which of the uninjured could for
give the most quickly and the most freely.
Now Frank Murphy is appointed to the
one office in which his weakness will
work the gravest national harm. Let us,
with all kindness to hin1-and to our
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