The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-08-08
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtchet Out
The Truth
. THE PUNCH is GONE
. A BAD BLUFF
. AIDED BY IA
. NO ALIBI ACCEPTABLE

sNO ALIBI ACCEPTABLE
There are indications that Mr.. John
L. Lewis is trying to find a way to re-
gain some of the political punch he
carried before he left for the Philadel-
phia convention.
When he made the pilgrimage to
the City Of Brotherly Love he checked
out as political power, by virtue Of
his speech of laudation for Mr.. Hoover,
which piled up neatly on his previous
statement in which he cut all ties
with the New Deal.
Seldom does man who must main
tain show of power go so far out
on limb, unless he intends to make
for himself new position thereon.
If Mr. Lewis were to say definitely,
"a plague on both your houses" and
upon the basis of some high principle
enter minority party, the case would
be something else. But he didn't do
that.
Mr.. Lewis made a bluff at third
party, clearly indicating that Senator
Burton Wheeler was his choice for
leadership in that party, whereupon
Senator Wheeler, thinking better of
desertion, elected to remain "as is,"
leaving Mr.. Lewis with the ground re-
moved neatly from under his feet.
x X X
1t was all strange affair. Seldom
has such a series Of breaks been wit
messed.
But Mr.. Lewis never has been noted
for ability to see far down the road
ahead.
That holds good, from the time,
years ago, when Mr.. Lewis sought to
unseat Samuel Gompers, right down
to now.
When NRA, with it's IA came
along, John l.. Lewis started going
great guns.
Under the National Labor Relations
Act he went still further.
But he could not seem to see that
he could ride on down that same road
only by being consistent in his poll
cies.
The CIO leader has not been con-
sistent. His tactics have been battle
tactics, the tactics of surprise, with
the exception that they haven't always
surprised.
A labor movement has to have
philosophy and a philosophy is con-
stant. Mr.. Lewis doesn't seem to
appreciate that simple fact.
X X X
And that's one reason why the great
general of the sit-down is in his pres
ent dish Of soup.
John L. Lewis may again rivet pub
lie attention upon himself.
But it seems unlikely that he can
ever again compel the fear that once
was felt toward him in the camps of
his opponents. Nor will there be the
same measure of respect for his
judgement.
When the Chicago convention came
along his closest aides and friends
were lined up solidly, tightly within
party folds, and with more or less of
an icy chasm between them and their
chief.
The chief wasn't doing much COM
manding.
Added to the political zig-zag is an
almost equal zig-zag on the issue of
preparation for war and participation
in possible war.
The course has been one of incon-
sistency.
And so we come now to a point
where Mr.. Lewis doesn't seem to be
front page news. He is lucky to get
space on the inside pages.
There is some talk about mistakes
having been made because of faulty
advice from such men as Lee Press
man, CIO chief counsel
1t would be surprising if there had
been no bad advice. But it will be
difficult for chief to alibi himself
out of the hole by trying to lay the
blame on an employed counsel
A chief is supposedly elected, al
though CIO elections are about like
Nazi elections.
But there is, just the same, diff
ference between Mr.. Big and Mr. At
torney, who holds tenure at Mr.. Big's
pleasure.
No, Mr.. Lewis will have to shoulder
his own blame-and a pretty sackful
it is, too.
Of such stories are the pages of
history made.
The end is not yet. but it's form
is beginning to be somewhat discern
ible through the mists that cloud the
future.