Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-25

Mr. Lewis Is q
big-time labor
Jay Franklin leader, a man
who has done a tremendous and
much needed job of organizing
labor in this country. In the main
lines of his original dispute with
the A. F. of L., he has been entirely
justified, since the issue is whether
labor" shall be a minority of those
who work for their daily bread or
shall be co-extensive with the peo-
pie who do the days work in the
United States.
Unfortunately for the C. I. O., Mr..
Lewis is also a big-time politician,
a man who intrigued with the opro-
sition 20 the New Deal and made q
secret bargain with the foes Of
organized labor to give President
Roosevelt a stab in the back at the
critical moment of the campaign.
Correspondents have written me to
inquire why it was wrong for Mr..
Lewis to support Wendell L. Willkie
in 1910 If it was right for Mr.. Lewis
to support President Roosevelt in
1886. The difference is as great as
that between day and night.
In 1886, Mr.. Lewis was openly for
Mr.. Roosevelt throughout the cam
paign. There was no doubt where
he stood or where the bulk of organ
lied labor stood in that election. 1t
was an open and above-board combi-
nation of interests, personalities and
policies. In 1910, until the very mo-
ment when Mr.. Lewis went on the
air, there was the greatest doubt as
to how the chairman of the c. I. o.
would stand.
Vote Of No Confidence.
It was clear that he was annoyed
with F. D. R., but some of Mr.. Lewis
closest friends and associates refused
to believe he could bring himself to
join the effort to topple over the
administration which had done so
much for labor Mr.. Lewis leaped
from ambush on the President and
made the result vote of no con-
fidence in his leadership of the c. I.
o. None of the reasons given by
Mr.. Lewis in that speech were new,
none of them could not have been
stated openly and frankly six
months ago 1t is fair to conclude
that neither Mr.. Lewis nor the Re-
publicans desired to allow the public
time to consider the meaning of an
alliance between big labor and big
business.
This was a supreme gamble by
John L. Lewis, guess that the
election would be close and that
he could throw it to Mr.. Wilkie
and the Republicans. The gamble
failed and it only remained for Mr..
Lewis to keep his word and CRATE
fully resign the Craftsmanship Of the
c. I. o.
Instead, he has allowed the same
peculiar groups and personalities
responsible for needing him into
opposition to turn him into the
worst loser in our political history.
Where Mr.. Willkie is pleasant and
public-spirited in his attitude, Mr..
Lewis has devoted considerable time
and energy to denouncing President
Roosevelt since the election. This
has trapped him in a fatal incon-
sistency. Mr.. Lewis bases his oppo-
sition to F. D. r. on the supposition
that President Roosevelt is for war.
Yet Mr.. Lewis angrily denounces
the very idea Of peace in the only
field where he is competent to
speak-peace with the A. F. L. and
peace inside the c. I. o. itself.
No Real Hatred In Ranks.
As for the G. I. O., 1t takes the
position that the members value
Mr.. Lewis in his capacity as
labor leader and a labor organizer
and that it is only as national poll
tician that they repudiated him at
the polls on November 5. He has
done much for too many honest,
Woodworking poor people who are
trying to make living In this coun-
try for there to be any real hatred
Of him in the ranks Of the c. I. O.,
but his recent access of megalo-
mania, his vote as say or else"
attitude and his stubborn refusal
to reopen peace negotiations with
the A. F. L. have impaired his util-
ity to the labor movement.
Now is the time for John L. Lewis
to pipe down, to allow Philip Muir
ray to direct the G. I. o. and TO
hold himself in reserve in the event
that later developments may make
1t appropriate for him to be given
another chance. In the meantime
Mr.. Murray deserves the respect and
support Of all those who, regardless
OF party Affiliations. believe that the
American labor movement Is too
important to be sidetracked or dis
credited simply because one of its
leaders made a bad guess and proved
q bad loser.