The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-07-10
AFL Victorious AS NLRB Reverses
Old Ruling In Longshoremen's Case
Facing The Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

gangster organization. Hitler wishes
to destroy democracy. The Scripps-
Howard papers want to destroy or
ganized labor. No wonder they use
the same methods.
1t is just as true for Hitler to say
that America is a gangster nation as
it is for the Scripps-Howard papers
to say that the American Federation
of Labor is gangster organization.
Certainly there have been gangsters
and criminals in the United States.
There still are. That's why we have
laws. That's why we have jails. But
is it fair to smear the entire body of
American citizens just because of a
few lawbreakers?
Certainly there have been gangsters
and criminals in the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Perhaps there still
are. That's why we have laws and
jails. If they are not all behind the
bars now, we hope they soon will be.
But is it fair to smear the entire s.
100000 members of the American
Federation of Labor just because Of
the misdeeds of paltry, degraded
few?
These remarks are occasoned by an
editorial in the Washington Daily
News of June 16 which quoted some
of our statements in last weeks col
umn anent the Reds in the ClO and
tried to turn the tables on us by max
ing it appear that the American Fed
Grafton of Labor suffers just as much
from gangsters as the CIO from
Communists.
Let's Clear the Air
This is just as good a time as any
to clear the air on this subject. What
are the facts?
First, it has been charged that the
leadership of the American Federation
of Labor is Crawling" with criminals.
The fact is that during the past four
years while we have been employed
by the American Federation of Labor
the number of union leaders in the
American Federation of Labor who
have been accused and convicted of
crimes can be counted on the fingers
of one hand.
Secondly, it has been charged that
the leadership Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor has deliberately re-
Trained from taking measures to
clean out criminals in affiliated or
ganizations. The fact is, however
that the leaders Of the American
Federation of Labor have done every
thing within their power to get rid OF
the tiny, reprehensible racketeer ele-
ment that infests a few unions.
But those who wish to confuse the
issues, those who wish to smear anC
destroy the entire organized labor
movement, are calling upon the
American Federation of Labor to dc
things beyond it's lawful, Constitu
tional powers.
They want the American Federation
of Labor to act as Grand Jury, prose
cutors and Judge when these vita
functions are lodged with the law en-
forcement and judicial agencies o.
the Government.
They want the American Federatio,
of Labor to usurp the functions ant
duties of the membership of affiliated
unions who have sole power to elec
and remove their union officials.
A Test of Democracy
These things the American Fedora
ton of Labor cannot do and retain it
integrity and usefulness. 1t canno
employ detectives to spy on unio
leaders. 1t canot subpoena record
and institute Investigations of affli
ated unions. Nor can it vote out of
ficials of affiliated unions and cleo
new ones in their places.
The American Federation of Labo
can do this--it can tell upon the lay
> enforcement officials of our natior
states and cities to enforce the lay
without fear or favor and mete jus
:. titled punishment on union official
found to have betroyed their trust;
can call upon it's affiliated nations
and international unions to clea
:, house of racketeers.
These things the American Feders
- tion of Labor can do. And it ha
y done them. Publicly and officiall
!, and fearlessly the American FEEDER;
- tion of Labor has condemned unio
:, racketeering. 1t has called upon TT
law enforcement authorities to Grad
q cate it. 1t has called upon all aftil
q ated unions to prevent it.
y Nor does the American Federatio
of Labor stop there. 1t appeals
o every member of every affiliate
, union to do his or her duty in a den
ocratic way to assure good govern
ment of unions.
Our nation cannot have good go
ernment if the electorate become
the tool of political machines al
z fails to exercise the power of the ba
lot intelligently for the election