Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-12
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
IT is natural TO wonder what
L motive the national admins
tration may have in helping the
unions TO round up vast num-
bers of citizens under their rule
as sub-governments.
My idea is that With the de-
cline of the several states as
submits. thanks to the apathy
and civic WEAKNESS of the peo-
pie and the recklessness of
politicians. il is intended to pro-
mote the unions TO a position Of
established and recognized au-
thority in the nation.
We are going through an
evolution and the states are de-
caying rapidly. Their decline is
outwardly apparent. but the in
visible decay is more serious.
For eight years they have
been preying on one another
through their senators and rep
resentatives. and their governors
have been busting into Wash
ington to hack off living hunks
of the flesh of the whole union
to throw TO their ravenous con-
stituents back home as political 2
bait
THESE public men boast
l. proudly. if thoughtlessly, OF
the amounts which they have
been able TO wangle out Of the
national treasury. and the people
have never paused to reflect the
"gov'ment" is, after all, only the
whole body of all the states.
The states have defaulted
their responsibilities and the
federal government has eagerly
assumed them. and each such
default has reduced by just that
much the independent power OF
the state and enhanced by that
much the central power OF the
national government
Now the unions are. by and
large little worse normally
than the state governments. but
their present power, though
great. is petty compared with
the power which they would
possess if the big organizations
would settle their feud and con-
soldate
This they eventually will do
and federal laws or policies viii
be adopted bringing them under
federal control They will CO.
operate with the government.
but industry will obey.
WITH 20.OO0OO0 workers. a
w feasible figure. enrolled in
F the unions. these organizations
would rank before the states in
national influence. 1t must be
kept in mind that this govern
ment prefers class groups 10
/ geographical units
We will now have in Congress
the gentleman from the teach
ers' union" or "the gentleman
from the carpenters" instead of
the gentleman from Illinois" or
+ Alabama.
They Will not wear their union
tags. but they Will represent
union organizations. neVerthei
i less. and eventually every one
who works viii belong to SONS
union.
The union elections will ac-
quire firSt-claSs political lmpor-
tance when the candidates for
! the public elections are selected
in the unions. subject. OF COURSE
to devious union politics.
1t may have been noticed
that President Roosevelt has
/ given the unions great encour-
agement and ignored their sins.
while industry and many of the
rank and file walled piteously
in their misery. but il will be
/ noticed also that when the
/ President, with his fine sense Of
things. decided that the unions
/ NiiOuiu DC DltNSth iiiAO ilitt iiiN
suggestion conveyed no hint Of
antagonlsm.
They will be induced and per-
suaded to cooperate with the
national government in return
for favors already received and
other assistance yet to come,
and the cooperation will pres
emily harden into established
custom and compulsion.
DOSSIBLY they will be forced
i TO yield TO some degree of
| supervision over their internal
affairs. such as finances, cleo
tions and trials.
That would not embarrass the
boss unioneers unduly, because.
after all, the politicians of the
cities and states have enjoyed
great freedom while beholden 10