The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-09-24
Facing The Focts
With PHILIP PEARL

Il convenient gag or whether it really
happened but Donald Nelson says in
last Sundays paper that he received
a letter from worker asking whether
it is patriotic to take time off from a
war plant on Election Day to vote.
"There is only one answer to that
question:" the War Production Chief
replied. while l understand fully the
men who think they should stay on the
job, voting is a duty, not privilege.
The right to vote is, in short, what
this war is all about.
1T should be one of the very few
exceptions to the all-important rule of
staying on the job and getting war
materials off the production line and
on the battlefronts. The exception ap-
plies to all elections, national, state or
local
when you vote, vote fast and get
back on the machine.
The war worker is first of all an
American Citizen" Nelson concluded,
land the first right and duty of an
American citizen is to vote. That is the
difference between us and our enemies"
We agree with every word Donald
Nelson said, but we think his state
ment should be expanded. The workers
should know why this election is par
titularly important and why an apa-
thitic attitude on their part now may
result in bitter deprivation in the years
to come
Our Enemies Are Active
The enemies of labor are particular
ly busy in election years. They have
lots of money to spend. They are anX-
iOus to send to Congress and the State
Legislatures men who will do their
bidding and vote to place labor in Il
strait jacket.
EelectiOns are decided not by ma
jority of qualified voters, but by ma
jority of those who actually cast valid
ballots at the polls Every worker who
neglects to vote therefore plays right
right into the hands of his own enemies
and the enemies of American democ-
racy.
| We wouldn't get SO hot and bothered
about this except for the fact that all
signs indicate Il dangerously lacka
daisical attitude on the part of the
average citizen toward the coming
elections. Friendly Congressman have
told us that the general feeling seems
to be:-"This isn't Il Presidential cleo
ton, so why bother to vote?
The reason is that in America the
Chief Executive does not make the
laws but administers them. 1t is Con
gress that makes the laws of the ma
ton. And this year the entire House
of Representatives and one-third of the
! United States Senate is up for election.
We have only to consider the vast
flood of anti-abor legislation that was
introduced at the closing session of
Congress to realize how important it is
for every worker to 20 to the polls
and make certain to vote for labor's
| friends. Because labor had friends in
Congress every one of these anti-labor
bills was defeated. If labor doesn't see
to it at this election that labOrS
friends are reelected and its enemies
defeated. there may be Il different and
more tragic story in the next session
of Congress-
Your Vote Counts
Let's face the facts This election
may result in wage freezing for Ameri-
can workers if they don't vote 1t may
bring about job freezing 1t may result
in the passage of nO-strike laws. 1t
may even lead to the destruction of our
trade union movement
Legislation seeking these daStardly
ObjectiveS was offered in Congress this
year. Portions of this program includ,
ing the abolition of the 4O-hour week
were even adopted by the House of
Representatives Labor had many close
calls in the Congressional session now
drawing to an end.
The only way to prevent the legal
enslavenlent of labor in America is for
every worker to exercise his right and
duty as Il citizen to vote on Election
Day.
The way to vote is simple. Regard
less of party affiliations, every worker
should vote for those who support the
cause of labor and against those whC
have manifested themselves to be
enemies of labor That is the non-paiti
san political policy of the American
Federation of Labor. 1t is the policy
that has brought great legislative re
wards to the workers of this country
We don't know whether a worker
really sent Il letter to Donald Nelson
inquiring whether it was all right tC
take time off from a war job to vote
Regardless of that, his statement
should be convincing to any worker
who may entertain any doubts on that
score.
TO fulfill your duty as Il member OF
organized labor, to live up to your full