The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1942-11-20
FACIN c.
THE
FACTS
With PHILIP PEARL

These friends interpret the Repub-
lican gains in Congress as foreshad-
owing an immediate and dangerous
drive to abolish legislation which safe
guards the economic and social stand
ards of labor.
In our opinion they are mistaken.
Still fresh in our minds is the fact
that the smashing defeat of the
vicious Smith-Vinson amendments in
the House a few months ago was
made possible by the vigorous coop
GRAFTON Of Joe Martin, Republican
Minority Leader of the House.
Mr.. Martin and the vast majority
of his Republican colleagues in the
House could see no good reason then
to join in with the rabid coterie of
Southern Democrats and G. O. P. re-
dictionaries who were out to lynch
labor. We doubt whether they will be
any more inclined to enter any such
coalition now.
Republican Congressman are just
as anxious to have and to hold the
friendship and support of American
workers as are the Democrats. They
are encouraged in this respect by the
non partisan political policy of the
American Federation of Labor, which
has never sold labor down the river
,>o.+x,
AFL Policy Pays Dividends
In the last elections, as the Repub-
licans well know, the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor endorsed and
supported candidates regardless of
their party affiliations and only on
their labor record In fact, rs per
cent of the Congressional candidates
supported by the Federation was
elected That isn't bad record in an
upset year.
1t isn't good political policy for any
party to repudiate the support of the
vast body of American citizens who
comprise the working population.
1t isn't good sense for any political
party to further legislation which will
upset the war production drive and
benefit only a small group of chisel-
ing employers.
1t isn't good political or economic
policy for the Republicans from New
England to adopt legislation which
will hurt industry and labor in their
own progressive and advanced COM
munities for the advantage Of sweat
shops in Southern and rural sections
1t isn't patriotic to punish and con-
fuse the millions of loyal and hard
working laboring men and women of
America at time when their utmost
efforts are necessary for victory and
at time when they are voluntarily
making major sacrifices to help win
the war
So don't be alarmed by the mouth
ings of the O'Daniels and the Smiths
and the Wilson's. Naturally, they
would grab at any straw to renew
their assaults on their pet hates. But
in our opinion, the Republican Party
leaders and the great majority of the
Republican Representatives in the
next Congress will not fall for their
Sixth Column propaganda.
Looking Ahead to 1914
The election results, of course, must
be highly gratifying to the Republi-
can Party. But the Republicans are
still NOT in control of Congress. They
are still not in control of the Govern
ment. They are cheered because the
election holds some promise of future
and more substantial successes in
1914.
Is it reasonable to suppose, then,
that the party strategists will go out
of their way to jeopardize those
chances of success in 1914 by crack
ing down on organized labor now? I?
We doubt it very much. We feel
assured that the great majority of
both R lican and Democratic
members of Congress will continue to
vote in support of American labor
and will continue to defeat any war
time raids on labor's social and eco
nomic progress.
And let us not forget that President
Roosevelt is still in there pitching
His statement at White House press
conference the other day exposing
the lies behind the revived campaign
to abolish the 40-hour week standard
for computing overtime was the tip
off to Congress that the White House
will veto any anti-labor measures that
might be adopted.
And it is also we'll to remember that
it takes both houses of Congress tc
pass law. In the upper house, the
friends of labor are still as strong as
ever in the drivers seat. Even in the
event that coalition of reactionary
! Southern Democrats and RenIblicans