Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-06
Congressman
Sink Deeper
Into Disrepu+e
Pension Aids Wagner Act
RidicuIe. PeeIer Says r
By WESTBROOK PEGLER


cule against those members of
both houses of Congress who
voted for pensions.
Under the slogan Bundles for
Congressman" a growing mum.
Der Of Stiles are collecting old
clothes. plug hats, hot water
bottles and Christmas slippers to
be sent 10 Washington with the
contempt of the donors.
In Washington, Jim Mead. a
senator from New York, New
Dealer and the complacent col
league of the author OF the
vicious Wagner Act, has
promptly responded with COM
plant that this movement will
hold up to prolonged ridicule the
popular branch OF the govern
ment and create serious disre-
spect for the legislative body.
Senator Mead is right. but he
ignores the true reason for this
contempt and distrust and prob
ably underestimate the depth OF
this feeling among the people.
The pension law is trifie OF
itself.
The real reason why Congress,
on both sides. has fallen in the
public opinion is that the peo-
pies representatives have been
found guilty of wicked and
cowardly political sell-out to q
small group of men in command
of very small minority OF the
whole American people. whereby
all the people are faced with the
proposition that they must sur
render one of their most i'm
portant rights of citizenship TO
the bosses of the Go and the
ALL. a
THE evil Wagner Act. slimys
l. lie in its very title. has
never been amended. notwith-
standing thousands of cases OF
individual and mass persecution
of the people by power-hungry
criminals. Communists, Fascists
and others in command OF the
union movement
The lnlqulty OF this law and
of its administration has been
proved publicly and VIGOROUSLY
in Congress and out and It's
meaning 10 the oStenSibiy free
citizen has al last become clear
10 him.
The citizen has begun TO
understand that he has been
betrayed into the power OF
few mouthy and arrogant and
often brutal mob leaders who
often beat his head of with
stakes and bats in the hands OF
their brown shirts unless he pays
tribute and taxes 10 private or
CARNATIONS having no moral
right 10 intervene between the
worker and his lawful occupa-
ton.
He has seen that shameless
body of which Senator Mead
has the doubtful honor TO be
member permit the creation
Of an agency which even inter-
veneS between him and his gov
eminent. has seen the govern
ment defer to unioneers with
the mocking explanation that
they represent labor" and has
watched the increasing disgust.
cyniciSm and despair the steady
refusal of Congress TO risk the
political wrath OF the brown
shirt leaders by passing laws
which would curtail their power.
THERE Is no longer any pre-
tense that the evils of the
Wagner Act are imaginary. tha Z
tn vast documentary proof & |
persecution is incorrect or that
there IS any distortion in the
picture which shows the people
handed over in chains 10 men
with boundless political am
billions. shut off from the courts
Of law and denied relief by the
bench and Congress.
Felix Frankfurter's decision
in one key case, that of the
carpenters in 81. Louis. posi-
lively established the right OF
scoundrelS TO com mit acts
against the rights of clean citi-
zens which. done by any indi-
vidual outside this privileged
class. would be properly re-
garded as violations of law and
dccency and punished without
hesitation.
Congress permitted Justice
Frankfurter and his colleagues
Of that majority to read this in
tention into laws which Con-
gress passed and has had not
even the civic decency, much
less the political courage. to de-
liver the public rebuke which is
deserved.
Senator Mead is right as far
as he goes.
Congress is in contempt. but
he is either too ignorant to per-
ceive the real reason or too sly
to admit II.
II he will look in the mirror
he will see one Of the most in.
fluential authors of the danger
Gus decline OF the popular branch
Of the American government in
the mind OF people who have
almost given up but may ex-
press a last hope the next time
he and his partners come up for
reelection.
buy n Bomber
oar Nx-an 100