Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-11
Letters to The Star
Sees Democracy or PAC-ClO
as Workers Issue

4 =
To the Editor Of The Star:
In the early part OF July, 1s43, the
Congress Of Industrial Organizations
produced premature and abnormal
child which 1t christened the Political
Action Committee. The PAC was con-
ceived through Sidney Hillman, devel-
oped by Philip Murray and enforced by
the faculty. It's embryonic life was
SCARED with purposes. programs and
finance Learned political physicians
jeered at the clumsy. fumbling and UNI
lawful efforts OF the political doctors OF
labor to save the anemic infant from an
untimely death. In the face OF square,
sincere and justified criticism and con-
demnation the experienced attendants
of this new creation worked unremit-
tingly to preserve the PAC in its early
crisis. Was the effort justified?
Mr.. Hillman can give the answer.
He labels it one of the greatest political
achievements of all mankind to
democracy itself. His aim, he has made
1t clear to us, Is to broaden the lot of
the progressive voters: to establish a
principle that labor has the right and
power to control the election or the
defeat of our local, State and national
offlcialdom. In this connection, Mr..
Murray declared: For the first time in
American history, the forces of labor are
now setting up a national organization
to protect the political rights of the re-
turning soldier, the farmer, the small
businessman and the so-called common
man" To accomplish the main text in
the aforesaid declaration the National
Citizens Political Action Committee was
set up. This NCPAC and CIO-PAC are
not by any stretch of the Imagination
separate and distinct outfits. On the
contrary, NCPAC is the monkey suit"
front of the CIO-PAC. The aim or pur-
pose is identical-elect Roosevelt for
four more years.
This offspring was conceived with a
very ingenious intent-an unequivocal,
unmistakable, unforgivable. unpublished
intent to evade the law I" obviously
a clear evasion of the Hatch Act and
the Smith Connally Act. The former
act places limitation and the latter
puts clear-cut prohibition on labor
organizations. Yet, the Attorney General
Of the United States and the Congress
of the United States sit idly by and
allow this notorious, visible and open
wide, glaring violation. Fundamentally,
; and chiefly from pecuniary position,
there is difference between the PAC
and the NCPAC. The difference Is that
the former talks turkey with the indus
trialists while the latter talks chicken
with the civilian population as whole
In short, we have somewhat mechani-
cal situation where both hands are work.
ing simultaneously. One hand skins
off the cream while the other scoops up
the gravy.
Cream and gravy" reluctantly given.
However, there is no choice. 1t is case
of give or get" The American employe
is being forced and constrained to do
something which clear, honest and just
conscience tells him not to do. But he
must do it or else lose his job, surrender
his means of livelihood. In short, it is
classical example of involuntary servi-
tude in American democracy. Democ-
racy which is supposed to be immune
from such unfair, uncivilized and feudal
practices, JJR