Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-12-01

7 SUPPOSE you don't need
L telling that Padway is Presi-
dent Roosevelt's honored per-
sonal and political friend. that
he was counsel for the Browne
Bioff racket operated by the
Capone gangsters and for the
dirty Scalese organization. also
a Capone project. and that he
is still counsel for the Team
sters' and Musicians unions OF
Old Dan Tobin and Jimmy Pet
rillo, respectively, also friends
and political hackers OF the
Roosevelt machine.
You probably don't need tell
ing, but II sort of dramatizes
the scenario 10 show what type
of individual this is who comes
here from Europe and. in fe
decades. is threatening strike
against two of the noble repub.
lies of our sisterhood of states
in retaliation for decisions made
by their people at the polls.
The supreme law OF the land
is. OF course, the United States
Constitution and the federal
laws adopted by Congress.
All state constitutions and
laws must conform TO the SUI.
preme law or yield to ii in case
OF conflict.
Now Padway Is saying that
the will of the AFL is supreme
and. in effect. superior 10 the
Constitution and laws OF the
l.. S. A.
THESE new amendments 10
L these state constitutions vio-
late neither the federal Con.
stitution nor any federal law.
In fact we have President
Roosevelt's solemn word that
the closed shop. imposed by
force of government. is repug-
nant 10 American ideals He
made that declaration in the
fall OF l94l when John L. Lewis
was trying 10 compel nom
union minority of coal miners
in certain diggings TO join his
union and was running a big
strike. 10 the detriment OF the
national war effort. 10 compel
this minority 10 come in.
In that crisis. Roosevelt put
il IN these words:
II tell you frankly that the
government Of the United States
will not order nor will Congress
pass legislation ordering q So
called closed shop. The govern
ment will never compel this S
per cent TO Join the union by =
government decree. That would
he too much like the Hitler
method toward labor"
OF course he violated thu
declaration. amounting 10
vow, when il became incxpedis
ent 10 fulfill il. He did this by
trick. referring the problem
TO one Of his fall-guys who pom
dered deeply and then brought
in a verdict imposing on the UNI
willing miners exactly the
condition that Roosevelt had
rejected and denounced as Hit
lerian.
60 THE closed shop was in
~ flicted on these citizens by
force of the Roosevelt govern
nent but you will observe that
this was done by the decision OF
an agreeable ideologist and not
by authority or any portion Of
the supreme law of the land.
To this very hour, no part Of
that supreme law denies the
right OF any state to forbid the
closed shop.
However. the War Labor
Board and other bureaus have
arbitrarily imposed il or the
maintenance OF membership
thing in most of the big war
jobs.
Notwithstanding Roosevelrs
condemnation Of "the Hitler
method toward labor" his
Dul fduNl avs nave just DulIcu
these Hitlerian devices through
by buster and pressure, relying,
for their authority. on that
which Francis Biddle, the attor-
ncy-general. vaguely but omi-
nouSly referred to as the Prcsi-
dents aggregate war powers.
In New Orleans, Padway said
that If Florida and Arkansas
try 10 enforce these new consti-
utional amendments ALL
printers will strike 10 silence
the American free press and
union bricklayers will refuse to
lay brick and so forth.
OF course. If the law Office
OF these states should wilfut
fail TO enforce the amendments
that would be a serious viola.
tion Of their oaths and the effect
would be anarchy.
THIS sums up to a case In
Il which an imported American
citizen puts above the supreme
law of the land and of those
two states the will of a handful
OF union politicians.
They are private group.
themselves. and Padway has no
standing. even as a union Off.
ciaL