Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-12-15
From The Desk Of
Melvin Schultz
Continued from Page 4

But victory shall not mark
the end of the struggle. For
there remains an internal threat
to the American idea; threat,
which, now that military vic
tory seems assured, assumes
sinister and formidable proper
tions. 1t is a threat which con-
sists simply of groups and in
dividual who are unaware of
that fact that an era has died,
an era of selfishness and un-
fettered greed. These people
usually belong to economic
groups which posses the great
est measure of security and
which-up to now-have had
the strongest influence upon
American affairs. Blinded by
fear of changes they cannot un-
derstand or control, they cling
tenaciously to their privileges
and desperately defead their
special interest. They would
have us believe that a desire
for economic security is incom-
patible with the American way
of life. They would have us be-
lieve that labor should be very
silent partner, and should never,
under any circumstances, mix
in politics. They distrust the
common people. Distrusting the
people, they seek to restrict
democracy; restricting dem
ocracy, they emasculate it; and,
if they are allowed to continue,
they will destroy it completely
Obviously, there is no lack
of faith in democracy among the
masses of people throughout the
world. They believe, and rightly
so, that the answer to any
threat of fascism is not less
democracy but more democracy.
If you doubt this, read the rec
ord of the resistance movements
in Europe. Here is a chapter of
human courage and faith that
shall rank with the greatest mill
itary accomplishments. Here
one finds ordinary people who
literally with their bare hands
Withstood the most highly or
ganized forces of brutality the
world has ever seen. Here one
finds a spiritual strength that
refused the very notion of sur
render or defeat, because these
people had faith in man and in
his ability to achieve freedom
and decency. They hungereda |
and thirsted and died because
they believed above all in free
dom; freedom from every op-
freedom to work as
dignified human beings; free
dom to live in the way God in
tended His own children should
live.
Let us have no illusions about
the real issue of this struggle.
Beneath the clash of military
machines, below the surface of
political differences and econ
omic conflicts there is but one
basic issue; and it is man him
self and his place in the world
of tomorrow. People every
where are acutely aware of
this and are asking some very
pertinent questions. Are the
common people to be considered
capable of real freedom? Are
they to be granted their right
full participation in the political
and social institutions which
they have helped to create,
which they support, and under
which they live? Above all, are
the people, the workers of the
world, to be given an equitable
share of the wealth of the
world? These are questions
which ruthlessly cut across all
lines of race, of political beliefs,
Of national differences. They are
questions which spring from the
very heart of the revolution in
which we are living. And they
are questions upon the answers
% which the existence of de-
mocracy depends. To these
we must give clear
and fearless answers"
The Seventh Convention of
the CIO. The Social Security
Program of the CIO and the
PAC program is our clear and
forceful answer.
We accept and support these
ideals. Further in our PAC pro-
gram for Social Legislation and
in the contracts we negotiate
with the employers shall put
them into practice.