The Wilmington morning star., 1945-10-23
Fair Enough
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1915, by King Features Syndic

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1915, by King Features Syndicate)
NEW YORK, Oct. 22.-The communists who
fomented the miscalled strike against Joe Ry-
an the president Of the Longshoremen's
Union Of the AT. of L. in the port of New
York. may have performed one helpful pub
lie service contrary to their intent.
They complained that there is no ''democ-
racy' in Ryan's union which 'elected' him
of $4,000 year.
For the sake of argument I will concede
that democracy means free, honest
elections and the rule of the rank and file
It means nothing of the kind in actual truth
and often does mean slavery, but let that
dispute go for the moment.
Nobody knows better than I that Ryan's
union is ''un-democratic'' and that the initia-
ton fees, amounting in some cases to $500,
are extortionate, although I was called Ia
bor-baiter when, few years ago, l publ
cized the same evils which the communists
allied with Harry Bridges and Joe Curran
of the CLIO now offer as intolerable conditions.
But Bridges subsidiary unions of Longshore-
men and workers in allied jobs are just as
bad in their own way and Curran's union is
even worse than Ryan's. Curran's rules are
such that most of the Young Americans drawn
to the sea for war service can't mold office
or even vote in a union which their govern
ment compels them TO join.
On the other hand, charges have often been
made by the rival sailors union OF the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, that Currans meet
ings are packed with Union Square floozies,'
and communist furriers, needle-workers and
illiterate Caribbean bus-boys, and Curran
once declared in open meeting that it wasn't
necessary to hold trials for racketeers. The
communists would just toss out without trial
anyone whom they considered racketeer and
that. of course would mean anyone who op-
posed communism.
conspicuous example was made of sail
or who got up at one of Curran's conventions
| to offer resolution against communism IN the
name of the crew which had sent him there
as their delegate. The sailor not only was
blackballed but was run off his ship and that
shin was a transport Of the United States
Army.
That is the union which in recent days has
been trying to place the docks Of the port OF
New York under the control OF an Australian
immigrant who by the verdict of the Supreme
Court, did collaborate with the communists.
But the communists have served the pub
lie by pointing out that under our present
laws and according to the morals and policies
of the late F. D. Roosevelt, unions nave a
right to impose on workers the very condl-
for their rebellion against Ryan.
Granted that Ryan is dictator, who was
it that prevented the passage Of legal RENE
dies which would have made it impossible Tor
Ryan, Bridges, Curran or any, other boss un-
ioneer to WELD such powers?
Roosevelt did.
How could these conditions be remedied
which the communists now find intolerable IN
Ryans union but not in any Of their own
CLIO unions?
BY law.
What law?
A law compelling every union constitution
to conform to the Constitution of the USA
The oath in Curran's union demands loyalty
to the union and to the labor cause,' but
ignores loyalty to the United States or the
national Constitution. So do many other union
constitutions Such oaths also bind the sub
iects to obedience to future enactments by
the ruling union bosses even hough hese
rules may contradict the citizens obligation
to his government. If he doesn't take an oath
which may bind him to commit acts OF trea-
son he can't be member and therefore can !,
earn a living Roosevelt actively prevented
anv enactment by congress which would have
changed this.
Roosevelt wouldn't let Congress pass laws
to compel Ryan, Bridges and Curran to hold
honest, representative elections and make
them submit to an honest impartial corot OF
the ballots He wouldn't let Congress regulate
initiation fees which often are made prohlbl-
tive so as to exclude new members and monop-
Ollie the jobs.
The whole rotten system was preserved as
racket and privilege for corrupt, and IN
hundreds of cases, traitorous, political hencn-
men.
Of course Ryan is dictator. And OF course
the American merchant sailor is captive IN
a union more sensitive to the purposes OF the
communist conspiracy than to the constitution
al rights of Americans.
But Roosevelt planned it that way and MS
little funkeys in the Senate wrought his will.
That, therefore, explains the present plight OF
the dear DID, contemplate, SOLDERING Garcia
ture of dignified human being described as
| the common man.
Editorial Comment