The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-07-12


There are two sides to every
questionable wrong side and our
side"
That proverb applies with amaz-
ing force to what | am about to
write. Many people will disagree
with what is to follow; probably an
equal number will agree with my
contentious.
During the past few weeks a
number Of laymen and some edi-
tors have taken up cudgels for or
against the militant Westbrook Peg
Ter. Some call him a character as
sassin and insist that what he writes
is rot They beat him over the head
with verbal cudgels. Others, with
equal force, defend the doughty
Pegler and contend that he is per-
forming public service of great
value.
We take a stand with those who
defend the fighting Pegler
There is just one question in
volved in this dispute-Is Pegler
telling the truth in what he writes?
If he is telling the truth, there
can be no question about the great
service he is performing.
As everyone knows who has read
Pegler's column, his attacks have
chiefly been against abuses in the
labor world. He insists that crooks,
grafters. racketeers and low-life
criminals have insinuated them
selves into the labor movement and
are using the great movement as a
racket whereby their own yawn-
ing pockets can be filled with trib-
ute paid bv the working men and
women of the nation.
Pegler is not vague or uncertain
in his charges. He gives names,
dates and court convictions. He
names certain prominent leaders in
various branches of the labor
world tells of their past criminal
records, cites instances where some
have been convicted of major
crimes, and in one or two instances
charges that certain Of these lead
ers have conducted brothels and
that some of them have been con-
victed of sex crimes. Just recently
the daily press reported the trial
and conviction of two such leaders,
they having been convicted Of ma
jor crimes.
Such charges, if untrue. are high
ly libelous. If untrue Pegler long
ago would have been hailed into
court and convicted under our strict
libel laws. We have never seen
where any of the men so charged
by Pegler have ever sued him. The
presumption is that his charges are
true.
A certain type of individual i'm
mediately rares up and hollers to
heaven that Pegler is an enemy of
organized labor. In truth, he should
be considered friend. Organized
labor ought to be anxious to clear
its ranks of every criminal ele-
ment If labor is going to retain the
respect and confidence of the pub
lie, it must clean out the racket
GERS, grafters, white slave traffick-
ers who have bored into the or
ganization. President Truman is
quoted as saying that he consid-
ers organized labor has become
of age and must accept more re-
sponsibilities. That is very true.
If there are crooks and grafters in
labor's ranks, they should be kicked
out pronto And Pegler, in opening
this sorry mess to public view, has
performed a real service to labor.
That is most assuredly true if labor
will view his crusade in the right
light and will proceed to clean
house.
Let us hope that the great labor
movement has truly become of age
and that it will clean its house and
60 forward in honor and dignity
under the great power it has now
attained.
- -.-l
Pegler's disclosures Of the Elliott
fCopfipi1pd IN n1Ua fixyaA