Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-12-07

ILaborReport
By Bradford v. Carter
Guest COlumnist
Paul SiftOn


In our democracy, it's a
normal and healthy parlor
and union hall pastime to kick
Congress around converse
tionally. Lately, with Presi-
dent Truman making strong
progressive statements and
then letting his assistants get
away with cancelling them
out in weak administration
and weak negotiation with
Congress, the gripping has
spread to include the White
House too.
Up to a point, this is all to
the good. 1t keeps Senators,
Representatives and the man
who happens to be President
chopped down to normal size,
keenly aware of the people
who elect and /or defeat them
and pay the taxes. But, in
the present grave situation,
when there's every indication
that we are, drifting into a
period of industrial war here
at home and an armaments
race abroad, the use of Con-
greSs and the President as
whipping boys may be useless
and even dangerous. The dan
ger is that, in running down
these two branche of govern
ment, the whole system of
democratic government may
suffer loss of popular conf
dence, preparing the way for
some sort of totaltiarian take
over, come the next depres-
sion.
IT'S EASY
It's easy enough to damn
Congress and the President
and thereby feel that you
have placed the blame where
it belongs and have no further
responsibility. Then, it's their
fault, not yours. The only
catch in that theory is that,
in democracy, the final
blame or credit belongs to
people themselves,
Because FDR could usual
ly be relied upon to make a
Shoe-string catch for labor
and progressives generally,
we tended to develop some
thing of a company union at
titude, a happy go-lucky idea
that long range policy con-
sisted of working from one
days newspapers to the next
or, at most, a few weeks or
months ahead. We knew that
FDR's party was held together
with a combination of baling
wire, Roosevelt charm, and
fear of COP capture of lead
earship of Congress and pa
tronage.
We knew that eventually
something would have to
be done about the poll tax
seniority system whereby the
oldest members from the
tightest poll tax states and
Congressional districts auto
matically rose to control of
the principal committees of
both Houses and, from these
posts of power could stop or
weaken any program or re-
form. But doing something
about it was something for
tomorroW-manana
NOW'S THE TIME
Now, when we're in trouble
up to our chins, and when
there's no one in the White
HuoSe who can step in to pass
a political miracle to save us,
is as good a time as any to
give close look at what's
wrong with Congress itself,
not the men and women who
are in it, but the machine in
which they are caught and
which they cannot possibly
modernize unless helped by
public demand.
First, of course, is the poll
tax. The bill to outlaw the
poll tax as a requirement for
voting in federal elections has
passed the House, as it has
passed before. II is due to
come up on the Senate floor
in the next few weeks. Forty
two senator's are reported
ready to vote for cloture, to
limit debate and prevent a
filibuster by Bilbo and a score
of other southern Senators.
A two-third majority of
those voting is necessary to
adopt a cloture rule. Every
southern Senator able to leave
his bed can can be counted
on to be present and voting.
If the Republican party really
means business, it can insure
the necessary majority, join
ing with northern Democrats
from states where the Negro
vote is an important political
factor.
Abolition of the poll tax
would let great fresh wind
blow through the South. Many
new faces would appear in
both Houses and many old
fares would tako IN a yo,,n1ar