Detroit evening times., 1945-03-29


OPPOSED TO PROPOSITION II.
They did not ask contribution of 81
they DEMANDED 81 on threat of sus-
pension-and suspension DENIES THE
RIGHT TO WORK.
Under the bylaws of the Los Angeles
A. +. r. A. local, there is no mention of
the right to assess for any purpose
And upon my refusal to pay-on the
grounds that my political beliefs were
my oWn-i Was told that I could not
work. In other Uords, my right to earn
living depended upon my supporting
somebody eise's political opinion con-
trary to my oWn.
NOU see this is not question of union
l. ism or nOnunloniSm. 1t is just ques-
tion of WHETHER MY RIGHTS AT AN
ELECTION BELONG TO ME OR
WHETHER THEY BELONG TO A
UNION.
And on that simple question rests the
fate and future Of this nation. Whether we
are to be totalitarian country or de-
mocracy. And we are not a democracy by
Just calling ourselves a democracy. De-
mocracy means freedom of choice.
Do we have to sell that freedom of
choice for the right To earn living 2-
I DO not believe that is the purpose for
which labor unions were formed For
it is un-Amerlcan. And it is 100 per cent
wrong
But a. F. K. a. was defending its
power and was defending my rght-so
we went to court.
A Judge Of the superior court of Los
Angeles County found in favor of the
union-on the ground, and mark this well
ON the ground that Proposition y was
NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.
Here Was proposition on the ballot
to change the constitution of the state of
Cal1ornia-a proposition that had ouer
one million Uotes cast for IT, and oUer
one million Uotes cast against n-A
MEASURE WHICH THE ABSENT SOL
DER VOTE SUPPORTED, TWO TO
ONE. But the court holds that IL is not
poiiticol-becouse 1t opposed the closed
shop.
The Los Angeles County Judge appar-
emily agrees with me that a political as
sessment is wrong-but not if a union
needs the money to fight a proposition
affecting ito be voted on by three mil
lion people.
60 WE have-at least in Los Angeles
" County-one law for the union and
another for the lonely citizen who still has
Elusive hopes that We are living under
constitutional government with ONE
LAW FOR ALL.
Well, we are living under conStitu-
tlonal government and I'm trying to find
out whether it's the Constitution of the
United States-or the constitution of
union.
In the first court decision, found out
But there is a famous case in which
another court held
1T is not enough to say that mans
vote has not been influenced. II is also
necessary for his freedom that he shall not
have been coerced into supporting, by
money or otherwise, the candidate or
measure which he wishes to oppose"
\ RE We totalitaran state or are we
"A a democracy-and does democracy
mean freedom of the individual or only
freedom for the union and the ruling
powers?
Is this unseen power guided and in
spired by the spirits of Washington.
Adams, jefferson, Madison, Lincoln? Is it
inspired by the love of America and her
tradition of freedom? Or is it inspired by
selfish desire for its own political advan-
tage and power? What do you think?
FROM WHERE DID SUCH OMINOUS
POWER ARISE IN THIS LAND OF THE
FREE? 1T COMES FROM FORCED
ELECTION CONTRIBUTIONS AND
CONTROL OF A HEAVY VOTING
POWER PLACED IN A FEW HANDS
WHICH GIVES A RELATIVELY FEW
PEOPLE COERCIVE POWER OVER
LEGISLATURES AND CONGRESS, AND