The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-08-22
by WESTBROoK PEGLER.
Copyright 1945, BY King Features syndi,

NOpy1A6At Ao1o, 10y mig TCdIuTcS SynQ1Cate)
NEW YORK,-The standard method of at.
tack against all advocates of human freedom
in American labor is the smear-word ~.santi.
labor" this is applied to both individuals. in.
Guiding political candidates. and legislative pro-
posals. The purpose of this smear is to place
such persons and their proposals on the de.
fensive when, actually, this is an attack on
slavery under unionlSn.
The most common proposal, advanced in
many states and tentatively offered as an
amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, begins thus:
mo person shall be denied employment be.
cause of membership in labor union,'' pro.
viso which acknowledges the stated purpose
of the Wagner act to permit workers to bargain
collectively through agents of their own
choice.
act, which is constantly flouted in practice
when men and women are compelled to accept
agents thrust upon them by the government
the remedial bills then add that no person shall
be denied employment or fired from Job be.
cause of refusal to join any union or resigna.
uon from a union.
mat is called an anti-labor proposal This
concept OF labor regards the union, itself. as
labor The individual worker is not labor and
ne has no rights And the smear-press, in
Guiding standard publications calling them.
selves lberal,' as we'll as the self-serving
propaganda sheets turned out by union officials
at the expense of their Subjects depict the
worker as an enemy of labor if he fights
against compulsory membership or fights for
remedial laws
These remedial proposals are mild. They
merely ask that aliens and convicted felons
be barred from official positions in American
UNIONS that the officials be required by law
10 account Tor the members funds and that
no political assessments shall be collected nor
any portion of the regular funds be used for
political purposes.
Clarence A. Barnes, the Attorney General of
Massachusetts,, reports typical case in which
a union teamster was expelled from his union
OF the American Federation of Labor because
he exercised his right as a citizen to testify
before committee of the legislature
The teamster is Pasquale Lorizio, the father
of five children
Exercising right which always believed
was inherent" Mr.. Barnes wrote, 'Lorizio
voluntarily appeared before the joint commit.
tee on labor and industries to advocate House
bills 827 and 1923, calling for financial ac
countability and prohibiting political contribu.
tons by labor unions. He spoke from his
heart and voiced the feelings of hundreds of his
fellow union members.
incidentally, John NJ Sullivan, the presi.
dent OF this union, announced during con.
gresslonal campaign few years ago, the
purpose OF his union to collect money to paw
off accumulated personal debts of new deal
candidate for congress who then won the cleo.
ton. f.
Because he had the courage to speak not
only for himself but for those whose tongues
nave been silenced by the dictatorial oligarchy
who refused the rank and file an opportunity
Tor free election, and have failed to give
satisfactory financial accounting, he dorizio)
has now been confronted with charges and is
10 appear before the union kangaroo court
Wnlch Will most certainly strip him of his
membership and deprive him of an opportuni.
ty to earn living for himself and his family
from she trade which he has followed for
years"
This is part Of an official statement by
Mr.. Barnes to the Rules committee of the
legislature on April e.
IN an accompanying letter. Mr.. Barnes
writes me-
"Lorizio was put on trial before the local
on April o. He was denied counsel. His wit
nesses were not allowed to testify nor could
ne cross-eXamlne witness against him. He
asked for stenographer and was refused
Inc local had its own stenographer and re-
fused him a copy. The day after my labor
Oils were defeated the union made finding
expelllng Lorizio from membership Industrial
slavery is In full sway in many unions now
- oAAA3 PoAAeiSd1 lcdueIS WOulQ wake up TO the
TACT that the rank and file of labor appreciate
the situation and would vote for relief"
This is skeletonized version of Lorizio's
case which is not at all extraordinary. how.
ever in unlonism as it is now operated under
the powers and immunities built for the union
bosses by the late Franklin D. Roosevelt. it
is typical experience which would be re-
peated hundreds of thousands of times if those
other victims had the courage Yet. the bills
proposing accountability were defeated on the
ground that thew were hostile to labor
The fright to work. slogan that was
cried with great feeling when the union bosses
were creating their relationships. is now sneer-
ed at when the Individual worker mentions
his right to work
This was the union that Roosevelt selected
as his primary audience in the fourth tenn
campaign for speech that sounded new depth
OF vulgarity and flippancy. It's president. Dan
Tobin, gets 100000 year plus personal ex
penses without limit and enjoys royal status
and payroll Jobs have been provided for his
sons the princes of the royal house. few
years ago. Mr.. Tobin announced that his union
would spend as much money might be neces-
sary to elect its candidates to Congress. Th.t
these congressman would then represent the
union not their districts, is merely an an
plication of the familiar charge that candidates
elected by soulless corporations represent
those corporations.
All efforts to correct such conditions arc
''anti-labor' activities.
60 I'll ~ ca