Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-13
COP Urged to Make
Compoiqn Hoy Now
Public Is Blaming Democrats for
Strike Wave, Says Writer
BY David Laurence

President Truman may or NAV not
choose to run in 1s4S-the left wingers
are already trying to persuade him not
to be candidate-but November, 1s4S,
is much nearer and the whole House
of Representatives and one-third of the
United States Senate will be I'D for
election.
II the Republicans have any sense
left they will not waste time making
campaign speeches or soliciting cam
paign funds. All they need to do Is cali
attention to what is happening in Con-
gress and then wait for the votes to
be counted and they will find that in
the Democratic strongholds of Pitts
Durgh, Philadelphia and New York and
elsewhere the shift to the opposite
party will be amazing.
For the public Is sick and tired Of
the Democratic party's indifference to
the need for some legislation to prevent
strikes. The Democratic leadership in
the Senate is stalling on the matter Of
labor legislation. The House has acted
promptly, though it will be noted that
the Republican party made that step
possible.
Wave Of responsibility.
The country is suffering from a wave
OF responsibility on the part of GER
tain employers and employee organiza-
tions.
Vital facilities are tied up either by
refusing the reasonable demands of la
Dor or by labors insistence on demands
that are unreasonable. It seems in.
credible that democracy, which rests on
the principle of the consent of the
governed, should be unable to exercise
its judgment and bring about the pas
sage of legislation to limit strikes. es-
pecially in fields closely related to the
public safety
But, judging from the behavior of
the Democratic party, which controls
the Senate, there is no alternative avail
able to the American people except to
vote out OF office the party in power or
to make their contemplated action so
plain ahead of time that it will have
stimulating effect on the Democrats
who control the committee where all
labor legislation is now buried and bids
fair to remain buried unless the public
bestirs itself.
Inc alliance between the labor union
politicians and the Democratic party in
the Senate is so strong that the chances
of dislodging the committee majorities
winch mold the balance of power there
depend on the election of Republicans
to those committees.
People Can Have Redress. :,
If the public wants a continuance of.
economic anarchy and wishes to see the
situation disintegrate still further, it can
remain indifferent to the real power of
the Senate. For, when a President is
weak or incompetent the people can
have redress through the Congress If
they insist upon it.
Mr.. Truman has the influence to force
early action in the Senate on his labor
proposals and it should not need the
prodding Of President to stir the SEN.
ate to action. The newspaper headlines
reveal what economic damage the
strikes are doing. Whether one believes
that the arrangements are recalcitrant
or that the unions are pressing their
demands too far, the fact remains that
some means Of settling labor disputes
by orderly processes has not been pro-
vided and the responsibility for keeping
new labor legislation off the statute
books for ten years rests solely with the
Democratic party in Congress.
Whatever be the faults of the Repub-
lican party-and they are many-it does
present at this moment the only alter
native to continuance Of economic I'M
rest and the development of Nation
wide depression. The labor leaders are
so much misled by what political power
they have accumulated in the past that
they do not realize they are committing
suicide and doing more in few weeks
to injure the rightful causes of labor and
to imperil the true rights of the workers
than all the reactionaries and extrenl-
lists among employers have been able
to accomplish in many years of effort.
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