Evening star., 1946-10-23

assertion involves no noStlllIy 10
organized labor and no desire to
curtail any of its proper rights and
privileges.
, It does involve the conviction that
these do not include the right to
strike against or defy the Govern
ment nor the right to imperil the
functions of public utilities upon
which depend the health, happi-
ness, the very life, itself, OF the
people.
Attempt to Bully Nation.
Events of the past year, culminat-
ing in the devastating shipping and
truck strikes and the other strikes
Just as menacing now scheduled,
are suficient to establish the ability
Of the unions not only to imperil
the food supply of the people but
to bully the Government into vio-
lating its own policies and prin-
ciples, which appears to be exactly
what Mr.. John L. Lewis is trying
to do at the moment.
It is true the present admins
tration inherited this mess. Never
theless, it is clear that pending some
overwhelming demonstration OF
public sentiment, it is not going to
be able to clean it. up. Apparently
the long political partnership be-
tween the Democratic party and
the CIO has so deeply inculcated
the belief that the Democrats cam
not win without its support that
extremely few are courageous
enough to repudiate it.
That the Democratic Party is so
heavily shackled it cannot face
squarely the vital issue which has
now been raised is attested not only
by the mealy mouthiness of admin
istration spokesmen but by its posi-
ton in New York, where its sub
serviency to the CIO-Communist
controlled American Labor party is
complete and undisguised.
Though embarrassed by no such
partnership or support from the
labor bosses as the Democrats and,
therefore. more free to show can
dor and courage in dealing with the
problem, very little of these qualities
is to be found among the Republi-
cans. In the main, leading Repub-
licans favored for the presidency
trim, twist, equivocate and evade
when forced to face this question.
Even former Gov. Stassen, in the
recent, constructive program" he
proposed for the Republican Party,
avoided every major reality of the
labor problem, advocated few
minor reforms, proposed nothing
that had not been proposed before,
wound up with a perfectly trite,
entirely political and, in face of the
Wagner Act, ridiculous declaration
that whatever Is done labor must
be safeguarded against the over
riding of management, utterly
ignoring the existing reality of the
overriding of management by labor.
The Important Thing.
It isn't the overriding Of either
labor. or management that is the
important thing now. The impor-
tant thing is the overriding of the
people, the Government and the
law. And it is a shocking thing that
more candidates do not face these
facts and speak out boldly. Every
man running for Senate or House
this fall ought to, be on record one
way or the other. The public is en-
titled to know-and ought to insist
upon knowing-where every con-
gressional candidate stands on this
issue today.
Considering what has been hap
pening here in the past IS months,
it seems incredible that men seek
ing the votes of the people could,
with impunity, still straddle, bluff,
buster and dodge on this question.
sYet, that is exactly what a great
many cf them are doing.
Thes situation in New York is an
illustration. There the Republican
senatorial candidate, Mr.. Ives-to
his CREDITS urging the appoint
ment of nonpartisan congressional
committee to bring order and COM
mon sense out of the existing chaos
of labor relations and takes his
stand against the right to strike
when the strike is against the pub
lie or against the public's inter-
ests." This is clear position.
1t would eliminate strikes against
public utilities, municipalities and
governments. How any one not a
labor professional, Communist
agitator or a political demagogue
could oppose such limitations is not
easy to see.
Yet, it is astonishing how few
candidates for Office this year are
honest enough to espouse them. 1t
is particularly noteworthy that IN