The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-23
Fair Enough
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
copyright, By King Features Syndicate, Inc


The recent oratorical and editorial abuse of
john l.. Lewis was a silly and pathetic ex-
aloltlon Which defeated itself and d~ignified
Lewis. Inc fact that it accomplished nothing
Will be established whea we discover that the
Senate, again, has contrived to wiggle off the
spot and do nothing about reforming the laws
which enable Lewis and others to do as they
do.
For a few daya, this time, it did seem that
the Senate might have to act but then, as
before, Lewis gave the country a truce which
actually was a truce for him at a critical
moment. The truce saved Lewis. not the
nation, because if the government had had
the courage to stand pat and 60 through the
crisis, Lewis, not the United States. would
nave gone down. In a death grapple the nation
will destroy any individual or groups irving
to seize such power
During the excitement we were loudly re-
minded, again, that Lewis was beetle-browed,
arrogant, drunk and-or mad with power. and
a tyrant, all of which bad absolutely nothing
to do with the case, anG none of which was
news. This political billingsgate was in the
manner of tie statesmen of the communist
party and the leftWing auXiliaries of the
Roosevelt machine who have such a low, and
accurate, opinion of the common intelligence
of Americana that they habitually substitute
abusive LANGUAGE for honest debate. and usu-
ally win.
Granted that Lewis j.: beetle-browed, so is
Frank Murphy. Roosevelt was antern-jawed,
Henry Wallace Grools and Sidney Hillman
speaks a dialect tia. many Americans would
consider laughahle. No more arrogant man
ever held power in gu, country than Harold
Ickes and the tyranny OF Lewis in his union
is matched by the Tyranny of Dan Tobin,
OF the Transfers union, and many others.
These are superf;cials.
The essentials in the Lewis case were wide
ly ignored.
The causes OF the trouble are found in the
Labor Relations Law and in the habits of the
government in dealing with unions.
These defects were solennly and deeply
studied by a special committee of the House
of Representatives, of which Howard w.
Smith, OF Virginia, was chairman, in 1910.
The committee then made a thorough report
revealing the most unconscionable violations
of the Labor Relations Board from its very
beginning by communists. Few Of the Ameri-
can people ever hearc of this committee, or
the revolving conditions which it reported in
detail. Some changes were made in the staff
but the defects in the law have been guarded
as though they were virtues.
During the original debates and in the title
Of the Wagner Act it was stated that one
purpose was to prevent union troubles and
their consequent interruption of production
and commerce. Since its passage not only
have strikes multiplied by four but the magni-
tude OF the strikes, notably the recent troubles
IN coal, motors, steel and electrical equip
ment, has become a threat to the stability
of the country and the personal livelihood of
entirely unconnected with t h e dis
Whereas, formerly, strikes were con-
tests between unions and employers over pay
and conditions under the Wagner Act. thew
nave developed into political struggles with
union executives exerting their power to con-
retail prices and regulate commerce.,
Nowhere in the original debates or in the
text OF the law was it anticipated that this
power would be used to impose on the United
States the economic and political preferences
OF the few clever men who, inevitably, would
acquire control Of these new organizat tons and
their treasures. But now, when experience
mas shown that the power has been so used.
the senate still refuses to revise the law and
ever to debate proposals to that effect.
throughout this controversy, all suggestions
OF reform have beel, savagely denounced as
antl-laoor' agitation and the motives of
honest Americans have been brutally i'm
pugned. There is a school of special and staff
correspondents in Washington who are con-
stantly guilty of dishonest presentat ton bv re-
lerrlng 10 remedial measures as "anti-labor''
Oils, and their authors as "anti-labor'' men.
10 the polItlca' powers who control the union
as labor leaders and those sena-
and congressman who vote with these
after as labor or 'pro-labor'' members.
Even editors, who should be more discrimi-
mating, make the careless mistake of smear
ing reform as "anti-labor'' and referring to
union bosses and their congressional servants
as "laborltes," all to the advantage of the
very tyrants, of whom Lewis Is only one. who
nave taWarted the economic and industrial
recovery Of the nation since victory in Japan.
l was one of the early students and critics
Of the Wagner Act. the Labor Relations Board
and the character of uaionism. I foresaw the
rise OF this enormous power of a few am
bilious and ruthless men over the entire
people of the United States and the fortunes
Of the nation and sometimes was scolded
even by men of similar mind, for dinning
away on one subject year after year.
But there has been no more important do-
issue in our time and it is no satis.
faction to be able TO say today II toldyou so.,
Editorial Co~~-A