Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-04-04
Whose Fight?

Research which has been made cover
ing the political activities of the American
peopIe for the past so years or more, re-
veal the startling fact that there is very
definite and decided trend away from
voting by the citizens of this country.
Prior to the turn Of this century, more
than 80 per cent of the people exercised
their right to vote. Today, these figures
show most unusual turn downward WIN
slightly more than So per cent OF the
voters exercising their franchise through
out the nation.
II is not surprising in the face of these
figures, and they were lower last fall, to
observe what is happening upon the po-
liticaI scene in this country, when 1T is an
accepted fact that by far the majority OF
potential voters are members OF the group
which is known as labor.
No wonder that the Republican party,
which gained control of the legislative
branch of our government in last fairs
election fancies itself to have mandate
Obviously, it must be a mandate for the
Republicans to secure a majority vote
and gain political power?
We may argue about the mandate
which the Republican party claims 1t was
given to regulate" labor and otherwise
turn back the clock, but it is an accom-
pIished fact that the G.. o. +. is in posi-
ton to act as though the vote was decisive
and overwhelmingly given-a mandate In
fact if not in the intentions of the majority
of the American people who failed to vote.
In such a situation as labor finds itself
today, and thousands upon thousands OF
workers are still unaware of their danger
DESPITE the efforts of their leaders to
awaken them, we discover that large
number of those who are dimly aware OF
what is taking place, are acting as though
they believe that their leadership should
save the day. They seem to imply by their
words now, as well as by their failure to
vote last November, that those who lead
them can conduct the fight without them.
Despite the ability of many of our
labor leaders, and even If they had all the
courage, initiative, intelligence, logic and
other virtues needed to conduct success
full fight, they carry just one little vote
And, lest anyone should become confused,
elections and mandates come from votes,
and not from the sincere efforts of few
to save the day for the workers.
Congressman are people. They are not
always the brightest samplings, but they
are vote wise. Nobody, least of all work
ers who expect their leadership to do with
one vote what they failed to do with
many, should get the impression that
those who are in Congress are overly inn
pressed, when they, to all intents and pur-
poses, pat their leadership upon the back
and in effect say, "get in there and fight
brother, those guys in Washington can't
intimidate u.s."
No. 1t takes more than holding your
leaders coats while they fight. 1t takes
letters and cards and thousands of people
telling their congressman that they don't
like the bills they are considering TO ham,
string, handcuff and harass labor. II takes
workers, thousands of them, to get into
the fight themselves and TO do ii now be-
fore it is too late.
Letters and cards TO Congress will help
and they can stay the full vigOr of the
Vengeful and punitive legislation that our
elected representatives are now preparing
to pass, but most of all, it takes votes.
BY all means write your Congress
men. Write them as often as il may be
necessary, and ii is highly necessary right
now, but above ALL resolve now that when
the next election comes around, we will
save ourselves all this trouble by voting
for people who will represent our political
interests. This is the concern of every
worker who should not rest content with
urging on their leaders TO fight but who
must themselves fight if labor is to be
saved from the fate which Congress seems
intent upon legislating upon it.
We must change our motto from "Sit
and Watch" to "VOte and Fight"