Evening star., 1947-02-20
Mass Picketing Held
Constitution Violation
Springfield (Mass.) Strike Seen
Curb on Freedom of Press
By David Layrence

By David Lawrence
The Constitution says that Congress
shall make no law abridging the freedom
Of speech or of the press" but several
labor unions do bapd together and do
stop newspaper from publishing.
That's exactly what happened in
Springfield, Mass, on Tuesday of this
week when, the United Press reported,
"A shoulder-to-shoulder picket line
around the Springfield Daily News build
ing today prevented delivery of all 10000
copies of the strike-bound newspaper,
which non-union supervisory workers
had succeeded in printing"
Mass picketing is violence While Will
liam Green, head of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, and Philip Murray, of
CLIO, are banding together to lobby
against any legislation by Congress on
the labor problem, neither one is con-
demning mass pickettng' or the use of
violence in labor disputes.
If trade unionism in America cannot
succeed by persuasion and the voice of
reason and can triumph only by strong
arm methods then there must be some
thing fundamentally weak about the
effort to win or keep members in trade
unions. Likewise, if private war between
those who have an economic dispute is
to be tolerated by Government, then all
argument against the citizen taking the
law into his own hands falls to the
ground
Mass Picketing Issue.
Both the CIO and AFL unions which
engage in mass picketing" would be the
first to cry out against loss of civil
| liberties anywhere else. Thus what has
been happening in Georgia, Tennessee,
and elsewhere where citizens have taken
the law into their own hands is con-
denlned by labor unions They pass
many a resolution properly condemning
examples of violence. Yet the labor
unions not only engage in such vio-
lence themselves. but they are trying in
Washington now to prevent Congress
from passing any laws forbidding mass
picketing."
Under the Constitution, civil liberties
are guaranteed But will the Justice De-
partment proceed against the mass
pickets" in Springfield, Mass, who have
deliberately stopped newspaper from
publishing? 1t probably will be argued
in avoidance of the issue that there is
no law. Yet the department found
enough law to investigate loss of civil
liberties in Georgia and did seek to ap-
prehend the lynchers.
! The mass picketing" evil has cropped
out in several States. 1t might be asked
why the city police or the State au-
thorities usually do not afford protec-
ton. The answer is that local police
chiefs are sometimes too much influ-
enced by the political threats of labor
unions. AS for State authorities, it Is
cumbersome for them to intervene un-
less the city itself asks for the help Of
the State government. Labor politics
operates again to stay the hand Of the
| State.
| A Federal law to guarantee citizens
the right to work should not really be
necessary if there is universal respect
for civil liberties. The right to work
Is as sacred as the right to quit work.
If mass violence is not stopped by
authority of law, the result can be the
hiring of strong-arm men by employers
| to fight the pickets. Then perhaps
America will see clearly the absurdity
of leaving to citizens alone the settle
ment of their economic disputes with
violence.
1t should not be necessary for blood
to be shed to prove to the Congress
that it has solemn duty TO pass a
law forbidding mass picketing'' or the
use of violence, coercion or intimidation
by either employers or employees in labor
disputes. Peaceful picketing by persua-
sion is lawful but mass picketing' has
no justification in law. The citizen who
wants to work is forcibly prevented
from working.
The right to work apparently Is not
recognized by labor unions which feel
they have monopoly to regulate en-
| ployment in America. The Wagner
Labor Relations Act fostered that feel
ing. Hence, modification of that statute
so as to place responsibilities on labor
as we'll as management is vitally neceS-
sary If business recession and indus
trial chaos are to be avoided