Evening star., 1948-09-07
Truman Opens Campaign
In Appeal to Labor Vote
Seems To FORGET, Conveniently, Why
Taft.Hartley Act Was Passed
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

DV oUNt0 LtUCOtH
President Truman has launched his cam.
paign, with his chief issue repeal of the Taft.
Hartley Labor Act. His special appeal is to
the labor vote. based on the ground that he
vetoed the Taft Hartley bill, and that a Re.
publican Congress passed the bill notwith-
standing. Aside from the fact that more
Democrats in Congress voted with the Re-
publicans to override his veto than voted to
sustain his position, the President seems to
have forgotten, conveniently, why the Taft
Hartley Act was necessary and why 1t was put
through Congress.
Under the one-sided Wagner Labor Rela-
tions Act-and particularly through the man.
ner In which that act was administered under
the Roosevelt Truman Observation-Disclosures
leaders had virtually taken over in this country.
The health, safety and employment of the
American people had been threatened and
jeopardized. A strike to tie up the railroads CT
the country-which If it had been carried
through would have caused untold injury to
millions-was broken only when Mr.. Truman
himself went before the Congress and oe-
manded he be given authority to draft the
raiiworkers into the armed services. The Taft
Hartley law was not then in existence. On
more than one occasion during recent years.
the coal miners of the country were called out
L. Lewis. Whether the people starved or
froze seemed to make no difference so long
as the union leaders were able to enforce their
will. With them 1t was the whole loaf (their
entire demands upon the employers) or the
people could take the consequences.
High Handedness Brought Act.
1t was this high handedness on the part
OF the leaders of organized labor and their
Sl1nnort hv the ra n nj of ho ,,pio
bers, that forced the passage of the Taft-Hart-
ley bill. Since the enactment of the new law
Mr.. Truman has used its provisions several
times to deal with this kind of high handed
ness, and used it effectively.
The President in his campaign trip to Michi-
gan asserted that "the Republican Party is
controlled by special privilege and the Demo-
cratic Party is responsible to the needs of the
neorle." 1t is Mr.. Truman who is controlled
by special privilege" in this drive of his
for the repeal of the Taft Hartley Act-a
special privilege which he considers has enough
votes to put him into the White House after
January for another four years. AS matter
Of fact, a majority of Mr.. Truman's own
Iarty members in Congress thought more Of
the people and less Of this special privilege
. than did MI. Truman when the vote was taken
to override the Presidents veto OF the Taft
Hartley Act.
The Truman veto message to Congress deal
Ing with the Taft-Hartley bill, had all the
earmarks of an earlier document emanatng
from CIO quarters. At the White House it
was vehemently denied that the CIO had
hand in the Presidents message-neverthless,
che message was on all fours with that docu.
ment.
Trying to Turn Back Clock.
Does Mr. Truman believe that ma ioritv
ct the American people want to go back to
the days wcen the whole people and the ad-
ministration jumped through the hoop when
certain leaders Of organized labor cracked the
whip? The election OF 1916, when the Truman
party was decisively beaten in the congressional
elections because 1t was known that only 50
would 1t be possible to do anything about the
Federal labor laws. seemingly has been for
gotten.
The American people rose against the dom.
ination of railroad barons, and against
monopoiys tyranny. Federal laws were enacted
to put these other special interests in their
place. Now Congress, representing the people.
has undertaken to put the arrogant leaders OF
labor unions in their proper place. Mr. Tru-
man, allied with some Of these leaders, is
trying to turn back the clock, to reverse q
decision Of the people taken in their own
interest.
The Taft Hartley law Is not perfect. No
law is. 1t may need amendment. But Mr..
Truman and the labor leaders with whom he
has allied himself are not asking for amend.
ments. They ask the repeal Of the whole act,
denouncing it in general terms as vicious,
and slave labor" law. Where is the slave
labor, under this law, in the United States2
Mr. Truman will lOok in vain for