Milford chronicle., 1948-09-24

:
under Roosevelt
PEcTER during the great
war boom.
All of the notorious criminals Of
the movie and building service un-
ions, the heavy construction unions
and the liquor-trade unions Of New
York relied on two loud cries in
rounding up subjects and robbing
workers and employers and gener-
ally imposing on the public. They
were agents of democracy and
all who fought them were either
''fascists" or communists. THEY
WERE SOME OF THE VILEST
CRIMINALS UNHUNG AS THE
EVIDENCE FINALLY SHOWED.
The basic fact that American
. uniOnism is, Of itself, q bad.
ness cOrrupting politics, gov
ernment and the public morals
and economy has been avoided
by all but a few reckless argu-
fiers who defeated themselves
by taking that extreme posi-
tiOn.
It is the correct position, to be
sure, but it has been so very un-
popular that even the most reason
iable intellectuals were shocked by
such a proposition and would not
listen.
By a persistent but
CuFSe not very. clever prop
of aganda, unionism and
Do,,.. collective bargain-
ing'' have been sold
to almost the entire public as
synonymous and almost sacred
principles. Skipping the question
whether Unionism ever could be
just and fair and moral, we come
at once to the fact that it has been
a corrupt force and the more COR
rupt as it gained strength and pub
lie prestige. POSSIBLY IT COULD
HAVE BEEN A BOON, BUT THE
FACT is THAT IT WASN'T. IT
HAS BEEN A CURSE, AND WE
HAVE TO RESPECT FACTS.
It should have been plain before
the situation developed that il we
ever gave to a few ambitious,
rough-and-tumble union politicians
the power that we finally did con-
fer on Dan Tobin Of the teapnsters,
William L. Hutcheson Of the car
penters and John L. Lewis Of the
mine workers, they would make
politics within their unions to keep
themselves in power. The truth did
not develop, however, until the test
was made. ttt
Now we find that TObin has
been president Of the teamsteFB
for Al years and at present
rules half million Americans
by a code of laws and discipline
which forbid and punish com
duct not forbidden by any pub
Tic or moral law.
He is actually clothed in majes-
ty, but a tyrant of righteous furies
and fond of panOply. For Il years,
he has ruled the teamsters and, in
recent years, he has reached out
and, in the manner Of Hitler ''liber-
ating'' his beloved minorities, Tobin
has enfolded whole classes Of work.
ers having absolutely no connection
with horse or motor transportation.
They weren't consulted. THEY
WERE ANSCHLUSSED, LIKE
AUSTRIA.
Hutcheson became
SlnecuFe president Of the. car
for penters in 1915, SO
Eu..:I,, years ago. And, like
Tobin, who found
princely, royal sinecures on the
union payroll for his princely sons,
Hutcheson provided that his own
son should become the crown
prince, with a constitutional pro-
vision directing that the royal scion
should succeed him in the presi-
dency.
This sort Of thing never has
> occurred in any elective public
Office in our country. Even
Roosevelt probably would have
been turned out if he had lived
and had stood for a fifth term
this year. Not even Roosevelt,
with all his gall, dared push the
: opposition around as these old
. bulIies did.
Lewis has been president Of the
: mine workers ever since 1919, OF
: 20 years, and today is more power
I full than ever. with two-thirds o.
! the elective voting strength Of his
!, union in his own hands. THAT Is
l A DICTATORSHIP BUT A DICTA
j TORSHIP OF THIS BAD UNION
S ISM. It gives this one headstrOng
4 often brutal and lawless man power
e over not only his own haf-millioI
q subjects but power over most Of th'
: industry Of the whole country. It Il
: the power to strangle our economy
8 in a few weeks and persecute mil
lions by denial Of fuel in winter.