Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-01-16
BY
Clayton
Rusch
Toledo
Go

dIly OllS IOpIC dioSUSSAOiA't
All of these issues are cur
rently important. Considera-
ton of their import should not
be deferred until we have had
time enough to consider them
separately. T h f o re, this
column will be a general sur
vey of developments as they
relate to the economic well
fare and political interest of
those who work for a living.
Despite the housing sort
age, living costs and threats
to civil liberties, the American
workers are immeasurably
better off than the displaced
persons of Europe. The
Wretched condition of such
people can hardly be appre-
ciated by us who en- oy
compar C freedom and
abundance. We sh ould all
write our congressman and
urge passage of the Stratton
Bill which would permit en-
try of 100000 potential useful
citizens to this country.
LONG TIME
An / m port n t step in
equality of opportunity was
just gained in the recent deci-
sion of the Supreme Court
which held that Negroes are
entitled not only to receive in
state institutions any sort of
education that whites can get,
but also to get it as quickly
as any other group"
We still need national and
state laws to assure that
Negroes will have an op-
portunity to prove their fit
ness for positions, but at least
there is now no color bar to
prevent citizens from prepar-
ing themselves to hold jobs
which might materialize after
state and national FEPC bills
are passed.
Another issue is provided
by the leadership of the
American Legion whose social
and economic program bears
no relations to the economic
interests of veterans, has
launched a drive against the
spread of communism.
w, c. Sawyer, of Phoenix,
Ariz., director of the Ameri-
canism Commission of the
Legion, speaking before a
meeting of the Toledo Small
Businessmen's Association this
week said:
There are only two forms
of government existant, demo-
cracy and communism, and
there can be no compromise
between the two.
What Mr.. Sawyer failed to
add is that there are two con-
ceptions of democracy - the
one held by the Chamber of
c o m m cree, NAM and the
leadership of the American
Legion and the other by labor.
FREE HAND
What Mr.. Sawyer means by
democracy" is a free hand
for big business. Ours means,
economic opportunity, poll
tical liberty and social security
for the people. Our conception,
that is, industrial democracy
as real bulwark against COM
munist dictatorship. That of
Mr.. Sawyer would be neither
a bulwark against nor lesser
evil.
Democracy is an important
priciple in the labor move
ment. To the exte that
dictatorial, lie a ers reject
democratic methods, the whole
labor movement is endangered.
The UAW-CIO, at present at
least, does not have to accpet
censure for tolerating dicta-
torial methods within its
own ranks, yet, the sins of
labor IL d ers outside this
union damage our cause.
The ttitu d of James
Caesar Petrillo who was
quoted as saying, ''if a man
has his heart and soul in the
union let him go ahead
and dictate" is injurious to
labor's welfare and does not
create good public relations
Witness the 80th Congress al
ready graSping upon Petrillo'S
position to seek enactment OF
even more vicious anti-laboI
legislation.
In ending this article, II
is safe to point out that in
dustrial democracy is being
attacked, but that it can be
strengthened through the
establishment of a cooperative
commonwealth based on the
principles enunciated in thu
Declaration of independence
and the United States Consti
tuition.
This program is being at
tackled by the MAN,. the c OF
c and the Communist parties
which, while the may differ
from each other, agree on one
important point - democracy