The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-10-05

neither a serious threat to America
nor its realization possible without
fundamental changes in the nation
|al political structure does not
square with the facts. 1t overlooks
the transformation resulting from
the emergence of the u. S. gov
ernment, in the words Of Earl
Browder, as the greatest trust of
all, the super-trust whose econ
omic operations dwarf the largest
private corporation" Nor does it
show insight into union political
activity and the aim of some labor
leaders to bring about a realign-
ment in the present party system.
Actually, however, the threat of
domination does not spring from
the aggressiveness and ambitions
of organized labor. 1t stems from
government scheming and the man
ipulations Of it's hangers-on. 1t is
here that the main danger to the
equilibrium of the nation lies, here
that Gompers' dictum that labor
must not allow political parties "to
manipulate us for their own ad-
vancement" is persistently ignored.
= y Il
Two mitigating factors loom in
this picture: resistance of union
minority against a labor alliance
with government; and apathy
among the majority of the l6,000,-
600 organized wage earners and
their families toward union poll
tical action.
There is good reason as well as
sound instinct behind this seeming
apathy. The American working
man does not want his political
thoughts and actions dictated by
anyone. Although willing to sup
port all sorts of union-sponsored
causes, he balks, by and large, at
having political nostrums foisted
upon him. In doing so, he stands
as a living symbol Of resistance
against any attempt to turn Amer
leans into wards of the state and
servants Of government to boot.
y = ~
Yet sole reliance on the demo-
cratic convictions of the working
people is not enough. The rising
tide of collectivism with its bland
ishments of an order supposedly
new but as old as man demands ef-
fective counter-measures. SO re-
lentless has been the advance of
statism that resistance through
greater worker-employer coopera-
tion has proven largely Intellectual.
Besides, it is hard to reconcile.
labor's insistence on economic free
dom and its opposition to compul-
sorry arbitration with the fact that
unions often invite government in
teryention, in one form or another,
in industrial disputes.
\ - X
Are labor and industry likely tol
learn from past mistakes? Will
they continue to render untol
Caesar that which does not belongI
and should by no means be con-
strued as belonging to Caesar? Thel
answer is in the return to basic
considerations which go into thel
of a healthy industrial re-
Iationship and which perhaps morel
than any other single element de-
Jermine the survival and progressl
Of democracy.
They call for business:
To recognize its duty toward So
,iety and its obligations to labor;
20 respond to criticism and set AMI
example in correcting economicl
and social faults; to develop pro-
grams aimed at stabilizing the ma
.ional economy and creating newl
opportunities for all the people;
To interpret and demonstrated
vigorously the merits Of free en-
.erprise; to lead in promoting high
n wages in exchange for increased
productivity, and to share with it's
employees and the public the gains
from high economic levels
To acquaint the workers with it's
and problems; to under
stand and properly evaluate the
iynamics of modern trade union
SIN; to collaborate with labor and
other democratic groups in re-
'training state meddling in privatel
enterprise, securing competent gov-l