Evening star., 1950-04-16
One Union Newspaper
Opposes Labor Unity
Writer Cites Independent Oreon
As Protesting Gloss Porty'
By Fronk Z. Kent

By Fronk R. Kent
The contention has often been made
that the labor bosses do not always speak
never able to deliver il solidly at the
polls. Proof OF the first is not easy be-
cause the power OF the bosses is such IS
to make dissent dangerous and unprofit-
able for the ordinary union man. Also
boss control Of the channels of publicity
is almost monopolistic and the voice OF
a dissenter is usually muffled.
AS TO the second. there is ample evil
dence that when il comes to voting there
is nothing like complete solidity among
union members. Time and again, with
the labor bosses united in opposition,
they have failed in their objective be-
cause part of their following voted the
other way or did not vote at all. Recog-
milton OF these facts is the force behind
the present movement. initiated by the
CIO and recently indorSed by Mr.. Green
of the AFL, for the merging Of all Amer
ican labor unions into a single federation.
In effect, it would make a union labor
party out of the Democratic Party and
give the labor bosses a dominating in
fluence in the party councils. To large
extent, they have had that sort OF infiu-
ence for number Of years and it has
become a rather humiliating Democratic
custom to clear" candidates through the
labor politicians. How much, II any, the
proposed merger would enhance the real
political strength Of union labor remains
TO be seen. Also there are two points
of view as to whether in the long run 1t
would be healthy for the country. the
party. or even for labor.
In this connection it is interesting TO
present the view OF the Union. the oldest
labor newspaper in the United States.
which has been published monthly in
Indianapolis since 1876 and is now In It's
18TH year. Describing itself as inde-
pendent, in a front-page editorial in the
current issue under the caption Labor
Faces a Political Trap" the Union says
of the move to merge: Under the influ-
ence OF short-sighted men the AFL has
virtually turned Its back upon its time
tested political non partisan policy and
is moving by rapid steps toward the es-
tablishment with the CIO Of . class
labor party"
Continuing, 1t says: There are increas-
administration will see an open move
by top labor leaders in that direction.
To implement this policy. all freedom of
political choice is now being ruthleSSly
stamped out among AFL union officials
and publications. The design is to have
a monolithic and enforced unity of labor
behind a single political party Such
policy means disaster for both labor and
the Nation.
This. it will be agreed, is pretty inde-
pendent and courageous stuff, So FAR as
known no other labor publication has
ever publicly disagreed with the bosses.
Primarily, their purpose is to reflect the
bosses views and they do so in a COM
pletely slavish manner. Just how the
Union maintains its independence is not
clear, but beyond question 1t is refresh-
ing. Also. this front-page editorial Is
not the only independent article in the
April issue On on inside page 1t re-
prints, with obvious approval. piece
from the Wage Garner. a newspaper pub
liShed by the Association of Catholic
Trade Unions. headed, Should Labor
Mobilize to Defeat Senator Tatt?" The
answer to this question in the article Is
an emphatic no. So. far from denounc-
ing Senator Taft, the article commends
him as a road-minded, able and honest
man. Concerning the law, it is declared
that labor brought the Taft-Hartley Act
on itself by failing to keep its house in
order and that its operation is not nee.
essarily bad at all.
Concluding, the article says. What q
mature long grange view 1t would be for
labor to expend more effort in eliminate
ing labor racketeering. petty pork-chop
dynasties and otherwise harmful activi-
ties and less on narrow, short-range po.
litical action. Instead Of the herculean
task of changing the Senator. labor then
would face the relatively simple task OF
changing the Senator's mind" Comment
upon these utterances in the oldest labor
newspaper in the country would be su-
perf1uous. They speak for themselves.
Certainly, they bear out the contention
that the bosses do not always reflect the
rank and file.