Evening star., 1951-03-04
Labor Bosses Believed
Staying With Trumon
Writer Believes They Have
Nowhere Else to Function
By Fronk R. Kent


By Fronk R. Kent
In the last few weeks, the bosses of
organized labor have been exhibiting
themselves at, their worst-which is
pretty bad, indeed. In effect, they have
been threatening to strike against the
Government unless granted favors to
which they are not entitled and which
would not only be at the expense of the
rest Of us but would enfeeble the defense
effort: also adding enormously to its
cost.
In one instance they actually did
strike. Certainly there is no other name
for the bolt Of the labor members Of the
Government board supposed to Ak wage
policy. because the decision of the ma
jority gave them not quite as much as
they had demanded.
Their complaints against Mr.. Truman
and Mr.. Wilson are unreasonable un-,
founded and due largely to the fact that
they have been SO coddled and spoiled by
Democratic Presidents in the past that
they think they ought to run the coun-
try. Their present position Is one Of
belligerent disloyalty in national crisis.
1t hardly can appeal to the millions Of
patriotic union men whom they pretend
to lead. 1t would be shameful to knuckle
under to them. The truth is that the at
titude OF the Washington politicians,
from the White House down, toward
these labor bosses is based on a num-
ber OF false assumptions. One of these
assumptions is that labor's record in the
last war was fine. The reverse of that is
true.
Another false assumption Is that these
labor bosses WELD so much political
power, 1t is disastrous to refuse their
demands One would suppose that the
last elections would have dissipated that
fear. 1t will be recalled that labor,
solidly united against Senator Taft, an
nounced that as public enemy No. it
proposed to drive him from public life
and. heavily financed. went to such
vicious extremes as to far more than
match those charged by ex-senator Tyd-
ings in Maryland. The overwhelming
Taft victory demonstrated not only that
the rank and file of union labor does not
follow its leaders but in this case a con-
siderable percentage voted directly
against them. A third false assumption
is that unless their demands are grant,
ed the labor vote will desert the Demo-
cratic Party, in which event the Demo-
Gratis are doomed to defeat. Reporting
the labor bosses "Sore and resentful,"
this threat is vociferously voiced by pro
CIO columnists and commentators The
answer is in the question Where do they
go?" Clearly, there are but two alterna-
tives-either they go Republican in 1852
or they organize separate labor party
with presidential candidate of their
own.
Gen. Eisenhower, Senator Taft and
Gov. Dewey being all admittedly allergic
to labor domination, apparently the only
figure to their taste is the garrulous,
muddy minded Senator Wayne Morse Of
Oregon. His name has already been ad-
vanced by the aforementioned COL
umnists and commentators, but literally
no one. including Senator Morse and his
labor boss friends. believe he could be
nominated in Republican convention.
AS to having a candidate of their
own, that was the idea of some Of the
bosses prior to the last election. They
reasoned that once they had demon
strated their power by driving Mr.. Taft
out of public life, the next step would be
formation of an American labor party
along British lines. Some of their
spokesmen actually made this announce
ment. In the light of Mr. Taft's 100000
majority that idea now seems ridiculous.
For one thing. 1t is clear they could not
get candidate with real public ap-
peal second. they could not swing ths
rank and file behind any candidate
available to them; third, they would have
small chance of affecting the result;
fourth. the expense of campaign would
be very heavy.
The truth is that for 18 years the labor
leaders have been so completely linked
with the Democratic Party that there Is
no place else for them to go. .