The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1951-09-27
Humbug In High Places

t.NIllN ny l''N i'N NNNlilN IilctIstIID
from the practice Of politics and per-
haps complete candor upon the part
OF aspiring candidates and insecure
officials is too much to expect. How
ever, in great national emergency
it does seem there should be limit
to the bunk and hokum with which
the people are regularly stuffed.
Certainly the present situation is
grave enough to evoke desire even
among the smallest of the elected
governmental wielders of power to
cease being politicians and become
patriots at least for while. But
have any such emerged since more
than Il year ago the Soviet threat be
came really clear? The answer to
that is very few, indeed. The indis-
putable evidence is in the behavior of
these small elected power wielders
toward the vital matter of initiation.
I'm dealing with it they have sunk to
lower levels Of fraud, fakery, deceit
and humbug than ever before. To be
sure, these little rulers of ours have
tierccly beaten their breasts and loud
~ shriekcd about the awful danger
of initiation. Yet instead Of doing
obvious things to avert the danger,
actually they have encouraged and
promoted it,
That has been said before, but it
Ii,
absolutely true. Look at the facts
The chief factors which make for in
creased costs of living and initiation
are repeated wage raises forced by
organized labor under threat of or
through strikes and artificial Govern
mcnt support Of food prices for the
benefit of farmers. No one really dis
putes that Though fully aware of
this, at no time have our power
wielders attempted to grapple with
these factors. And at no time have
they been honest about them. On the
contrary, they have consistently
evaded and avoided the obvious action
to avert calamity Of which they warn.
The reason, of course, is politics.
Organized labor and the farm bloc
represent the two largest voting
groups in the country. With the
leaders Of both, the Truman Admins
tration is politically allied and upon
them it politically depends.
From the start the President and
his political aides have been sub
servient and obsequous to the labor
and farm politicians. With full lnowl-
edge that prices cannot be kept
down and initiation controlled without
ceilings ON wages and food and with
full authority from Congress to act
they have not dared do SO. Instead,
the Administration not only per-
mittcd the labor bosses to brighten
them away from action but actually
supported their demands for further
wage increases. With these inevita-
bly, came higher prices and more in
fiation. And as prices went up still
other wage demands were made,
which, when achieved, further hiled
prices.
Business men were brought to
Washington as war mobilizers, eco
monte stabilizers, price adminiStra-
tors, etc, only to find they were bad
ly handicapped in doing their jobs be-
cause the Administration lacked the
courage to take firm stand against
the selfish demands of the labor
bosses and the farm bloc. Despite the
twenty percent increased cost of the
defense program, due to this lack of
courage, strikes and slowdoWns con-
tinue in various parts of the country
for variety of easons-nearly all
of them phony. Though all the while
the power wielders inveigh against
imitation, their supine and cowardly
attitude changes not at all. At no
time have they shown the CUTS to
square their words with deeds. At all
times they have cravenly yielded to
the insistence of these groups upon
favored treatment.
1t is state Of affairs not only
humiliating but damaging to the ma
tional interest. Considering alF the
facts, it was slightly sickening ON the
first Monday of this month-Labor
Day-to read the greasy eulogistic
messages sent to the individual labor
bosses by the President of the United
States and various members of his
, Cabinet, congratulating them upon
their inspiring patriotism" and ''un-
selfish cooperation in the defense
program. One Of these officials went
out of his way to repeat the labor
propaganda bureaus figures mini
MIXING the effects of strikes and de-
Tending the repeated wage demands.
On the day these laudatory mes
sages were printed the labor bosses
"rebuked" the Congress for its fail
ure to enact adequate price-control
laws" This comes close to setting a
precedent in insolencc and hypocrisy
At the moment this ''rebuke" was adj