The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-12-27
THE LApOU urESrloy.

In commenting upon an article entitled Danger
Ahead" written by MIR. Lyman Abbot for the No.
vember Century, MIR. Ellhu b. Hayes discusses the
labor question from a sound standpoint and recon-
mends arbitration as the bulwsrk against the devel-
opment OF soclalistic tendencies In this country
1.-THE most superficial observer must see," says Mr..
Hayes In signed editorial published in the Boston
Globe, "that combinations Of worsingmen are bring
ing about better rate Of wages. Better wages
mean better food, better clothing, better shelter,
better education for this and the next generation
Well-paid workingmen the world over are respected
and self.respeciing. Instead OF being q training
school for socialism and communism, they are 10
be the safeguards against such tendencies. II these
100000 men who belong to labor organizations. who
tusi BENEFIT are understood and met BY the employers
OF labor In fair spirit and treated as men, they are
TO be the death OF socialism In this country protcc-
ton to peace and property more potent than any
police force or standing army can furnish. These
men do not ask for an equal distribution OF the pro-
ducts OF labor, bit for an equitable distribution II
they are fairly met and their demands listened to
they will he found not unreasonable. But they are
not AT present fairly met, and the future trouble and
'in tho portrait of a socialist, from painting by
Robert kocher, which illustrates MIR. Abbot's art-
Gle, what strikes the reader Ia the terrible earnest.
ness Of the figure. With clenched hands aud teeth
the socialist looks ready TO go to the stake for the
BILE earnestness manifest In this picture? 0pprcs.
sion and repression. This man has been wronged.
Before the French revolution the arstocrais drove
fn OF their cries. French nobeman, when told
that the people were hungry, said: Let the cattle
eat grass What wonder that the people rose from
under the horses feet and throttled the arstocrats
What wonder that the head Of the naughty peer
should be cut on the mouth stuffed with grass and
borne on a pike as banner In a procession. These
were natural results.
But does such Intolerance exist here? Let us see
Why Is II That the wheels OF industry are still in the
city that has made within the last ten years the most
rapid growth proportionately OF population
and material wealth OF any New England
city? Why Ia 1t that 5000 men are Idle about the
streets OF Brockton7 Are the factories silent be-
cause the workmen demand an equal division Of
property and begrudge the manufacturers honest
profits? Are these men foreign vagabonds, imbued
men ready with torch and dynamite to burn and de.
stroy? Not at all. They simply ask that In the
adjustment OF wages, In which they are certainly as
much concerned as anybody, they be consulted and
considered.
"on the other hand, who are the men who fling
price list at the head OF the Brockton workmeu as
they would throw hone to strange dog? Born
aristocrats, tracing their ancestry through long
line OF mobiles and uherting class prejudices? BY
no means. Silas Laphams every one. Men but q
lew years from the bench, who have hardly got the
backing stains from under their ingernaiis. They
are no better bred or better educated than men In
their employ, nor will thev claim to be. They are
arbitrary and dictatorial simply because they have
The proceedings In this case are n fair illustration
Of the arrogance OF what may he termed our indus
trial arstocracy, the feeling that with plenty Of
money can do anything. From this feeling comes
the only danger OF social revolution in America
The remedy Is arbitration