New-York tribune., 1886-05-19
TIE AGIT4TORS rs THE MILLIONS

7HE AGTT5TORS U.s. THE MILLIONS.
Congress has fixed day for the consideration
of various bills reported by the Committee on
Labor. Though other bills of greater merit
stood in the way, great majority OF the mem-
bers of the House felt unwilling to record their
votes on the yeas and nays against the motion.
II is not strange that those members OF the
House whD have been elected by Democratic
demagogism are afraid to refuse consideration
to such measures They have cOnrted the as
sstance of the labor agtators so long that they
have become completely dependent upon them.
No matter how unjust, how unrcas enable or
foolish bills may be, if they are offered In the
name Of labor, demagDgues III the House feel
compelled to support them, and the attitude OF
the Democratic party toward the labor agitatofs
has been such that the demagogues OF that
kind are far more numerous Oh the Democratic
side than usual.
The people have expected such legislation,
because they have permitted the cheap dema-
gogues to prevail in the election of Demo-
cratic Congress. The radical difficulty Is that
the Democratic politician has no faith IN the
people-in the deliberate judgment and enllght-
cned conscience of the majority. lie has faith
only in the persistence and greed of the more
noisy al eitatoIs, who pretend to represent the
workingmen of this country. He is afraid of
them, and he has no idea hat the intelligent
workingmen will ever make their influence felt.
Members of Congress stand in great need of a
serious warning just here. 1t will be easy for
them to ruin themselves by mistaken action on
measures of this Sort Public opinion is begin
ming to distinguish sharply between anarchists
and labOrers between measures for the spOla-
ton of emp plOyers and measures for the benefit
of honest workers between bills TO establish a
tyranny of trades unions and bills for the pro-
lection of free laborers. If Congressman are
not able to discriminate in like manner, they
are almost sure TO make mistakes which may
prove fatal.
The bottom fact for members of Congress to
get into their minds and to keep in mind is that
all the organized labOrors in this country do
not number One-twenteth part or the wage
earners. and that only small part of the or
ganized laDOTeTs desire or defend most of the
measures offered by demagOgues in the name
of labor. Unless Congressman grasp this
radical difference between the would-bc tyrant
and those whom he would make his victims, be-
tween the labor agitatOrs and the millions OF
free lab Jrers, he will fall il to fatal errors in
Judgment. That man capable of such errors
should defeat himself would not be a public
calamity but the passage of such measures as
he is likely to support may inilict great I'M ury
upon the country.
Take the eight-hOur matter as an illustration.
1t is now capable of demonstration that if as
many a. one twentieth of all the wage-earners
in the United States are organized at all, less
than half of those who are organized have asked
for eight hours. This is the result il spite Of
all the efforts of trades unions to unite the
workers throughout the country in this move
ment. Their constant appeal, now continued
for years, has been met by refusal not only by
majority of all workers, not only by more
than nineteen-twenticths of all workers,
but by a majority of the members of
trades unions themselves. This is exceed
ingly significant. And if, while not more
than one in forty of the wage-earnerS
actually desire this change, the eight-hour
measure is nevertheless pushed in Congress as
I" demand of all labor" it becomes important
for Congressman to consider whether they will
consult the wishes of one-twentieth against the
wishes of nineteen -twentieths. The case is the
agitators are seeking through legislation to
grasp the power to dictate to all the free labor
ers of this country. If Congressman make the
mistake of granting their behests they may be
sure that the free wOrkmen, more than nine
teen millions in number, Will resent it.