Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-09-03
The Industrial Crisis.


time in the history of labor Within
the past few months our workingmen
have suddenly come to the conscious
ness of great power. Their more com
pact organization, their more effective
weapons of war, have given them adj
vantages that they never had before.
The question of the hour is whether
they can use this power temperately
and wisely. There are OMNIBUS signs
OF disposition to employ it passion
atcly and vindictively. Men who speak
IN the interests of selfish capital arc
heard To express the confident hopa
that the workingmen will soon overstel,
the bounds of prudence and justice and
ruin their own prospects. That is thu
real danger. Doubtless. it is hard for
those who are smarting under Il sense
of injustice to be always temperate
and iudicious; but the welfare of these
men depends on keeping their heads
cool Vengeance does not belong to
them; aud they are strong enough now
10 DC magnanllnOus.
1t is easy for the organizations of
labor to cripple by unreasonable de-
mands the industries of whole sections.
They have done this thing already
more than once. In the stoppages and
readjustments thus occurring, great
suffering is caused and no advantage is
/ gained An unjust demand, even if it
be temporarily enforced, always reacts
on those who make it, The working
classes have now tremendous power;
they may easily employ ii for self-de-
struction. 1t is quite possible for them
to use their power tyranically; and
tyranny will not thrive in this day. the
/ tyranny of mob no more than tho
+ tyranny of an autocrat. This weapon
of the boycott with which the labor
unions have lately armed themselves is
pretty sure to prove boomerang. If
they use il rccklessly. there may easily
arise consumers union. TO fight them
with their own iire-to patronize those
whom they prescribe Already the
popular Indignation at the unscrupu-i
lOus use of this weapon is so strong
that the publication of a boycott has
proved, in several cases, an excellent
advertisement of the boycotted dealer.
With all the improved engincry of
war the labor unions are sure to find
that war is dangerous business. 1t is
all the more dangerous because of
these improved weapons. 1t can never
be anything else but perilous and de-
structive business. Let not these com
batants on either side suppose that
they can hurt and MAIN their antago-
nists and get no harm themselves.
Over all this wretchcd strife one can
imagine those better angels of our ma
ture," whose ministry Abraham Lin
coin once pathctically but vainiy invok-
ed. bending with divine compassion
and crying to the cmbattled hosts with
solemn rcbukc and bcngnant appeal:
is il well. brother men, j. it we'll to
fight? i it not better TO be friends?
Are YOU not all children OF one Father?
Nay, are YOU not. aS tho great apostle
said. member, one OF another? Your
war j. not only wholesale fratricide it
j. social suicide. 1t is little TO say that
you cannot ailori 20 fight: YOU cannot
live apart; You must live for one ano,h-
cr. That is the way you were made TO
live. and YOU will never have anything
but trouble and sorrow till YOU learn
that way and walk in it, The stars in
thcir courses will fight against You nm
ill YOU make peace with one another.
Have we not had more than enough Of
war and its dismal noises and its spec
trail train of woes: more than enough OF
silent looms and firelcss forges; of chill
dren faces pale with hunger. and wo-
mems sunkcn eyes; of hearts made
fierce and hard by long-chcrshed en-
mites; of class arrayed against elias.
and neighbor against ncighbor? Oh.
put it all away from you-the hate, the
suspicion the scorn; stand here togeth-
er. brethren as YOU are. helpers of one
another a. YOU must be. and promise
one another that YOU will do what yor
can. every one OF you, to bring the day
when between Labor and Capital there
shall be no longer war, but peace for
cvermore. - Washington Giaddcn, IN
The Century.
A Convincing Recommendation