The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-16

uudu uiicu NY 1uo huiRutS VI LduoI du
the Patrons of HusbandrY, and tn
j Federation of Trades, to-day doubtles
represents more effective constituency
than the National Labor Union ever did
We have now 100000 organizes
workingmen In America, DIR. Ely thinks
and is inclined to believe that his is
conservative estimate.
| Now, what is the economic value 0
these organizations DR.. Ely answer
that they "enable the laborer to with
hold his commodity Qabor) temporarily
from the market, and to wait for more
satisfactory conditions of service than i
is possible for him to secure when he ii
obliged to offer ii unconditionallY. They
further enable him to gain the advan
tage of an increased demand for hi
commodity, to bring about more salts.
factory relation than would otherwise
be possible between the supply and the
demand for labor, and also to exercise
an influence upon the supply in the fu-
ture market. These organizations are
calcu ated to do away with the injurious
consequences of the peculiarities of labor
as a comm modity to be sold, and through
them labor for the first time becomes
really a commodity, and the laborer q
man."
These organizations have an educa,
tional value, as we'll They are schools
of political science, of practical politics
of social culture; they "are, perhaps, the
chief power, in this country, making for
temperance The laboring classes,
through their unions, are learning disci-
cipline, self-restraint. and the methods
of united action, and are also discovering
whom they can trust; finding out the
the necessity of resting great confidence
in leaders with strict control of them,
and with the aid of their press are build
ing up great market for the products
of cooperative enterprise. Thus the
labor movement Is preparing the way
for that goal which has for many wears
been the ideal of the best thinkers on
the labor problems, the union of capt.
tai AMI labor in the same hands, in
grand, wide-reaching, cooperative enter
Cbol1 aDo hraoa tbo ~ "
though labor will reach t!.at goal in a
different way than DR.. Ely anticipates,
And, above and beyond all this. the
labor movement is the strongest force
outside the Christian church making for
the practical recognition of human
Brotherhood
Other reasons why labor organizations
deserve to exist 4Te found by DR.. Ely in
their insurance features, in the aid
which they offer to arbitration and in
the relation which they hold towards
strikes. One reason why SO many
strikes do occur IN America" be notes.
lis because the unions are not so strong
with us as in England, and on the one
hand are unable to force recognition
from the employers, on the other, to
control their members. The trouble
comes chiefly from Unorganlzed or i'm
perfectly organized laborer5," Then,
too, arbitration without organization is
impossible. Thus, on all accounts, the
conclusion is that the organizations de-
serve TO be encouraged; and. for that
matter, DR.. Elv believes that they can
not be efectually discouraged. There
is no power in America at the disposal
of the employing class which can crush
labor organizations. Their opponents
may double the police, strengthen the
militia, secure control of the legislative
authority, put the judges under their
thumbs, and buy up everv paper in the
United States, and their efforts will still
be in vain. Kings and emperors and
parliaments have been trying just such
experiments at intervals for 600 years
and have not succeeded. The first fun
damental fact to be gras0ed is that the
labor organizations are with US, and Will
remain with US. There never will be
peace until they receive full recOgni-
ton"
Theseventh chapter, one Of the longest
in the book, is devoted to co operation.
DR.. Ely estimates that $2O.OOO,OOO is the
amount of the total Business annually
transacted by cooperative distribution
in the United States, and states facts
which tend to confirm this judgment.
"a large measure of success" s"-he attirms,
after sketching many cooperative en-
terprises and eforts-"has attended CO.
operation in the United States. When
we sweep over the entire field with any
care, we find various kinds of CO opera
ton re presenting in the aggtegat annual
transactions which may safely be e5ti,
mated at '$20O,OOO,00O \ \ The
cooperative movement in America was
never 80 truly live, vigorous force, full
of promise, as is to-day" Itshould be
encouraged Dr. Ely thinks; we must
not be so ready to despi5e the dav OF
sm Ill things such as profit sharing,
presume, which considered in the
light of reform, is very small thing
indeed.
Chapters eight to twelve, inclusive
tfeat of Socialism and our various organ
izations, and are revised from the au
thor's Recent American Socialism,