People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-09-16
THE LESSON OF THE HOUR.

with current events. Inc association
Of laboring men in the various labor
organizations, with a view TO the bet
ter protection of the interests of those
who toll, is a natural result of the
gradual encroachments upon the rights
and profits of labor growing out OF the
concentration of capital and the organ
ization of those who control it 1t
must be apparent however, to the most
casual observer, that the means thus
far employed by organized labor have
not been productive of results as salts
factory as could be desired. While I'M
doubtedly much good has come from or
ganization in many ways, and especial
ly in the way of educational benefits,
there is evidently disappointment in
regard to the attainment of much that
has been anticipated.
Very evidently organized capital seeks
nothing short of the absolute destruc-
ton of all labor organizations. They
stand in the way of that complete con-
troll of labor which has unquestionably
been determined upon. To the thought
full observer this has been apparent for
some time, and it has been clearly in
Dictated in the labor troubles of recent
date. While organized resistance to
the entertainments of capital is more
potent than individual resistance, it is
evident that the method must be
changed if it is ever to be entirely sue
cessful. The strike and the boycott
have, at best, achieved only doubtful
success. All the powers Of so-called
civil government are at the disposal of
capital in all such contests. The tele-
graph system and the daily press are
employed to disseminate false impress
sions among the people, always to the
prejudice of labor. Every possible
agency and instrumentality is brought
to the service of capital. The idle
hordes, which it has been a part Of
our public policy to produce and main
tain, are always available from which
10 recruit substitutes for strikers, and
nearly all such contests result either in
the submission of the union men to less
favorable conditions than they former
ly enjoyed, or in their entire displace.
ment by men whoare not affiliated with
any labor organization. 1t must be
granted, therefore, that such methods
are decidedly unsatisfactory in their re-
suits
At Homestead, the men are locked
out because they refused to comply
with the unjust demands of the Carne.
gle company and place themselves com.
pletely at the mercy of such heartless
tyrant as manager Frick, and their
places are being filled, very slowly, to
be sure, but with a persistant deter
mination that promises ultimate sue
cess.
In case of the switchmen's strike al
Buffalo, n. Y, the outcome is the same
The ultimate triumph of the corpora.
ton was never a matter Of seriou.
doubt.
In Tennessee is presented another
phase of the labor problem. The EN-
ployment of convicts there supercedes
free labor and robs the families o.
honest men of their daily bread But
there seems to be more in this convict
labor system than appears upon the
surface. Senator Thomas c. Platt
president of the Tennessee Coal e. Iror
Co, in recent interview respecting
this system, said:
''0ne of the chief reasons which first
induced the company to take up the
system was the great chance which il
seemed to present for overcoming
strikes. For some years after we began
the convict labor system we found thai
we were right in calculating that the
free laborers would be loath to enter
upon strikes when they saw that the
company was amply provided with con
Wet labor, and as / am one that doe:
not approve of the convict system,
don't mind saying that for many years
the company found this an effective
club to be held over the heads of the
free laborers."
Think of this for a moment.
wealthy mining company whose presi
dent has been honored by seat in the
United States senate, employing peni
Tertiary convicts at cheap rates will
the idea that free laborers, seeing tn,
company was amply provided will
Pnvict labor, would be loath to enter
upon strikes, and holding this fact a
club over the heads" of honest mel
to terrorize them into the most abjec
submission.
But 1t is unnecessary to detail specia
instances of the encroachments o
capital upon the rights Of labor, or tn
unsatisfactory results of past or presen
methods of resistance. Nothing ha
yet been attempted by the great bod,
oforganized laborers intended to chang
the conditions that render strikes an
lock-outs possible. 1t must begin +
dawn upon the minds of laboring mel
that this is the only practical solution O
the labor problem. Everything else
mereley of temporary benefit, even
successful AS long as these condition
exist, there is no hope or possibility @
permanent relief.
How is this change to be effected
The conditions have grown up under
system of class legislation and elias
favoritism for which existing politica
parties are responsible, and which the
manifest no disposition to remedy; an
If laboring men would make thei
organizations effectual for the pei
manent betterment Of their condition
they should utilize them politically fc
the overthrow Of parties that propos