The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-28
CHAPTER xxx

Marsten went to work with an en-
ergy and singleness OF purpose which
probably no organizer of labor ever
felt before. Chance, or destiny, had
plaed him in exactly the position he
had long hoped to attain. At first there
was little to be done but wait until the
union had recovered from the wounds
received in the late fruitless struggle;
nevertheless, while he waited. he
planned, and gradually developed. the
scheme which he hoped would revolu-
tionize the labor of the world. He saw
in the future one vast republic Of
workers-not bounded by nationality,
but spreading over the entire earth
with its foothold wherever one man
toiled with his hands to enrich an
other. He had no decisions regarding
the immediate success of his project,
and did not flatter himself that his
the rapidity of cholera, for example.
but he hoped first to place the union
on a firm footing in England, and then.
with a brilliantly successful strike
conducted as a general of genius con-
ducts a battle-to show what might be
done by a thoroughly well organized
force against a rich and powerful firm
like that of Monkton & Hope. He locked
forward to the time when every worker
in England would be q. member Of the
union; after that he hoped to affiliate
all the workers in all English speaking
countries; finally, the benighted for
eigner would be included. Then. when
the whole was united like an electric
installation in a city, the unfortunate
capitalist who placed q finger on one
point would receive the combined cur
rent of the entire system and die with
out knowing what hurt him.
The equipment of the workers would
be so complete that strikes would be-
come fewer and fewer. and finally
cease; $ust rs war will cease when
weapons os offense reach such a state
of perfection that no nation will dare
to pick a quarrel with another
This great republic of labor would be
divided into various states. and these
states would be again subdivided into
as many sections as experience showed
to be most practicable. Each section
would elect its secretary, the secre-
taries would elect a governor of the
state, the governors would elect pres
ident of the whole organization. Every
official should be paid a salary, suf-
! ficient. even in the lesser offices. to
keep the incumbent and his family
without the necessity of manual labor,
so that each officers whole time could
be given for the benefit of the union.
Marsten gave much thought to the
problem of reconciling deserved promo
ton with popular election, and. per-
haps, if he had known more of the re-
suits of universal suffrage in city like
New York, he might have reconstructed
his whole plan, but he had full belief
in the adage that the voice of the
people comedies with that of the AL
mighty, and so, perhaps, did not quite
appreciate the practical difficulties
which Law in wait for a scheme that
looked beautiful on paper.
Early experience convinced him that
ne could hope for no active assistance
from the men themselves. and he
promptly eliminated that factor from
his calculations. He thought of begin
ming his fight with an educational cam
paign, using in this way the time which
must elapse before the treasury of the
union was once more in funds. but he
found he could never get more than
half . dozen of the men together at
one time. and those who came to the
meetings ne called seemed TO take but
slight interest in what he had to say.
This did not discourage him. as he
was n a measure, prepared for the
indifference ne met: and he remem-
bered that his great model. Napoleon,
took no orc into his confidence. Ma
poleon struck unexpectedly-struc
quick and struck hard land Marsten
resolved to do the same the moment ne
had the power. Failing to interest the
men collectively in the desirability of
a close and universal union. Marsten
tried to win their separate confidence,
but he soon discovered that in attempt
ing this he was travelling a dangerous
road. re wcs amazed to find that
there existed a latent sullen opposition
, % him; that many of the men seemed