Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-10-22

From the Detroit Free Press: There
is certainly great transformation go
ing on in the alignment and segrega-
ton of the laboring classes in this
country" said Rein Orr, treasurer OF
the national organization of street rail-
way employees, in the course of con-
versation one day last week.
"The reason there has been nothing
of the kind before was owing to the
great opportunities the country pres
scented for men lettering their condi
tions-the employe of today was likely
to become the employer of tomorrow,
and it was no uncommon thing that
men born in mud novels died million
aires. But ali this has changed, and
the man without capital is almost
hopeless in America today, as is the
same man in any of the countries of
the old world. The spirit remains, as
is shown by the rush to the Klondike,
but the opportunities are gone. Show
where there is a reasonable chance of
making money and instantly there are
millions of dollars to exploit it, even
though years of patient waiting are
necessary before the reward. Under
such conditions the only thing for a
man who has but his hands and his
head is to accept the position in which
he finds himself and make the best of
it. This is what labor is doing now
making the best of it-and the trans
formation going on is amazing. AL
ready three distinct elements have been
evolved and these elements contain
ing practically all of the industrial life
of the nation, are becoming more
sharply defined daily.
"The first is trades unionism pure and
simple-the conservative British in
gredient, which knows what it must
have in the matter of wages to main
tain comfortable home, appropriate a
of the family. This element proscribes
politics from its organizations and
makes the economics a superfluity.
When it doesn't get what it wants it
strikes for it.
"The second element makes political
and domestic economy paramount,
and seeks the lettering of its condition
along lines of political and social revo-
lutionary action. 1t answers to the So
cialism of Germany, but differs from
the foreign article in many important
essentials. Pure imported German
socialism does rot thrive in America,
because it practically recognizes a
hereditary governing class and seeks
to force that class into establishing
and experimenting cooperation in all
industries. The American socialist, on
the other hand, recognizes himself as
the sovereign, and means to do by him
self as the foreign socialist means to
force somebody else to do. Dan De-
Leon is type of the foreign and
Eugene V. Debs of the American So
cialist. They do not fraternize. AS
the foreign socialist is retrograding, or
only recruited by importation, We need
take very little interest in him. The
American socialist, however, is gain
ing rapidly in numbers and influence.
AS yet the party-for that word best
describes the elements in some
what nebulous state, embracing many
grades of character, from the rampant
radicals who, in Chicago last week, ad-
vocated the use of the knife and the
torch, to the college professor and
dreamy devotees of Christian sociology.
"Of the third element, little need be
said. 1t is that element in America
which corresponds to the turnkey of
Great Britain. The only thing of the
kind thus far appearing as an organiza-
tion is among the railway employees.
and is styled the Railway League. It's
members hold their places of employ
ment solely at the will of the master
and must accept without question
whatever he chooses to fix as their
compensation"