The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-27
The LAB0RER'S WAR
SHALL THE POOR LONGER FIGHT
THE BATTLES OF THE RIGHT

The Only JustiAable War Is That Of
the Oppressed Against the Oppres-
sor-The Latter Is United the World
Over; Why Not the Former Alsos
A few days ago listened to an ad-
dress from a young colored man before
an audience OF thoughtful men and wom-
en-, where he acquitted himself remark
ably we'll. He made strong plea for
the obliteration Of the color line be-
tween labOrers. He showed that unless
the white labor unions were willing to
fraternize with the black people work
ing in the same trades they must all
sink into condition Of hopeless slavery
nearly as bad as that from which his
race had been rescued.
1t seemed to me that the young
speaker struck the key to the situation,
which cannot be too strongly empha-
sized. The interests of the working peo-
pie are the same the world over. Their
common cause is Of more Importance
than any other issue that can possibly
arise. Difference in race, religion, ma
tionality, are minor matters they must
be willing to forget and clasp hands over
the one cause common to all or give
up the struggle for an opportunity to
live as human beings should live.
The capitalists, the great moneyed
men of the world, understand this per-
fectly we'll. So well do they compre-
hend the fact that already they are prac-
tically one. Observe closely, and you
will perceive that the money powers of
the different nations differ very little on
questions of national, religious, phil
osophical or even OF strictly political
nature. They simply watch each other
like hawks to see that one does not get
an undue financial advantage Of the
other. They realize that no question on
earth is of as much Importance to them
as their economic hold on the world.
They know, also, that the common peo-
pie do not realize the solidarity Of their
own interests and that it is very easy to
intensity their differeaces and keep them
fighting with each other over non-essen-
tials. They are perfectly we'll aware of
the sort of stones to fling among them
in order to keep them engaged in de-
strOying one another.
1t is pitiful to see the faith that the
working people put in the Importance
of their little differences and how little
they realize that the bread and butter
question" the economic question, the
question of how to live at all, lies at
the bottom of every other question
They are so loyal in their patriotism
and SO innocently trust that this virtue
is shared by all their good countrymen,
rich and poor alike. They guard their
religion so devotedly, as though it mat
tered to the exploiters Of the earth after
what form they worshipped. And that
old prejudice, born Of the superstitious
times when everything strange or for
eign was feared or hated is still cher
ished with a faithfulness worthy of
better cause For 1t they turn away
from the worker of another color who
needs help and who is able to help. For
it they follow political leaders into far
away paths, where they lose themselves
in a labyrinth of sophistries which
bring up nowhere. And therefore it is
that the one power which we have to
fear is we'll organized and ready for
work in any direction, while we are
scattered, distrustful of each other and
unable to resist their encroachments.
The critical situation between the
United States and Spain illustrates this
truth very strongly. The diplomatic ac
ton, or, rather, inaction, Of the leaders
in the two countries proves that princi-
pie has nothing whatever to do with
war should one occur, for if love of JUS
tice and desire to defend the helpless
is the incentive, why have we waited
so long? If ever interference were JUS
tifiable, it is in this instance, where
women and children, the sick and the
wounded, the old and the helpless, have
been treated with ferocity that would
put to shame the most savage tribes Of
the most savage ages. If the honor Of
the nation is to be the cause, why have
we waited so long? American citizens
have been insulted over and over again
and American rights trampled upon If
Spanish rapacity and cruelty need pun
ishing, why have we waited so long?
Why have we waited until an expensive
warship is blown to atoms and 250 lives
have been sacrificed thereby before we
move?
Even now there will be no war it
there are greater values at stake than
those involved already, for, with the
great capitalists of the world there are
no national boundaries, no national in
terests. This may be startling state
ment to make but I believe it is true
They together compose power that is