The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-12-29
THE LABOR PROBLEM.

The New Orleans Picayune, in a re-
cent issue, looks at it like this: 1.-The
freeing of the West Indian negroes and
or the Russian serfs were the acts of
craftsmanship and philanthropy con-
joined. The freed, people were benefited
and the masters were not robbed or
wronged. The object sought in free
ing the negro slaves in the United
States was to humilate and Cypress and
crush the white people of the Southern
States. 1t was attempted not only by
plundering them Of their property, but
also by DISTINGUISHING the whites and
depriving them Of citizenship, while
those who had been their slaves were
placed in power and authority over
them.
But while every incOnceivable in
dignity and wrong was being perpet-
rated upon the white people of the
Southern States, the perpetrators were
unwittingly preparing for the white
people of the Northern States untold
troubles and misfortunes, which, while
they were for sometime held in abey-
ance, have now begun to plague those
who it was never intended should be
sufferers.
These troubles came in the form of
disturbances to the labor system Of the
Northern States. 1t has been found
that the Southern negro can underworld
the Northern whites. There are many
departments of labor in which the
Southern negro is extremely efficient.
He can render in them as satisfactory
service as can the whites, and he can
and will work cheaper The urgency Of
business competition will force the pro-
Queer to use eVry possible economy to
put his product on the market to the
greatest advantage, and, in applying
the most available means Of economic
ing, labor will always have to bear
more or less Of the burden.
Then there is another advantage in
negroe. He cares but little for organi-
cations that deprive him Of his individ
ual liberty. Trade union associations
meet but little encouragement from
him. Thus it is that the negroe laborer
is going to become a most formidable
factor in the labor problem Of the Unit
ed States. In fact, the race question"
is not only political and social prob
lem, but labor question also.
IL
the negroes will always be needed in
the South. There will be negroes in the
Southern States for long years to come,
but there will be some millions also to
send North to meet the demands for
labor there. To meet the demands, al
ready hundreds of thousands of Itali-
ans and Slavs have been brought
across the ocean to underworld the:
other white laborers, but they 500 n
learn the, advantage Of organizatio n,
and they stand for the same wages md
terms as were demanded by the MEN
they were intended to supersede. Now,
the negro will be wanted to take the
place of the Indian and the Croat, and
no prejudice of color or caste can pre-
vent it. Capital has neither prejudice
or sentiment.
Moreover, when the Southern planta.-
lions shall be laid waste by the free i'm :
portation of sugar and rice from the
new United States territories in the
caribbean and Indian Archipelago<.s,
the negroes will be forced to desert the
South in a body, and they will go
North, where employment will await
them. ~ asa.: .ssz
Then there Is native populations OF
those East Indian Territories of the
United States. They will flock i1ither
to escape from the pauper wages which
prevail in their own countries, alad, be-
ing citizens, they will have the right to
come. Men who are accustom ed to
work for a dime a day will here be able
to earn a dollar. With such prospect,
they will come by the millions as soon
as the have the means. But few years
will elapese before every steamer from
the Indian seas and from Hawaii and
from the West Indies, will be bring ing
immigrants.
Thus it is that the race question be-
comes a labor question. That is one of
the phases of the problem that has been
but little heretofore considered.