Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-05-31

How Certain Class are Deceived and
Made Tools of.


Made Tools of.
"Strikes and Presidential elections, -
says the New York Tribune, "do not
come together by accident. When a
great political campaign approaches,
the labor agitators and organizers
start out early to foster the disputes
by which they thrive. IL is but human
nature to embrace the opportunity for
getting more profit in few months
than they can get in the rest of the
four years, and such opportunities are
not often wanting. Ii all men were
well acquainted with political condi-
tions and prospects, the field of the
agitator would be narrow in year
like this, the denomination and re-elec-
tion OF the President being considered
SO probable that plans for his defeat
are hardly deemed practicable by the
kind of men who do "cold business. !"
But there is large body OF voters in
this country who do not know very
much OF political conditions, and, be-
ing largely OF foreign birth, are not
especially quick To discover the trend
OF American opinion. They have in
tense feeling regarding the relations
between labor and capital, In many
cases brought with them from abroad,
and organizations where such subjects
are discussed without the assistance of
publicity. What they are told in pri-
vate and led to believe does not always
come TO light and meet comparison
with facts until it is too late.
1T does not often happen that the
practical American votes away his
own prosperity. When that rare
thing occurs, analysis shows that it is
not the average farmer who gives that
proof of the ignorance with which he
is so often credited, nor the average
business business man OF the cities and
towns. To men of these classes it has
generally seemed wise to hold fast
prosperity when they have it, and
keep in power those whose conduct of
of affairs has presumably contributed
to that outcome and certainly has not
prevented it. But among the wage
earners OF some manufacturing Gen.
tres time of general prosperity is apt
to be utilized as the best opportunity
for new and larger demands. Because
things are doing well, they reason
that employers will be more reluctant
to have their business distributed.
Agitators are not wanting to propose
new steps, to foster organization, and
to build up their influence as far as
possible.
being largely composed of men
born in other lands and unacquainted
with the spirit and methods of this,
these organizations are too often
placed by improper leadership in an
attitude of resistance to law. They
think their demands just, regard the
places they vacate as nevertheless be-
longing to them, and resist even with
violence the willingness OF other men
W w Vic WOTh anu lake Tie wages
which they refuse. Then comes rioting,
and the organizations are thrown into
law breaking schemes and practices, Of
ten without distinct understanding
that they thereby become enemies of
all civilized society. Governments are
compelled TO maintain order. Local
and then National authority is exert
ed, as it must of necessity be, against
those who begin by violating law. The
thinking men and the good citizens
approve and uphold the authorities
But the men who happen just then to
be much too excited for due obser.
vance OF their duties under the law
are just in the humor TO make war at
the ballot box on Government which
stops the preparation of crimes In the
name OF labor.
ain this way it has happened that
the wage earning multitudes of the
large manufacturing centres and cities
have been found just the men to vote
away prosperity and to condemn them
selves to years OF disaster and suffer-
inu -