The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-09-14

Tho steel Strike In But u skirmish
at the Outposts, Large ~ 1T Looks
BY Comparison With Preceding
strikes-The War Has Hardly Be-
gunAThe War Will. BE Waged
Over the Right to Organise.
The great contest between the gladi-
ators Of modern industrialism has been
inaugurated. Labor and the trust face
each other in the arena. while the mil.
lions in a worldwide amphitheater look
upon the scene with varying sentiments
and emotions. This will be no short,
sharp and quickly ended strife. The
contestants are to meet in conflict
again and again, the repulsed one ris-
ing with renewed strength after q tenn
porary respite to more fercely do bat
tie with his foe. AS to the final VIC
tor, let@the future tell. It il probable
that neither will be destroyed, but one,
possibly both, will be subjected to great
organic changes ere peace is declared.
The trust is not held in high favor
~ viz 4SOpAS 6OACA 6AAJs l. SAAuA kuC
statement that it Is unpopular is 4
safe one. But labor, or to be accurate,
organized labor, is also condemned by
many well meaning persons. Where
unfriendliness to union labor IL not &C.
casioned by personal grievance or self
ish interest it has it's seat In lack Of
knowledge of the question, or so I
firmly believe. But, be that as it may,
there are otherwise intelligent and just
organized labor in it's contest with the
employer. even when the employer IL q
trust. This is unfortunate, for organ
lied labor is doing battle against an
enemy Of the people.
The amazing thing is that the cap
tains Of industry, the masters of the
great industrial combinations, have not
made an effort to secure an alliance
with the forces Of organized labor, tao
lilly, If not by positive agreement, thus
forestalling the greatest impediment to
their absolutism, and it was thought by
many that such an arrangement was
the purpose that would be the result Of
the trust conference held under the
auspices of the Chicago Civic fedora
ton in September, 1899. Certainly
some Of the addresses delivered by
prominent labor men at the conference
gave grounds for this belief, but
whether the labor men were simply
throwing out "feelers" or the trust
men baked at an arrangement that
meant more wages for labor and
smaller dividends on liquid shares, or
whether there was ever anything to
justify the belief that an alliance was
desired by either side. it is sure thing
now that labor and the trusts are oppo-
nents, not allies. y
In considering the attitude of labor
toward the trust it Is necessary to
understand that the workingmen are
not unit in their estimate Of. the
power Of the trust and the danger that
therein lies. The socialists, Of whom
men, hold that the trust Is a natural
evolution Of industrialisn which will
eventually lead to the sociali1ation Of
all industry, thus bringing about the
cooperative commonwealth. The, more
radical Of the socialists, those who de-
scribe themselves as "class conscious"
have no sympathy with the popular
outcry against trusts, but rather offer
all the obstacles at their command to
the agitations, political and economic,
which look to the destruction or him
dering Of monopolistic combinations in
manufacturing, transportation and mer
camille pursuits.
These men declare that the trust is
to become an international institution:
that its power will be worldwide; fac
tories the world over will be opened or
king. The prophecy Of the "class con-
scious" socialist goes on: All factory
owners, employees and buyers will be
forced to submit to the trust kings'>ie-
crees, for all INSTRUMENTATION will meet
with severe \punishment. This will
gradually place mankind in the power
Of g. few conQuerors. In this way a
new feudaltsm will be called into ex-
istence much more powerful and exact
ing than the old-an aristocracy' Of
multimillionaires more naughty than
that of the crusaders, more self willed
than that of royalty, which, though
crowned, is held in by constitutions.
Neros will be created whose insane
pride will originate unknown forms of
abject submission and who will spur
the servile disposition of the multitudes
to despicable expressions Of doggish
fattery. Their covetousness will pump
the pockets and veins Of humanity to
the dregs. Their whims will make
wars and slow distinctions. Their fear
Of human liberty, their hatred OF per-
sonal independence, will strangle or at
least check the intellectual and moral
progress Of humanity. y
-. And yet, after all this oppression.
which one might think would crush all
the power of resistance out Of the work.
ingman, the socialists believe the labor
ers will rise and overthrow their ty~
rants. In the language of one of the
leading writer's and orators Of social
ism:
LET the multimillionaires reign. Let
them heap their gold sky high. The
feast will not last. The proletarians
will look on: in patience. Then will
come the time when they will simply
do<hrono tho y,,r1<irnf,iooo;ro. 80