The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-09-05

N N OOI people Wn6n C0oy read or
N hear of a strike among the
laboring classes think it is
simply piece of political
work, or a demonstration of general
cussedness on the part of the strikers.
In fact there are few among those who
stand by and look on at the struggle
between the capitalist and his employees
who understand the question. There
was time in the history of labor when
many in its ranks failed to show good
reasons for their actions against the
employers. but today these conditions
are changed. Through organization,
and by placing competent men in the
leadership, labor has become a force
both in power and knowledge that
makes the greedy trust and the un-
scrupuious employer hesitate before
attempting to trampIe down the class
forced to live by the toll of their
hands.
Today labor stands before the citizens
of great nation and asks for Justice:
no political faction is in the fight, no
creed is questioned and no envy is
expressed for the millions of the trusts.
The question is one simply of mans
rights and fair recompense for that
which he creates by the labor of his
hands and brain. Labor is not repre-
sented by drag orators or blacksmith
leaders, who have more Drawn than
brains, but by men who are capable of
entering into the most puzzling
questions propounded by the capitalist
The men who represent labor in the
strikes of today can tell to a cent the
expense, the output and the profit of
any article placed on the market
through the manufacturing channel
And therefore they reason that because
a capitalist or trust has millions of
dollars it does not entitle them to rob
their fellow men, through whom they
gain their wealth, of their just earnings.
Never in the history of the world has
man succeeded in accumulating wealth
with such speed as at the present time.
Even when slavery existed, no such
stupendous fortunes were accumulated
as have since been vaulted up by iron
masters, sugar kings or oil magnates.
And if the slave trafficers of Egypt and
the conquest loving senators of Rome
were unjust and ungodly in causing
such misery among their fellow men,
and accumulating useless wealth, what
may we term those, who in an age of
Christian civilization become the pos
SCISSORS of millions in period of from
fifteen to forty years? Can any man
who has done this, through the use of
the toll and sweat of his fellow men,
look justice in the face after balancing
up his stock of millions, and say, 81 have
been honest and just with all men?"
If there be any such who could look
justice in the face that long without
getting sunstruck, or who could make
such an assertion before the poor
blinded goddess, she would most
assuredly throw the scales at him.
This is but a glimpse OF the conditions
which the striker sees and is trying to
remedy. Capital has attempted to
put labor on plane with the serf or
slave, and labor is awakening to the
realization of its rights. And further
more, it demands them before the entire
host of gold kings. Whether the toiler
will win today or not, we may be sure
that he will win in time, for in no
epoch of the worlds history has in
justice kept the masses of the worlds
workers down. They have built it's
palaces and temples, fought its battles
and left monuments of fame in all
ages; they have thrown off the iron
hand of oppression, shattered the yoke
of slavery and laid kings and emperors
in the dust, and unless the world
awakens to the fact that the laborer is
worthy of justice, the day will dawn
when the laborer will take matters in
his own hands and enact laws which
will that he receives justice.
JAN O'RURICK.