The weekly examiner., 1901-06-22
THE TRUSTS AND LABOR.
Organized Workers the Mighty Force That Will Protect All the People.

Organised Workers the Mighty Force
 That Will Protect All the People.
 'The politicians and political econo- miStS will see nothing but ruin in the trusts unless constitutions are changed and all manner of laws enacted to pro- tect the people are not taking into ac- count that mighty force which has al- ways defended the people in war as Niemand at the regular meeting of the Economic club, says the Cincinnati En- quirer. snioc
 "What is the mightssforce? It is or ganized labor. NeytI am not going to make labor unionl speech-just illus trate a fact as see it. It is admitted that the industrial combinations in- clude vast amount of water and that the people must pay dividends on the water. That is true. The consumer pays the dividends which enrich the combinations. But we must not lose sight of the fact that labor is the main consumer of the products of the trusts, so that when prices are advanced labor has to pay the bulk of the burden. When prices are pushed beyond the
 
 for higher wages follows. If the strike succeeds, the workers divide with the trusts the money forced out of the working classes. When the laboring element has sufficient reward for it's toll, it meets the advanced prices to all those who live between the trusts and the toilers by spending the in- crease of their wages. No matter how high prices may be, H labor is justly compensated the equilibrium is main tained. When labor is not justly com pensated, it strikes, and it thus fights the battles of every other class which is opposed to trusts. The man who takes the place of striker not only wrongs himself, but the entire nonpro- ducing class and all other working men.
 q believe in public sympathy and support for strikers in cases of de mands for increase of wages when prices of commodities are advancing. Every advance in prices touches the working classes first, because they are the principal consumers who have no store laid by for such times. When prices are declining, the wages are al- ways the first thing cut in order to keep shops moving, and labor has to accept the condition. In fact, the public de mands that labor shall accept the re ductions when prices are declining. The prices of commercial commodities, like agricultural products, depend upon the cost of production with a reasona- ble profit added. No law can prevent extortion in prices when the output is controlled by a monopoly, but the labor can stop production until it receives share of the extortion, and as labor cannot hoard it must divide the share it gets with all other classes. There fore labor is the army which must fight the battles of all the nonproducers who live out of the commissions between the producer and the consumer. When labor demands more than just share of the profits, it destroys the employer and in turn destroys itself. The public could safely leave in the hands of labor the fighting of all the antitrust battles. I ask you, gentlemen of the Economic club, to think of the practical workings of the idea I am presenting and see if you do not reach the same conclusions which have"