Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-08-31

nattery. Tneir cOvetOuSneSS viii pump
the pockets and veins OF humanity to
the dregs. Their whims will make
wars and SOW 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.
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 viii not last The proletarians
will look on in patience. Then will
come the time when they will simply
dethrone the multimiIIionaires and
elect their own executors from among
the laborers. The history of our globe
teaches that in all geological epochs all
animal species just before their EXITING
ton appeared in their most prodigious
FORM"
When am pessimistic and the blue
for support to the literature of "class
conscious socialism. and when 1 feel
hopeful and want TO read the future
through rosy glasses 1 go to the same
fountain of wisdom. 1t may be that
]. Z. Morgan had just been dallying at
this fountain when he said. 1.-The id
fools don't know what is good for
themp'
But, while the socialists in their
propaganda work treat the trust as n
necessary evil from which the greatest
good is to come, in practice, with rare
exceptions. they vigorously support the
efforts of organized labor to wiring
from the magnates temporary benefits
for labor, and there is no harder striker
than your "class conscious" socialist.
We may therefore leave the theory of
socialism, which will no doubt some
day be practiced. though 1t will not be
inaugurated all at once. out of the con-
sideration OF the present day question
of labor and the trusts.
The workingman has n twofold inter-
est in the trust question. He is con-
sumner as well as a wageworker. With
absolute power the trust catches the
laborer coming and going" In fact,
the laborer is the main consumer of the
products of the trust. An increase in
the selling price of these products. a
matter fully within the control of the
trusts. falls more heavily upon the la
borer than upon any one else. When
prices are advanced beyond the ability
Of the laborer to maintain his custom
airy plane of living. a strike generally
fol f- I,n
OF more strikes than the uniformed
would believe. This is a thought which
should be considered in connection with
another, and that is that, should labor
demand as wages more than a just
share Of the profits. 1t would drive the
employer out of business and itself out
OF work. This fact is well understood
by the trades unions. and they general
ly know perfectly the condition of the
market. the supply. demand and full
status Of the industry in which they
are engaged. If the public could be
brought TO fully realize these truths,
there would be less thoughtless con-
demnation of strikes where wages is
the issue.
But, singularly. the great battle be-
tween union labor and the trust is not
TO be waged over a question of re-
Enumeration. but over the recognition
Of labor's right to organize. Capitalists
freely organize and through their or
CARNATIONS regulate their business.
More. they use the power OF their or
ganization to destroy competition. II
1t had not within it the seeds of a
tragedy, the refusal of the trusts to
recognize the right of labor to extend
the scope of its organization by the use
of its power would be amusing. Does
not the trust exercise its power unmer-
cifully along this line? Does not the
trust compel the Independent concerns
to sell out to it? is it not true that the
operator who refuses to join the trust
is destroyed II the trust can work its
will?
+ The SO called middle class Il greatly