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

trust. This middle class has had ever
as its shibboleth the cry that ''competi-
ton Is the life OF trader 1t realizes
that the trust destroys competition;
that the stage OF competition in indus
trialism is rapidly giving way to the
monopollstic. OF the business failures,
which amounted during the last decade
of the nineteenth century to, on the
average, $4,000 per year, 81 per cent
| were of those whose capital was under
5000, and per cent those whose
capital was over $1,000, but less
than $4,000. Therefore OF the total
/ failures only about 4 per cent
had a capital in excess OF $780,
600. More, of the ], les, 343 firms doing
business I'm the United States and Can
ada In the year 1897, 223, 1872 either
failed or went out of business because
their funds were exhausted. In FIVE
years at this rate the whole middle
class would be wiped out II it were not
for the fact that there are men with
small SURPRISES who think they can
beat the game and who fill up the
vacant places. But the gamblers
axiom that "a sucker is born every
minute" can't hold good much longer
in the business world.
These statistics give an idea of the
methods and progress Of the trust.
| What monumental gall. then, for the
Morgans, Rockefellers. Schwabs and
their like to deny the right OF labor to
extend its organization by all the kinds
of pressure that the law will allow!
The fact of the matter is that the
| trust doesn't offer any objections to
union labor on ethical or sentimental
grounds. 1t is governed by business
rules-cold business. cold blooded bust
i ness. The magnates see that, IL labor
ever has the opportunity and the COM
mon sense ut the same time to thor
oughly organize, their power to squeeze
the wageworker will be gone. They
| can't regulate the common sense end
of the combination. but they realize
| their ability TO put n stumbling block
in the way of the opportunity. That's
| all there is to IL. War is the word that
| hest expresses the relations between
the trusts and union labor, and If the
labor leaders are fit TO lead they fully
/ realize this truth. There may not be a
| battle every day, but the conditions OF
war exist and will exist while the
wages of labor and the dividends upon
watered stock must be drawn from the
| same fund.
The trusts are we'll equipped for the
war. Their armament includes wealth
/ in the shape of money and tools, re-
| serves represented by plant judges
| and supine legislators and a something
( called public sentiment" hypnotized
by the university and library endow-
/ ments of a Rockefeller or n Carnegie.
And labor-what has labor to sus-
| tain 1t in the struggle with such a
powerful and resourceful foe? Moth
ing but numbers and the spirit to fight
| on an empty stomach.
Brains? Why. bless your SOU, it
takes more brains, ten times over, to
organize and hold together one-fourth
OF the workers i'm an industry than to
consolidate through the power of
money and to direct by telephone that
whole industry. And the labor move
ment of this country has the brains.
Its principal men are the equals in
ability OF the most loudly praised of
the magnates. He who has come in
contact with both knows this to be n
| true statement. He knows that il
takes at least as much brain to organ
lie and hold together live, thinking.
opinionated men as to pool and manip-
ulate the insensible, dirty dollars OF
commercial gamblers. who. in a major
ity of cases. put their money into the
game because they don't know what
else to do with it.
You know the story of the fight be-
tween the man and the bear, when the
former in his prayer asked the Lord
not to help the bear If he couldn't help
him, but just to remain neutral aud he
would see the ''purtiest fight he ever
looked at" Well. IL the courts, the
army and the public, whose battle labor
is fighting, will just remain neutral
they will see the trusts get most just
and righteous thrashing. 1t will not be
done In one round; but be patient, keep
your hands of and let your prayers be
for the triumph of right.
If were to advise labor, would
say, in the first place, keep on organ
izing; but this 1 know is not necessary
advice. Accumulate by assessment as
large a fund as rapidly as the men who
have to pay can bear. Incorporate
your organizations, so that you may
protect your funds and do other things
that you cannot do without legal stand
ing. Don't place any reliance on
friendly newspaper editorials and ex-
pressions of sympathy from outside.
These are well enough in their way,
but they butter no parsnips for you.
What you want are organization, a
treasury and the fear Of God in your
hearts.
The American Federation of Labor
now has membership close to a mill
lion members. Say it has half a mill
lion Let that half a million men pay
81 per month for ten months into a de-
Tense fund, or, If you like the term bet
ter, a war fund. In less than a year
the forces of labor would have $5.0OO.-
600 with which to carry on its battle.