The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-01
SUNDAY, NOV. 1, 1903.
THE HUMAN SOUL MUST REVOLT.

] n Z n OMHN OWL mOS NJ III .
Sam Parks has been convicted for
the second time. He was already out
of prison on his first sentence by
sort of legal jugglery, and there is lit
tie doubt that both sentences will have
to be served. What the public ought
to be interested in is not so much the
crimes of Parks or the fate Of Parks.
as the explanation of Parks. How did
such a man as this come to exercise
the tremendous power that he pos
sessed over both the employers and
the employees in the building trades in
New York city? Bully, CRATER, thief
and convict that he is, how did he re-
tain his ascendancy even after his dis
grace had been thoroughly established
and ventilated?
The story of his success and its
meaning is told by Ray Stannard Ba-
ker in one of the articles now running
in McClure's magazine and attracting
very wide attention. The tale is as
thrilling as a romance, but it's morals
may be swiftly drawn and perfectly
stated. The first of them is that Parks
is simply a labor boss, and has grown
and fourished in the same way that
our other bosses do. Parks Is a
rough, reckless, fearless, unprincipled
man, who won his way to absolute
control Of his union in spite Of his
character and his robberies; just as
Quay holds the state Of Pennsylvania
under his thumb, although the intelli-
gent and moral people of that state
know that their commonwealth is de-
bauched.
To explain Parks completely one has
to consider the other side of his sue
cess, which relates to the grating en-
ployers. Newspaper writer's are elo-
quent about corrupt labor leaders and
subservient labor unions and grating
walking delegates, but they are too
generally silent about the twin evils
that these imply; for if there is vii
lainy on one side there must be equal
villainy on the other. The acceptance
of a bride presupposes the offer of it..
Facts show that the building employers
of New York city were glad to pay
tribute running into thousands of dol
lars to curry favor with unions to pro-
tect themselves from strikes, and
sometimes to get strikes ordered when
they wished to get rid Of unfavorab BILE
contracts. Later on an enormous build
Ing trust came into the field, which
has simply bought men right and left.
1t has great use for such a man as
Parks. 1t wants men who can handle
other men, who have no scruples about
receiving or giving money, and who can
deliver the goods. Such man was
Parks, and he will have plenty of sue
cessors as long as the temptation is
there.
Now the explanation Of the situation
becomes clear, through the criminal
neglect of the first duty of manhood
and citizenship on both sides. Parks
can boss union, just as Quay can
boss state, because the people per-
NIT it. Members of the union did not
attend its meetings, just as voters stay
away from the primary. Of the 1900
men that Parks ruled absolutely it is
said that rarely 500 were ever in at
tendance at a meeting. These Of
course, were the workers, the friends
and beneficiaries of the grating or
der, the men who correspond to the
ward heller" in politics. Parks could
depend on them, and they could de-
pend on him; and both of them were
safe as long as the quiet, industrious.
honest workingman remained in the