The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-01
che Onion and CHE Law.

and altho the Iaborer receives more
money for his labor than in former
years he is still dissatisfied. This state
of affairs will soon end. | believe the
remedy will be state legislation. Sub
ject the so-called trusts to the same
supervision as is now exercised over
banks and insurance companies and
the combinations not doing a straight
forward business will soon be weeded
out.
But what then? Such actions, altho
undoubtedly lessening the price of
some commodities, will not put an end
to the everlasting strife between cap
ital and labor The mighty struggle
will continue until organized labor
changes its methods. Strikes, lock-
outs, boycotts, and all kindred abuses
must give way to reason, law and logic
The great outcry against trusts is not
justified by the facts. In combinations
of capital effected for the purpose of
eliminating disastrous competition
there is evil only in so far as the cap
italists are dishonest. BY this / mean
Misrepresentation of facts and condi-
tions, and bogus or watered' stock
which necessarily forces the price
higher in order that profit may be
realized on millions that have never
been invested. The trusts doing busi-
ness on sound and honest basis will
welcome the "searchlight of publicity"
which President Roosevelt so earnestly
advocates.
But what effectsronld this lsage,on the
labor question? None. The war dates
back long before trusts were inaugu-
rated. It is not against organized cap
ital that labor would fight, but against
all capital Trusts merely serve to
aggravate the trouble. In the twenty
years from 1881 to 1900 there occurred
in this country over $4,000 strikes.
Think of it. Over 1000 strikes year,
or more than three strikes for every
day in the year. Truly the figures are
awful in their significance. The sacri-
flee of life, the enormous loss of money
and the fetal destruction of property
that these figures represent explains
why capital and labor are ever ready
to fly at each others throats. Of these
$4,000 strikes, fully 63 per cent have
been ordered by organized labor. 'Tis
indeed fearful record In these
United States at the present time there
are about 100000 wage earners. Of
this number 100000, or about s per
cent, are organized. Does it not seem
that something must be radically
wrong with organized labor, when only
such small percentage of wage earn
ers Will consent to organize? There is
something wrong and it is this The
principles that organized labor teach
and practice are opposed to individual
liberty, the rights of property, and the
laws OF equity, all of which should be
inalienable under our constitution.
There must be change 1t is true
that in the past the wrongs of the
workingman were many. But at pres
ent he would do well to rest on the
victories he has gained and turn his
attention to legislation. First let the
unions adjust their principles to this
the twentieth century, and then with
the enormous political prestige that
their membership would give they
should be able to make great strides.
Labor organization to be successful
must not restrict individual liberty.
Let us suppose that Brown and Smith
are working for 40 cents an hour and
Jones next door chooses to work for
30. Shall they torcibly prevent him
In short, shall organized labor deny to
the individual laborer the God-given
right to work, simply because he does
not believe in their principles If
this is so, then the liberty we boast of
is but myth.
/ Let us suppose again that the four
clerks who work for Benson become
dissatisfied, and on being denied any
concessions they quit. Shall Benson
be deprived of help and forced to 60