Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-29
CITIZEN EMPLOYEE.
WHAT OUR BOASTED INDEPENDENCE
MEANS TO HIM.

ro1it1cal Democracy and Industrial
Autocracy Cannot Co-exist-No Man
Can Continue Half Slave and Ha,f
q Freeman.
There are convincing roll and vol
ume to the words, triumphant De-
mocracy." They sound we'll. But the
author Of this. phrase overlooked sew
eral somewhat important considera-
TONS Democracy is not yet triumphant
even in America. After it has gained
control of the country in which it is
supposed to have reached it's highest
development, predictions about it's rul-
Ing the world will be more to the point
Such an idea ut present is but a dream
OF hope. Democracy has it's hardest
battle yet to fight-right here in Amer
lea.
America, as nation, is leading a
dual life. 1t is prea ching democracy
and practicing autocracy, like tenn
perance lecturer who takes drink of
whisky to give inspiration to his
words. For 126 years but one political
philosophy has been taught in the
United States-the philosophy of free
dom, equal rights, 1.-The right to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
1t has covered newspaper pages and
resounded from public rostrums and in
legislative halls. The doctrine has been
laid down in courts; schools have
taught it; books are full of it; the ma
ton is saturated with it. Judging by
our political standards, every Ameri-
can must be free and equal in his po-
litical rights to every other American.
He must be exercising liberty and pur-
suing happiness unLindered. Every
body, theoretically, has an equal voice
In the government. Each citizen is an
uncrowned sovereign.
This is one side Of American life.
There is another. Interests Involving
the lives and happiness of thousands
are in the hands Of one man response
BILE to nobody. He has as absolute
control within his sphere as any auto
crat now on earth or as any autocrat
who ever existed. His employees are
his subjects, owing him closer and
stronger allegiance than they owe to
any government Their time and their
energies are his to do with them as he
pleases. He cannot decree that one Of
these subjects be beheaded. That is
not necessary; our modern methods are
not so crude. The autocrat of today
can control his subjects without any
| such revolving brutality. 1t is usually
sufficient to deprive the subject Of his
means Of livelihood and thus make
him his own executioner. This the
autocrat of today has ample power to
accomplish. The insurgent subject can
be cast out, an exile in the industrial
world. He who controls your means
Of livelihood controls your life.
II will not do this thing" says the
free and independent" citizen en-
ployee, asserting his proud preroga-
tive. ut is against my own best in.
| terests and the interests of my coun.
try"
every WELL" replies the industrial
autocrat. Il have no further use for
your services. You may CO."
WHITTIER shall go?' inquiries the
| free and Independent citizen. finding
his freedom rather embarrassing at
the very first step. II know no bust
ness but this. My life has been spent
in learning it. No other means Of live
lihood is open to me. You control this
branch Of industry absolutely"
| "Your troubles are nothing to me.
This business is my business. Do as I
say or CO.,
The free and Independent" citizen
does as the Industrial autocrat says.
He does it absolutely and unquestion-
ingly thereafter. A Kicker" is not
appreciated in the Industrial world
when the autocrat to whom he is sub
| ject is the target for his protests.
When the "free" man may be sent into
the world without an occupation at the
within Of an autocrat to whom he owes
allegiance, 1t behooves the free" man
! to please the autocrat. In other words.
the free and Independent" American
citizen employee must Of necessity be
the willing and submissive slave Of an
Industrial autocrat
Usually the demand to do this or
that thing concerns the business Of the
autocrat only; usually, too, it is rea-
sonable demand-at least from the
standpoint of the autocrat Everybody
comedies that the autocrat has the
right to conduct his own business in
his own way. The law upholds him.
Public opinion is not adverse. 1t is
not sufficiently enlightened, or, II one
cares to take the opposite view, it has
learned better. The important fact Is
that the Industrial autocrat is able to
exact unquestoned obedience from the
free and independent citizen en-
ployee. 1t may be more or less i'm
portant to consider that the obedience
may take. the form of using the en-
ployee's literary skill to write for pub
LEGATION in a great newspaper an article
| that he knows to be false, misleading
and vicious. To be sure, the autocrat
does not think it SO. Perhaps he does
not know enough to think straight up
on such questions, or his interests may
| lie in a different direction. At all