Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-06-05
POSSIBLE LABOR WAR
A SECTIONAL HATRED is BEING
RAPIDLY ENCENDERED.

a SECTIONAL HATRED is BEING
RAPIDLY ENGENDERED.
The Condition Is Similar to That Which Was
Precipitated by the Presidential Election Of
lS60-It Is the Class Who Sympathize With
Both Sides Who See the Danger Clearest-
Not Since Anti.SIavery Times Has an Issue
Been So Tensely Drawn - The Tyranny Of
Prevailing Opinion on Both Sides-A Terri
bic Conflict Seems Probable.
The Public.
Those of US who reflect upon the
crystallization of sectional hatred over
the slavery question, which set in
strongly in the later SOS and was
precipitated by the Presidential elec-
tion of 1860, can hardly escape fore
boding feeling that analogous crystalli-
cations of class hatred over the labor
question are gathering now.
Men who are on either side of the
conflict which these new crystalliza-
tions OF hate forebode, are much less
likely to appreciate the signs than
those who come into more or less SYM
pathetic relations with both sides. It
was not the men of the North nor the
men of the South who foresaw most
clearly the terrible cataclasm of the
early COS, but the men of the border
States. So now it is not the employ
ing class on the one side nor the organ
lied labor class on the other that most
clearly perceive the climax to which
the wretchedly unthinking and enor-
mously expanding hatred of each to-
ward the other is moving with the
dreadful onrush of two opposing battle
lines. One must have the opportunity
of entering into the feelings of both
sides, if he would realize what is al
most surely coming.
He must be able to sympathize with
organized labor in its just complaints
and to realize the necessity for united
action. He must be able to sympathize
with employers in their indignation
over the aggressions of organized labor.
He must be above the narrow field of
view which makes the cause OF each
seem to its devotees altogether right
and that of the other altogether wrong.
He must be free enough from the
binding fury of either side to realize
that both are impatient to run amuck.
He will be none the worse as an OBJ
server, either, if he understands the
essential issue of the conflict we'll
enough to know that this combat of
capital and labor is battle between
allies, from which only their common
enemy, monopoly, can profit.
To such Observers it is plainly evi.
dent that the bitterness of the labor
struggle, heretofore sporadic, bursting
out in one place or another and after
q spasm passing away, has become
general, and that in intensity it is un-
precedented. Never since the anti
slavery fight have the lines Of bitter
hatred been so sharply drawn.
Among the older trade union men
it is not so noticeable, they having
become Injured to the feeling suffi.
GENTLY to have recovered their self.
possession in some degree. But the
new blood in trade unions thrills with
it.
On the other side, Mr.. Parry is q
type. We may regard him as blat-
ant spouter if We choose, but the fact
remains that he speaks the sentiment
OF his class and that they are rallying
around the banner he has raised. The
day is not far off when the business
house that does not unite with the
other houses of its trade to combat
trade unionism, will be to the business
world what the " scab" is now to the
labor world. To degree that day has
already come. 1t is not easy, even
now, for the managers of business
establishments to be on good terms
with organized labor and at the same
time in first-rate repute with "the
trade"
In some degree this difficulty may
be attributed to the irritating exac-
tions of labor unions, which make it
we'll nigh impossible to manage busi-
ness and be altogether on good terms
with organized labor. But in much
higher degree it is due to the great
and growing class bitterness of the
business class toward the organized
labor class, q bitterness that embraces
everything and everybody that encour-
ages, excuses or tolerates unionism,
and which is most heartily reciprocal
ed.
The battle line is already pretty dis
tinctly drawn. Employers unions are
forming, not here and there but every
where, to check the advance of labor.
ers' unions and crush them if possible.
They are forming not calmly and from
motives of economy. as the trusts have
been formed, but with anger at white
heat. No less hot is the anger on the
other side.
Possibly some accident may inter-
vene to calm this passion and avert
the unreasoning combat to which it is
leading. But without some such in.