The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-16
SHOULD SOCIALISM COME
BLAME TIE CAPITALISTS
a Notable Address on Trusts and Labor Unions
by George b. Anderson Of nassa-
chusetts
fBy the Associated Pres. )


Boston, Mass, May 14.-The general
meetings of 1903 of the American Social
Science Association began here today.
George H. Anderson, a member of the
Suffolk county Mass, bar, spoke on
Some Responsibilities of Capitalistic Or
ganization." He said that the labor or
CARNATIONS have no moral standing to
denounce trusts, for their movement is
as distinctly combination or trust as is
the capitalistic movement. The two
movements are alike in motive and object.
In the contest as it is now carried
on between these two opposing forces, it
is obvious that there are at least two
main desiderata First, that the parties
to the contest should become so nearly
equal in real and apparent power that
each may come to respect the other, to
the end that an equilibrium approximating
justice may result. The organization Of
labor is an absolute condition precedent
under present conditions to any sound
social and industrial progress. To oppose
that organization, to attempt to prevent
it by legislation, or to denounce it in
terms recently used by the Manufactur-
ers' Association at New Orleans, is both
futile and foolish.
"The second desideratum is that there
should be an increased respect for law
and for justice on the part of both labor
and capital. The final appeal must be to
justice"
Under our law permitting the private
ownership not only of the surface Of the
land, but of all minerals and metals be-
meath the surface, he said, the coal and
iron supply of the country would soon be
under monopoly control. The condition
of the ownership and control of the anth-
racite coal supply he contended was just
cause for revolutionary sentiments and ac-
tivities. In the last generation, he de-
clared the legislation of the country had
been mainly controlled by capital and iii
not few of the States the sale of legis.
lation was a regular business. In con-
clusion, Mr.. Anderson said:
''If capital fails to recognize the neces-
sity of just laws, respected and obeyed,
it may expect little mercy at the hands
of it's adversaries when they discover
their real power. If socialism comes, the
main responsibility will rest upon the
capitalistic Organizations.
President Eliot, of Harvard, summarized
the question of the incorporation of the
trades unions IN the statement that if they
wanted it there seemed to be no objcc-
ton, and if they did not want it there
was an objection. There was. however
an objection to the imposition Of money
penalty, and this whole talk of incorpor-
ating trades unions was fairly attributable
to desire to get at them and impose a
fine or collect damages
'It must be noted" said Mr.. Eliot.
''that the activities OF trades unions in
volve only moral responsibilities. The posi-
tions of the unions is virtually that OF
two million men who Systematically per-
nit moral and physical violence in the at
tainment of their ends in the limitation
Of output, than which there is NO more
corrupting or degrading influence.
'Unskllled laborers cannot gain their
aims in labor struggle without permit
ting violence but this is a moral question
and not one of damages. To attempt to
get at them vindictively, by inducing or
compelling incorporation and making them
financially liable is not at all the way to
settle the problem.