The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-11-28


% cents
ali which has not been declared illegal
BY law. This principle is necessary to
social repore.
1t is this principle which gives to-
custom it's force and to capital it's OPP
portunity to tyrannize.
1t is only just to union labor to adj
NIT that most Of the errors Of which
it has been guilty have been provoked
by a. declared determination on the
part of capital to repress and suppress
the self-evident right of workingmen
to organize for the legal and orderly
advancement Of their own interests.
These unjust and unenlightened ef-
forts Of capital almost if not quite
always have taken a perfectly legal
course-not a course supported by en-
acted law but not by law forbidden.
Yet the injustice and tyranny OF cap
ital in assuming this arrogant attitude
toward the" natural liberty Of enlighten-
ed. working men has seldom failed to
receive the condemnation. Of public
opinion and sympathy, has sometimes:
strained reason in favor of: the work.
ingmen's cause-for nobody but a.
bigoted partisan will contend that the
claims of union labor have always been
just. Undeniably they have OCCASION
ally been very unjust-sometin1es brut--
ally unjust, and very often most un-
wisely inconsiderate. of. the real diff
culties Of capital-which was Often
borrowed capital. and on as hard a
strain to meet it's obligations as labor
itself.
There would be absolutely no moral
excuse for this if. the attitude Of capt.
tai toward labor had always-or even
mostly--been respectful and sympathe-
] tic,,z instead Of arrogant. and colltemp.
.tuousss It had no MOI rishta to- expect
better treat1nei1 than &c saV eS
f tbs who le;it gave organized labor
hateful and most provoking treatment
treatment which. in some: casess at:
:leost appears to have been deliberately:
designed to provoke disorder and VIC
lence.
If labor cannot show itself as wise
and patient as it's antagonist it must
inevitably lose it's battle-and it will
be dark day for civilization when the
battle closes with victory against the
just cause Of labor.
i On the whole organized labor has be-
haved commercially considering the
needless evaporation to which the ar
rogance Of capital as whole has ex-
posed it.
And that the contentious of organized
labor have been on the whole fair is
proved by the fact that on the whole
they have prevailed without Gripping
the producing capacity Of the country,
as capital Intended they should; but
have decidedly increased.it, while great
ly elevating the character of labor.
This is not discernable on the local
view, but on the national view it is
self evident and indisputable.
Capital (as a whole) has now as
stunned toward organized labor, a more
respectful and conciliatory tone-even
an: anxious and solicitous tone-as that
OF the vanquished: toward: the victor.
and it behooVes organized labor not; to
abuse it's opportunity.
The battle is not ended-a1ld never
Will e1ad-but the position Of Organized
labor is now SO strong that it can az
Fear Of; defeat has: often rendered. It
bruta1lyF incons1derraate Of the Difficult
ties Of individual employers, for men
are like 'dogs-most Of them are sym
pathetic and: companionable- and: will
only bite when they are afraid.
Fear OF defeat can no longer furnish
organized labor an excuse for bei11k
| unjust orr i11considerates toward en-
ployers:' Labor has only to- hold the
ground it has Won to: be able to defy
and defeat arrogance and tyranny
wherever and whenever capital is l1ii-
wise: enough to- put itself III SUCH d
hateful attitude. :,s''.,@ -.
But to- defy and: defeat is not enough:
Fl must have tile Intelligence tof dis
| criminate and the sympathy to assist
It: must put away the Ignorant and
absurd assumptionitl that every employer
/ Of labor is' capitalist and an enemy.
Organized; labor H. now strong enourhs
/ in. the" United States to- ass,1n1e@ and:
/ assert aalls the sresponsibllities o,f rec
men toward reason and Justice. and:
human sympathy ~: 4. .< H..
/ Many large employers Of labor are
poor MEM STRUGGLING under Imperative
obligations: and sometimes are not
enemies; but friends Of organised LABOR.
Where there iB no: discr isnff1a atom be-
Tween cases there is no wisdom { iii
Isstrikes, an g without wise diseriri1iiila- ina:
ton any cause must ultimately IAN:
/ Iet la Dor union c1tlzens renect on tins
lfact. =5s sSs j. " S,
Il Exte'i,aa cifouftst asfoes. 5s !.
From Chicago Post 81
5Ss. Gus harr1e 81. yo,l1
fs se 60 fish on saId t,e
II good church,
osstb1y l.l ,,,s repIied tffa III.