The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-06-05
The Leadership Of Labor

Alter a WHtlG tue ptCSSut SpA
demic of strikes will have passed,
ard then the members of labor or
CARNATIONS will SIT down and take
account of stock. There will be
undoubtedly great many failures
to explain; and perhaps, 1t industry
slackens, there will be more than
one poor workingman "out OF a
Job" who will Iced consolation.
It were superfuous to say that
there may be some stern reckon
ings comings, for not every walk
Ing delegate is John Mitchell,
nor has every union president the
prescience of Jove. -..
If labor organizations have no
more than average wisdom, 1t were
safe that not more than half OF
the multitudinous strikes in the
United States this spring are ILL
advised. This estimate is doing
them full justice, for it leaves so
per cent which may be accounted
iustifab!e or expedient. BY justi-
fable Is meant a strike based on
the elements of justice, regardless
of the prospects of victory; by ex-
pedient, is meant strike which
has a good chance of being tri
umphant, 1t follows that strike
may be justifiable, but not expedi-
emit; or 1t may be expedient, but
not fully justifable. 1t Is not nee
essary to illuminate the point by
illustration. For there Is enough
to be seen in the most cursory ex-
animation TO prove how important
Is safe leadership in the manage
ment of organizations that precipi-
tate conflicts between employers
and employed.
Many stories are now in circula-
tion concerning the tyrannical or
preposterous demands of labor
unions throughout the United
States; and most of them are pro-
baby true. There must be vast
amount of error commit I'd by those
who direct the policy of the organi-
cations, for they are no more than
human. Capitalists make mistakes.
Bankers get fooled. Business men
fall. No one is infallible, not even
a walking delegate. What the
labor unions have to fear, however,
Is more than their share of bad
generalship; and this is the time
when the signs of excessive blund-
ering may be looked for with con.
siderable confidence by old obser-
vers of Labor wars" The Gull
miuation of strikes and lockouts
generally means ieverishness in
the industrial world. Labor leaders,
having perfected and disciplined
their organizations, and, possibly.
having already won few Skin
mishes, grow overcon6dent. They
under rate the power of resistance
by employers, become arrogant.
unreasonable, tyrannical. They
rush blindly into strltegical blum
ders, ordering strikes when public
opinion never could sustain them,
and debating sympathize with
them. There are labor leaders who
seem to consider power as some
thing always to be exercised arbi-
trarily and remorselessly when once
it comes to their hands. The Sen
sation of being able 10 dictate tc
wealthy manufacturers contractors
and corporations is intoxicating to
them, and the desire to assert their
position of superiority, as the re-
presentatives OF labor forces, be-
comes irresistible. This, let it be
said, Is tine of some of the leaders
Of labor, not all. 1t is the saving
remnant OF common sense in this,
as In other fields of activi y. upon
which the future of labor organiza-
lions depends.
t.------=
A Hard Blow for Free Trade
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