The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-10-08


the important subjects 81 the day, ap-
proxtmately as follows:
Mr.. A was saying to Mr.. B: Taken
all in all, the situation Of humanity has
always been simple enough. It has
been a clash, perpetual, 1ncessant, be-
tween the human and the divine will,
in all the most important activities Of
everyone Of us, we all declining to ac-
cept the divine plan Of human life, and
God practically telling men. My friends,
you can have your plan of life, If you
prefer it to my own, but then I shall
not be able to do much for you. How
can 1? All I can do, as long as you
reject my own plan, Is to somewhat.
check the effect of your own plumbers
and sins, and allow time for a new
generation to come up willing to re-
cognize the folly Of your separation
from my own ideals for your complete
happiness. F."
Mr.. 3 listened quietly to all that and
considerably more in the same vein,
remained silent for while, and then
said: Il wish I: could see how you
radical thinkers would govern the
world If you had the power to carry
out your fine thoughts"
I'VE don't want to govern the world"
said Mr.. A: I'VE want the world to be
governed by Gods revelations to men,
and hence to the supposed best men,
because how can the rest have any
common sense or power to grasp good
thoughts before that has been done by
the upper layers; by those who
through the force Of higher social po-
sitions, are bound to control the ma
tional destin!es?"
The idea prevails yet, among most
Of our intelligent people, that some men
have to rule the rest lest the whole
civilization goes to pieces. The idea
Is fatal. That thought has been at the
root Of all despotisms, crude or re-
fined. BY implication we yet feel that
most of lis are too stupid to have any
thing to say, In any precise, direct way,
about the fundamental conceptions Of
government. Almost every statesman
or important politician will endorse
the following dictum, proclaimed not
long ago by an English poetical writer
of considerable merit: Every set Of
fools could rule If government was
something simple and not the great
fact of-Justice compromising with
human conditions"
The political writer simply re peated
what all ruling men have said when in
pow er and in the presence Of the many
problems at hand. The very existence
Of problems condemns the governments
that fail to solve problems. The very
word justice, fully and properly ap-
piled, would rapidly solve all problems,
II by that word We meantime truth!
But the truth-what is that? Nobody
cam tell you anything about that Jewell
The truth must be something fixed,
never In need of any compromising.
Falsehood alone, injustice alone, needs
to compromise. 4; - 49,
The same political iwriter we have
Indicated, In: one Of his recent histori-
cal works ma, ,noderns English politi-
cal implication saidH THE house Iof
Commons cannot afford to. hold any
member endowed WITH average hon
estv." That refers to- the perpetual
intrigues by which all legislative bodies
bind the members of each important
party to stand by this or that legisla-
tive act, no matter how strongly the
conscience Of each member may be
against 1t because Of it's intrinsic in
justice. -}..
We are often told that centuries ago
our great grandfathers' fought a good
right Tor the freedom Of the conscience,
@nc that freedom is not yet had by
those who need it most, by those to
whom all power Is given by the rank
ana lille OF each modern nation. and
SO the power: to transgress, in human
legislation, all principles of natural
justice OF eternal equity, and plain,
common honesty. We. thus manage to
have the kind Of complicated govern
ment that only a few, shrewd types
can give us; the kind that compro-
misses justice with human selfishness:
the kind that brings all antagonism
among labor and capital, between en-
ployer and employees, between nation
! and nation: the kind which suppresses
the golden rule in all important hui
| man relations
one OF the most deplorable facts. in
! the whole range Of human history is,
that no generation hsa produced any
group of men, however small, able to
see the futility Of working for any kind
OF sensible; positive freedom or good
ness In the midst and bosom Of "in-
dustrial despotism, as we are 'havine
yet' ana have always had, in this or
that form, more or less self-evtdent,
| but forever producing the greatest de-
! formities in all directions and among
! all classes and conditions OF men. And
| the worst Of it is that few even now,
| among the well educated people, can
grasp or IRE willing to see that indus
| trial despotism holds by the throat all
the nations on earth, sways" all gov
ernmental functions; evolves all our
| social troubles and crimes, interferes
with the peace and happiness of the
rich and poor, trebIes the ratio of NOR
| tally that a somewhat sensible civil
lizatton would have, unhinges the lives
OF all Of lis, physically and spiritually.
The first divine proclamation-'In
the sweat Of thy brow thou shalt eat
bread"-plainly tells men that the in
dustrial element is the basis Of all hu-
man life. Thus far civilization has al
ways destroyed that proclamation, for
all pra cticaI purposes, by virtually de-