Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-04
Labor Day.

Tabor dav has become a fixed Institution.
probablv never to be abandoned or Its Sig
nificance lessened so long as the working
meu of this country maintain their solidar-
fly as a distinct class. With Its manlfoio
exercises. its relaxations, Its speeches, ana
It's other evidences of determination 10
hold the workers together in community
of interests. 1t affords an important specta-
ole calling for the serious consideration oi
all students of social conditions. Ana the
public at large. regardless or rank or CLASS,
sympathetically notes the observances OF
the day as a promising sign of advence-
ment.
The principle of labor organization is now
definitely established. Few men are to De
found today to deny the right of the work
ers to band themselves together for their
mutual Improvement Few will deny that
this association has been beneficial to the
individuals who march today In the ranks
Some will claim that there have been Incl
dental disadvantages, here and there per-
haps ofYsetting the advantages, and some
will assert that the net result to the COM
munity at large Is questionable. But the
general opinion of the country Is that or
ganization has aided the cause of industry
and has quckened progress.
There are dangers In organization, which
many OF the wiser leaders of labor have
been quick to see, and 1t Is to their credit
that they have striven to lessen Them
Were all leaders wise and were all follow
els faithful to the principles of organization
there would be no trouble There would
perhaps be strikes. but the strikes would
be fewer In number and briefer in duration
and less destructive of property. lives and
morals.
-trilr to
of the right Of the individual to cease work
AS practiced. however. 1t has at the same
time become the exercise of an assumed
right to prevent others from working in the
places thus vacated. Against this assump-
tior the community at large has entered
pre-, ast. One result of the conflicts waged
I'm the name OF labor. perhaps the more
violent because OF the lack of perfect or
genization. has been steadily growing de-
nand for a surer means of preventing
strikes. That is labor's present problem.
the solution OF which will call for the wis
est counsels and the most determined lead
ership.
II each successive Labor day will bring
the workers a step nearer to the point of
adjustment of differences without recourse
to strikes the institution will be one of the
greatest benefits that could possibly be con-
1erreQ upon society. IN view OF TepSdteu
spectacles of unwarranted strikes rejected
opportunities to arbitrate, broken faith re-
sort TO violence, and the attempt to estab-
lish the unjust principle that the non-union
worker has no right to labor in the place
of the striking unionist, there is no more
uigept reed today than the firm establish
ment of the principle that organized labor
stands for peaceful settlement, for contin-
uous Industry, for arbitration and for the
right of all men to a chance to earn
living.
In short. organized labor. to succeed and
Justify itself an institution, must be so
successful. through pacific methods, that 1t
will embrace the whole field of the workers.
Then there will be TO strikes because there
will be no chance for the employers to fill
the vacant places with competent men. and
there will be no losses in wages or profits
Labor day atteSts TO the progress of the
toilers toward higher ideals. Whether the
occasion Is marked by parades or picnics
sports or speakers, the central thought on
all sides is mutual improvement rather than
mere relaxation. The day Is labor's own.
both for purposes OF rest, and to aid In
the evolution of the perfect worker. the
good citizen and the efficient artisan in
combination.