The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-09-16
LABOR. MOVEMENT HAS
GRAND ETHICAL SIDE.
Behind the Strike, Lockout and
Boycott is Principle to Re-
generate Society. -
Labor Movement Stands Fore
most to Promote the Best
to Be Gotten from Man.

to Be Gotten from Man.
The ethical side of the labor move
ment has been too little emphasized.
We hear of strike and lockout, Of boy
colt and blacklist, forgetting that
these are sporadic execrescences, and
that behind all these agitations lies
principle which in essence means
the regeneration of society and the
uplifting Of humanity.
Crystallized into maxims Of speech,
we say that man has no property IN
man; that the earth is an equal hertz
age to all who live; that the injury
Of one is the concern of all; that hui
man rights are above property rights;
that each man owns himself, and the
work of his hands, and yet Is held In
bond of society; that one mans rights
leave off where his neighbors rights
begin; and that his duty lies In maxi
ing the most of the talents he has In
herited for his own and the common
good.
Trades unions and labor organiza-
tons came into being for these pur-
poses along lines Of least resistance.
There is a solidarity Of sentiment
among craftsmen and kindred laborers
on the subject Of their work. They
know each others aspirations and ne
cessities. They band together that
the weakest may have the strength Of
all in material matters. Help one an
other, is their rallying cry.
They neither aim nor claim to have
the final solution Of the industrial
problem. They say that no prosperit0
can be lasting that Is not based upon
the prosperity of those who toll; that
to reach the fullest measure Of useful
ness the workman's standard of living
must be raised; that the hours and
conditions of toll must be amended;
that the exploiting of the many tends
to debauch and emasculate the few and
to degrade all; that the concentration
of power and wealth tends to create
generation Of masters and slaves
and eventually destroy civilization.
While the present wage system en-
dures, the labor organization aims to
secure to the workers larger share
of the joint product of labor and cap
ital. Capital knows no want or suf-
fering: it has no aspirations and no
conscience. Its proper place Is as
tool to assist in the production and
distributing the wants Of life; as
servant, not a master. Eventually,
then, the trades union movement aims
to gradually limit capitals share Of
the Joint enterprise to the point where
1t may reproduce itself. This done
and it's economic mission is at an end
but what possibilities lie between
now and then?
Chattel slavery, serfdom, the wage
system, are but evolutions Of. the in
dustrial problem. Each step was a
marked advance over the other, and
in the process Of evolution the last
must inevitably give way to better
system. Competition has its grievous
wastes. The conflict between con-
sumner and producer is irreconcilab1e.
Each thrives upon the necessities OF
the other, and the complexities of
modern civilization forbids return
to the condition where each function
was lodged in the same person.
We may not Judge a movement
either by what it's enemies or what it's
friends say Of it; not by it's profess
sions, but by its accomplishments. In
this spirit the short history of trades
unionism has been full Of ethical
beauty. 1t has raised the standard at
wages and of living. It has shortened
the hours and improved the conditions
of all branches Of labor. It has res
cued hundreds Of thousands Of children
and women from toll that dwarfs both
mind and body. The sanitary and SAFE
ty regulations in tenement, workshop,
mines and railroads were all secured
through its agitation. It has ranged
itself always on the side Of equal OPP
portunities to all and special privileges
70 none. It's charities, both to it's own
and to outsiders, is greater than from
all other sources combined.
These are the practical ethics to the
credit of labor organizations. 1t IS
only Of late that they have ben expert
menting in the broader field Of govern
mental industrial legislation. They are
! waking to the fact that corporations
| ana holders Of special privileges are
| undoing much of the work they have
accomplished, and that, unless checked
| by concerted action, will change the
| character of our government entirely.
! They see that the future republic must
| be economic and industrial, and that
they are to be the nucleus around
which will center the fighting strength
Of the coming battle for the enamel
patton Of the workers.-Charles Payne
! Smith.
SEEK TO HAVE LID
0HY NrYYn m o1111n A VIC