The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-17
BY Phillip Rappaport.

p VA strikes instituted by the
{ labor organizations for the
purpose Of obtaining higher wages, or
{ shorter hours Of labor, the public is
familiar enough. They are simply called
! strikes, because up to now there was
little, if any, knowledge Of any other
+ kind. The object Of the strike was al
!. ways Of an economic character, and to
Z distinguish it from another kind Of
{ strike which has recently made it's ap-
pearance, it may be called the economic
4 strike. The other kind, Of which we
have heard so much lately in the tales
IF the Russian revolution, is the politi-
cal strike. It has noohing to do with
wages, nothing with hours of labor. It
lis not instituted by any trade union
sbr other kind of labor organization. It's
hhbject is the obtaining Of greater po-
itical rights and it is organized by po-
.itical leaders, by the heads of political
organizations; in Russia by the social
democrats.
As revolutionary measure it is GER
Eainly something new: but, considering
hhe condition Of modern industry, and
talso the perfection Of modern arms in
! he hands Of well-organized large stand
ng armies, it is, perhaps, the only eff
: ective means which the modern revolu
/ ionist is able to employ with effect
md some sort Of chance for success. At
Z Ill events it proved to be- a fearful
Weapon in the hands of the Russian
! evolutionary workingmen, and it can
hardly be denied that it proved to be
! he means whereby far-reaching politi-
i al concessions were wrung from the
government, and autocracy ard bureau
racy were, for the time being, at least,
,ushed aside.
The First Political Strike.
The political strike, or, as it is some
ines called, the general strike, was for
he first time used in Belgium some five
-. six years ago for the purpose of
btaining a more liberal election law. 1t
vas called off after few days, the
! government having promised to lay
efore the Belgian diet a law to extenC
he right Of suffrage. This, has beer
one since, altho not altogether to the
abstraction of the working classes, bui
heir leaders have not found it advis
-: bic since to inaugurate another politi
al strike.
The next instance of political strike
as in Italy. 1t did not extend over thu
hole country. Disorders occurred, anc
was suppressed by the military
I. over. But the government found i
evertheless advisable to make some
oncessions.
- These two strikes were organized am
allied by social democrats. But tn
J ext political strike occurred in Ho]
md, where the social democratic move
I tent is comparatively weak. In Ho
md the leaders of the workingmer
he ablest among whom is unquestio1
bly, Duela Nieuryenhuis, are oppose
} parliamentarism. They believe onl
~ trades unionism and anarchism, bu
must be understood that their al
rchis1n is not of the assassination kline
hey consider the general strike a d
9ct and effective instrument to bette
V revolutionary MEANS the econom1
ondition OF the laboring classe
hereas the social democrats resort
ne general strike to obtain create
official rights for the purpose {
sing them toward the betterment {
,e laborer's conditions. Correspondent
the character Of the Dutch lab'
lovement the strike was instituted b
le organization Of the railroad er
loyees and became general only anon
lem. It.was pretty quickly suppresse
= y the government and a law W;
assed by the Dutch diet which mac
5tempts by railroaders to strike pu
!, liable by fine and Imprisonment. II
rike was a complete failure.
The Strike in Russia.
The organization of the politic
rike in Russia by the social dem
ats, the power of their leaders ar
-, le discipline of the masses is som
ling astonishing, if one considers tn;
lere was neither freedom to write, NJ
'eedom to speak, nor freedom to a
,mble in that unfortunate countr
! lat the censor and the policeman we.
mighty, at least as far as the poop
ere concerned, and that all agitatic
as carried on in secret under dang
life and liberty. 1t is just as id
speculate whether there would ha'
zen any revolution and political stri]
!. there had been no war between Ri
a and japan, or if Russia had be-
I ictoriors, as it would be to specula
ttIhether Napoleon the third would st
emperor of France if the Franc
lennan war had not ended unforr
ately for France or had not broken 0