The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-09-04
The Triumphs of Labor

I The self-defense of labor against the cruel power
created in the accumulation of its product is old
organized greed and ghteous the heart of God
Only the American mind has been slow to learn the
worldwide truth that social misery comes more from in
equality of privileges regarding property than from in
equality of political rights.
Steadily being forced to recognize the fact that
with all long boosted security of political equality
only the most thorough organization of labor in defense
of its rights from the misery that weares
le under the despotisms Of Europe.
United labor, though immense, unwedy and not
always harmonious mass is holding its against
united capital.
The last quarter-century has witnessed steady rise
in wages, marked decrease in hours of toll and decd
ed betterment of the workers general condition
Union labor has not only raised itself but has raised
nonunon labor with it.
Today, because of the trumphs of mionisn, every
man who works for wages, whether he is
not, works under better terms and conditions that
did the man of % years ago.
The old superstition that labor is capitals slave and
be with such bread and clothes its tyrant
sees fit to accord it, is dead in this land forever.
The pity is that it long in dying and that organ
lied greed gained tremendous advantage.
The long blindness originated in the teachings and
trainings of past generations Our fathers having braved
the perS OF unknown and survived the prvatlOns
of bowling wilderness, that they might believe in and
utter aloud with hlndrance restraint certain religious
maxims, in time to believe that there also
political gospel somewhat akin to their theological creed
in which national salvation could be assured by simply
altering from time to time, certain gittering general
titles political distractions
We came to be of political phrase eaters. Ep-
grams that had been passed down. canned and duly label
ed, boted down without inspection texts. To
lnaXms and proverbs such, for instance Govern
,nent of the people, by the people and for the people,
''All created equal and the like ad adfntum
looked for sole political and social salvation.
To this fools paradise greatly helped by the
happy circumstances attending the early conquests of
civilization over rich and virgin continent. The Deep
fertile soil of wide domain which offered free homes
to the industrious, saved for time from the fierce
competition that crowds the hungry masses down.
Failing to comprehend from what gained our pros
perity, attributed all the good enjoyed to our
free Institutions called them, and blindly pro
ceeded to cut from under good fortune the very
foundation of our advantage.
We donated whole territories of precious domain
to corporations until the surplus land practically
exhausted and then with the conditions that have
so long afflicted Europe, began to wonder that
"free institutions" to have lost their charm.
The ballot failed to bring just Enumeration for toll The
sacred maxim that call created equa' was lie
when one man had power to fix terms and conditions un
der which another must work for him.
When labor had learned that if it was to have it's
rights they must be secured and maintained by it's own
united action, there came the dawn of brighter day
Never before in the world large body of men
so well paid and happily conditioned as is the vast
body OF American workngmen who today celebrate the
trumphs and advancement of united labor