The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-25

confidence in politics, to which the
workers of America owe little or no.
thing.
The men whom they hold up as
leaders and teachers are Europeans
Marx, Engels, Lassalle, Guesde, Lieb-
knecht Bebel, aJures, Ferri and Kaut-
sky, great and useful men in their own
countries-but not one of them has
even been in America or knows the
facts about American industrial evo-
luton.
What is stranger still, these revo-
lutionists claim at the present time
monopoly Of the word SOCIALISM," al
though their Utopian theories and their
destructive tactics plainly mark them
out as anti-socialistic in the most ex-
IRENE sense.
In short, they are men, who know
little about the long history of the
labor movement, and fancy that human
nature and human institutions can be
changed in a couple of hours by
big political hullabaloo
They are Intoxicated by an econ
nomic theory, and naturally want ev-
cry one else to become drunk.
The average trade unionist takes the
same attitude toward them that he
does to the Salvation Army-he re-
spects their earnestness, he pities
their childishness, he doubts their
Judgment and he dislikes their fanat-
icism.
The activity and proselytizing zeal
Of these made in Germany" revolu-
| tionists compels the trade unions to
fight against foes without and foes
within.
The valuable time Of meetings and
conventions, which should be spent
In businesslike graphing with prac-
teal problems, is continually stolen by
these revolutionists for the purpose of
firing a confiscatory resolution against
the trusts, which reolution the trusts
fear about as much as volley of
| goose feathers
Every trade union defeat is held up
by them with delight. "Ah," they cry,
didn't we tell you so? Now will you
drop your old fashioned unionism and
join our Socialist Tammany Hall"
1t Is their expressed desire to bring
about an uprising in the United States
| similar to the French Revolution. and
to wipe out all employers as complete
ly as the French Revolution wiped out
the nobility of France, as if they were
any strong similarity between the two
classes.
| The fact that the French Revolution
was followed by Napoleon and eighty
years OF war and imperialism, before
the present republic was established
is entirely forgotten by these aeitators
Their motto seem to be-"A bird in
the bush is worth two in the hand.
They would risk the whole structure
of trade unionism in political game
of craps just as gang of boys have
been known to set fire to a house for
tn excitement Of seeing the fire DEPART
ment turn out.
| They complain Of the slowness of
trade union methods, without seeing
that the quickest way is often no way
at all. If, for instance, a man were
on top of a thirty story skyscraper.
the quickest way to get down would
be to jump off the roof This would
no doubt be the scientific revolutionary
method, and the slight fact that he
would be- picked up in half a dozen
baskets would not interefer with its
| logic.
| The long and short Of the matter
is that there are two methods Of social
discomfort, just as there are two WAYS
OF running a hotel-there is the Eu-
ropean plan and the American plan.
The. European plan is to put one
class against another, to split the ma
ton in two and fight until either side
swallows up the other, to let conditions
get worse and at last to have a social
explosion. ~ *. i5. II %s:s H. ~ LID sa
X The American. plan Is to band to.