Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-03-04
0LNEY ON unions
WOULD ADVISE LABOR UNIONS TO
ENTER POLITICS.
Former Member of the Cabinet Would
Have LabOring Men Study Political
Problems, But Thinks They Are
Incompetent to Decide What is
Best for Their interests.

Hon. Richard Olney, Mr.. Cleve-
lands attorney general and after
wards his secretary of state, has
contributed to the Information an
Interesting article on labor unions
and politics. His views will attract
the more attention because of the
position he took in the Chicago
strike. He insists that the labor
organizations ought to enter active
ly into politics. The main reason
that he gives is that it is necessary
for them to do SO in order to pro-
tect the country from the evils that
have attended the justification of
industries. He regards the trust as
an economic development. He says:
at should be added that the trust
has earned the right to be regarded
as an economic evolution" AS the
strongest proof of this he cites the
list, but to actually grow and flour
ish. He even credits it with steady
ing the wages Of the laboring man.
While the opponents of the trust
will take issue with Mr.. Olney on
the two propositions that it is an
economic evolution and that the
mere fact that it still exists, is proof
of its beneficence, and while they
will not agree with him that it is an
advantage to the laboring man, they
will agree with. him in placing en-
phasis upon the part which the la
boring man has of influencing poll
tics and on the responsibility which
accompanies the opportunity.
Mr.. Olney says: IF it be assumed
that the free institutions of this
country are on the whole better for
mankind in general than any that
human wisdom has yet devised and
are to be preserved at all hazards,
1t necessarily follows that the So
called laboring class has an interest
in those institutions surprising that
of all other classes of the commun-
ity." This is sound position. The
laboring man has an interest in free
institutions because they are the
only ones in which his voice can be
made effective.
It is to be regretted that Mr.. o.
ney mars the force of the preceding
paragraph with the following SEN
tence: "How he may so act politi-
cally as to promote that interest is
question which the ordinary labor
ing man is incompetent to decide
and feels his incompetence to de.
eide"
1t is not true that the laboring
man is incompetent to decide the
questions that concern him and his
country. The great questions of
politics involve moral questions, and
questions of right and wrong can be
decided by a laboring man as we'll
as by anyone else. 1t is common
error to assume that the average
man on the farm and in the work
shop is not competent to deal with
the problems of government. JEFF
ferson pointed out this error and as
serted that the principles of right
and wrong were so easily discerned
as not to require the aid of many
councillors.
Mr.. Olney in the course of his
article states with force and clear
ness certain things which the labor
ing man should contend for. The
catalogue is not complete but 1t is
good as far as it goes and worthy OF
consideration. He says:
ITO understand and appreciate
the nature of those services, 1t is
only necessary to bear in mind what
the care and promotion of the
special interests of labor will i'm
peratively call for. 1t will require
labor to stand for equality Of oppor-
tunity for all men and against priv
ilege in any form, for taxation mea-
sured by the protection given and
the ability to bear it's burdens AMI
against taxation insidiously devised
for the enrichment of particular
classes; for economy and thrift in
public expenditures and against
graft and extravaganza, however
disguised; for the largest measure
of personal liberty consistent with
public order, and against all forms
of paternalism: for international
trade relations conceived in spirit
Of equity and fairness, and against
the continuance of relations so ag-
gressive in their selfishness and
greed as to inevitably arouse nation
al anger and hostility; for peace and
pacific methods Of settling interna-
tional controversies, and against
war and the huge ornaments which
find in actual war their sole excuse
and justification and inevitably OPP