The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-09-12
Labor Movement and It's Results
Encompasses the Well Being
Of Every Man. ~ ~
MONOPOLY THE ENEMY
OF AMERICAN LIBERTY
United Political Action Urged
Upon All the Members Of Or
ganized Labor.

The address at the. celebration Of
IAbor's great holiday last Monday was
delivered by A. r. Macdonald, asso-
ciate editor OF the Labor World, and
"rhe pleasure which I ST j. nd feel in
having been honored by the confidence
OF your Labor Day committee, IN invit-
ing me to address you on this occa-
humilialng conviction that I shall not
do Justice to your hunpbhest expecta-
ttons.
to the principles Of organized labor,
and by methods consonant with good
citizenship evoke greater enthusiasm
for g. movement whose aim and purpose
the earthly lot of the tolling millions
OF our nation.
while demonstrating your fealty by
public parades and other ceremonies,
tions Of authority in the NOV ement, to
exempltfy in a most emphatic manner
by educative exercises appropriate to
labor's great holiday. your unanimty
can and liberty destroying court de-
cisions, and against the cringing of
national legislators to the representa-
tives Of interests at war with every
being. A discussion even in a meager
way Of any considerable number Of
the issues involved in the subjects In
dicated would be manifestly impossible
in q few minutes address.
There is one subject. however, to
which I wish to refer at the outset be-
cause 1 believe it to be primarily re-
sponsible for the larger share of the
pressions to which unoffending labor
has been subjected in all ages, and
from which it Is today suffering In
more or less degree in our own coun-
try.
Il have reference to sentiment de-
Quoted from certain labor statements
contained in the book Of Genesis in
connection with the fall Of man.
is immaterial to me whether one be-
lieves In the story of Genesis or not.
or whether one accepts the account -ef
the the fa 81 et femas Tas 6
truth of the principle involved IN the
story of the fall is in absolute accord
with human experience from the days
day Of Harry Orchard, and the human
race in all ages has exhibited all the
attributes predicated by orthodox Jew
and by orthodox christians of man in
a fallen state.
But my thought now has only to do
with the Interpretation placed upon
certain expressions used by tho author
Of Holy Writ in giving account Of
which Interpretation has had to do
with moulding the opinions of men
and creating that wicked sentiment
which makes work degradation, and
"Did it ever, occur to you that the
undisputed and unanswerable facts Of
life give the lie direct to the interpre-
tation of any passage in the book Of
law? That the human family should
have so long acqu1esced in a pernic-
ious sentiment based upon a. spurious
Interpretation is itself an evidence that
we have fallen and there is great
need of our arising.
I'm the absence Of the blessing Of
work, life itself would become bur
Of body and mind are Conditioned
upon the performance of honest work
Mental deseneracy and bodily de-
along lines to engage these powers and
keep them in exercise. 1t is work that
into cultivated fields; that has covered
with ships, and that would today give
plenty, &C nfort and elegance, instead
OF want, misery and squalor,- to every
member Of the human family, young g
and old, were 1t not for bad economic
conditions upheld by unrighteous laws.
"Speaking with great reverence, God
himself is a worker. We know 1t up
Son. MY father worketh hitherto and
work. The heavens declare His glory
and the firmament showeth His hand1-
work:
sentiment already alluded to, and I
shall have done with It, When God
created man in His own image He
wen Ge paced dsm ana va 95 IN ths
garden Of Eden. For what purpose? ?
To work; nothing more, nothing less.
They 1'; were instructed to dress IT. and
Of its fruits, all but one: so you see
the blessing of work antedates In time,
the curse of the fall.
THE curse Of the fall consisted In
mental attitude toward the blessing OF
work, and that perverse attitude has
prsexveiled from that day to this:
mbent suffered themselves to be ap-
preached by that Animalism, which is
the progenitor Of greed. end by subtle
withstandinz they already had an
abundance and to spare, they should
extend their - act,iyities; apPropriate all
monopoly Of the fruits Of the garden.
HE also assured them Of certain
other advantages. which would accrue
to. them from giving heed to his per-
suasions. They lived to regret their
I'd. Conditions Confronting Labor,
To-day the most enlightened country
in The world, and under the best form
of government every yet conceived by
the mind of man, and also the richest
country in the world. the same arch
conspirator with his .hydraheaded off
springs Of trusts and vested interests,
is at work, and succeeding to such an
extent, as to necessitath that the men,
who by the sweat of their brow pro-
duee the nations wealth In time of
peace, and protect with their lives the
nations flag in time Of war, must form
tect themselves and thoze dependent
upon them from want and destitution,
This is sad commentarY upon our
that there Is something \'rotten in
Denmark with those who are entr1,st-
ed don;d!l With the admiR1tstratioA min of the
.@E~"Ro oosevelt says there is, md he Il
In Ia position to know. WhaE Is gov
ernment for unless 1t Is to protect the
u -F>rp 49,.