The Washington herald., 1909-03-29
The Glass Struggle.

Editor Tie Washington Herald;
At a meeting Of the National Industrial
Peace Association in the First Congrega-
tional Church last wednesday evening.
IL is reported that the general secretary
OF that organization referred 70 capital
and labor as being az swords points,
locked IN a struggle Of bitterness and
antagouism.
This Idea that capital and labor are
engaged in desperate conflict is the
doctrine OF the class struggle as taught
by the socialists. whom ex-F-esident
Roosevelt is so thoroughly exposing IN
his remarkable series Of articles now ap-
pearing IN the Outlook.
A knOwledge OF The class struggle al
most invariably leads 70 class conscious
ness. Of which our nlustrious ex-Presi-
dent in one OF his late messages 10
Congress. speaks as follows: Every far
sighted patriot. viii protest. first OF al.
against the growth in this country OF
that evil thing that is called class con-
sciousness. The demagOgue. the foolish
OF sinister socialist visionary. who strives
to arouse this feeling Of class conscious
ness among our working classes. does a
vile and evtl thing"
! am deeply panied and surprised to
learn OF men Of such high standing as
these present at the meeting referred 70
preaching this doctrine OF the class
struggle. the inevitable consequence Of
which is class consciousness among our
working classes.
That there Is a savage and relentless
war between capitalists and laborers no
honest and intelligent man viii deny be-
fore an intelligent audience. But that
'the truth is not TO be spoken at all
tines Is saying the wisdom OF which
Is quite apparent.
Capital can have no interests. nor can
labor. Capital is an impersonsl thing.
It consists mainly OF the machinery OF
production. Steam engines. factories.
neutrality-suspicious. ara samples OF capital
To speak OF these things as having Sin
terests" Is absurd 1t Is the owners OF
these things, or capitalists, who have In
terests. The same reasoning applies 70
labor. Labor Is that which accomplishes
or produces (by means OF the capitai)
II is the owners Of this labor power,
the laborers. who have interests The
conflict. then. Is between n capitalists
and the laborers.
Mr.. Scullin spoke Of the "disinterested
public" whose rights" are disregarded
by the struggling laborers and capital
ists. There can be no disinterested pub
lie. since, In order 20 be disinterested. II
must be n possessor neither OF labor
power nor Of capital; that IS, must take
no part whatever IN production OF
wealth. OF must be totally non-produc-
tive. II Il takes part IN production IN
any way. directly or Indirectly. IL must
do so either as capitalist OF Iaborer. and
hence must feel an interest sccordingiy
IN the outcome OF the struggle To be
disinterested. II must be nonproductive,
but yet II must consume wealth In order
10 live To be disinterested. then. Il must
be wholly parasitic But IN any society.
the parasitic class must be a minority;
otherwise too great a strain would be
thrown on the producers.
But II It were possible sor such a
class 70 exist. II is readily seen that.
being parasitic. Il could have no rights
whatever. It is evident. then. that this
idea OF the existence OF a large disin-
terested public Is fallacious, since the
great mass Of the people take part in
production, either as capitalists or as
laborers. as the owners Of capital or the
users OF capital, and hence must feel
an interest. one way or the other, in
the struggle. P. Il. SKINNER
SDringman Va