The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-03-10
PHILADELPHIA STRIKE


being made at Philadelphia, U. S. A,
says the Portland Labor Press
We have had within the last decade
the uprisings in Russia almost amunting
to a revolution. Then the Russian-Ja pa-
nese war, when the old, old contest be-
tween the colored and caucasian races
were again waged. Then the fight of
true democracy against the remnant of
feudalism carried on in Great Britain at
the election just ended.
The present Philadelphia street ear
strike, hiwever, goes deeper than these
struggles.
America today is the land of promise
and of hope to the oppressed of the world.
By hundreds of thousands the disinher-
tied yearly flock to our shores. The di-
vine dream of liberty is the loadstar
which draws them.
rude awakening is at hand The
sinister powers of our trusts and corpora
tons are startling and dreamers with
riot and bloodshed.
The United States of America is being
shown up in its true colors, as the coun:
try where hypocracy, political corruption
and colossal fortunes are exerting their
blighting influence as strongly as ever
did these evil agencies in Carthage, Rome,
and Venice-our best prototypes in the
Plutocracy is now in the ascendant
The great seats of government are con-
trolled by it. Lawmakers and judges
bow before its almighty power.
But the great mass of the people, the
men and the women who still dream that
this country of ours is the Gland of the
free and the home of the brave,' are
gradually waking up.
The great strikes in the last twenty
years are but the shaking of the limbs of
the sleeper and dreamer.
Lamentable are the riots at Philadcl
phia, they are but the effects of a cause
The rottenest state politically is Penn
sylvania. It is the state of tho late Quay
and of Penrose. The state of the steel
trust and of the coal barons. And the
city government of Philadelphia is rotten
to the core, has been Shown over and
over again. The great public utility cor
porations use the city officials as profit
feeders to the watered stocks and bonds.
Again and again have the people of
Philadelphia tried to throw off the cor
poration yoke. But the power and 1najcs-
ty of the INCORPORATION legislators,
corporation executives and corporation
judges-always came and triumphed.
The riots today in Philadelphia show
the contempt of n large number of people
not for true law, but for corporation law
and ursurpation.
The real lesson and seriousness of the
Philadelphia strike lie not only in the law
lessness of the Philadelphia rioters, but
in the general sympathy expressed
throughout the country with the men who
dare to oppose corporate lawlessness with
popular lawlessness.
That means we have entered into a
and the people who have lost hope in
American ability to lead through growth
of civic virtue.
All true Americans deplore corporation
violence as strongly as they do mob VIC
lence.
Hence what is the remedy?
We answer, more civic virtue.
How can that be obtained7
First, through the preservation and ex-
tension of the initiative and referendum
and other reform methods to more and
more place the real government of our
country in the hands of the great mass
of the people. For the great mass is in
herently honest, while the individuals and
so-called representatives mostly fail I'M
der great pressure.
Second, let all workers who truly love
their country join the unions of their
calling. The trade union movement is the
greatest advocate and builder of true de-
mocracy. Then let all employers of labor
who are not tied up with the great trusts
and corporations give fair conditions to
their workers. This will create n fellow
feeling between employer and employee
which will prevent differences from reach
ing the danger stage now threatening
Philadelphia.
And thirdly, the reactionary and alb
surd injunctions in trade disputes and an
ii boycott decisions must stop.