United labor bulletin., 1910-11-24
MAKING a POWERFUL UNION.
a Weii-Edueated and Weii-Founded Or
panixation Has its influence Upon
Working and Wage Conditions
Without Strike.


In all cultured nations on the face of
the globe Industrial capitalism-with a
few short interruptions-has made unex-
pected and steady ascending progress.
1t rules the entire market of the world,
thanks to the powerful means at its COM
mand. but in still more extended meas
ure it rules the entire economic and So
cial life of the different classes of So
ciety. especially that of the working
class. The latter, for that very reason,
is more than any other class vitally in
terested In observing the various phases
of capitalism and study, the different
symptoms accompanying the capitalistic
manner of production, such as the ac-
cumulation of wealth at the cost of the
producers, crisis, unemployment, misery,
suppression, and division of society into
two classes, that of the possessing and
that of the non-possessing class. 1t is
the duty of the working class to close.y
study and observe all these things and
find ways and means to abolish them, 1.
O., to bring about an entire change in the
system. Alongside the ever-increasing
concentration of capital in fewer hands
travels the inevitable ruin of hitherto in
dependent existences. BY piling togeth-
er vast sums of money for the purpose
of establishing large enterprises, such as
joint stock companies or whatever the
name of such large corporations may be
the manner of production is taking
a quite different course, it is made cheap
er and carried on to the greater advan-
tage of those controlling it. Machinery
of the latest and best construction rem
ders human labor power useless and
drives its owners into the arms of mis-
cry. Perplexed and embarrassed the
proletariat faces these conditions. There
fore the question arises how to effect
lively meet the consequences of this des
ultory manner of production, how to
improve the miserable condition of the
workers, and which are the means of
serving the objects mentioned in the
best way. While there may be differ
ence of opinion as to the selection of
these means, we are unanimously agreed
that an Improvement of conditions can
only be brought about by the working
class themselves. by joining hands; in
other words, through organization. In
the first instance, as far as the economic
and material condition of the workers is
concerned, it is the trade union move
ment which Is expected to bring about
the desired improvement. That the po-
lftical organization of the workers must
assist in this struggle. that it must go
hand in hand with the economic move
ment, we consider as a matter of course
and therefore need not go deeper into
this question at the present time. Above
all things it must be the aim of the union
movement to sufficiently educate its
members in order to enable them to real
ize the condition of their class; all evils
of our present day system of private
ownership OF the means of production
must be pointed out to them and the
destructive tendency of this system must
be shown to them. Above all, class con-
sciousness must be awakened among the
younger members; they must be made
to realize that even they, under this
beautiful and divine order of things, are
kind of human beings who have not
alone the right to live, but who have also
the right to employ all legal means in
order to make their life agreeable and
one really worthy to be lived. The in
different members must be made to real
ize that their labor power is only con-
sidered as a commodity by its purchas-
er; that this commodity labor power is
subject to the same laws relating to sup
ply and demand as are all other market
able commodities. But the workers
must also be told that they have it in
their own hands to sell this commodity
at as high price as possible by refusing
to tolerate reductions in wages of in
creases In the hours of their daily labor.
They must be shown that In order to be
able to do this they must be possessed
OF power and that this power can only
be found in the organization of all work
ers Of their trade. who are just as much |
suppressed and therefore just As much |
decided to throw on that suppression.
Through the organization the worker |
secures control over the supply of labor |
power In the market of labor; through |
the organization he will be enabled to
offer his commodity until the conditions
made by him and to have something to
say in the sale of that commodity. Are
the opportunities favorable, he can sell
at high price; are the offers for the
purchase of same low, he can withhold
1t. Once the Indifferent workers have
been made to think and to realize how
they may sell their only property, their
labor power. at the greatest advantage o
themselves. considerable headway has
been made. 1t will lead them to regulate
the supply of labor power mutually with
their fellow workers and to make the de-
mand more stable. The sooner this rec
ognition prevails among the great masses
of the workers, the sooner it will be pos
sible to influence the manner Of living
of the entire working class. to educate
them and to awaken within them the de-
sire for a better and more agreeable
life.
It is fact which cannot be denied
that workers in backward, less cultivat-
ed parts of the country are compelled
to work much longer, receive much low
er wages; they have no desire for phys
ical or mental improvement. Conse-
uuently thew are physicalIv and mentally