The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-09-05
His Best Friends Numbered
Among Union Organizations.
DISHONEST LEADER CURSE.

clally TO those personally and vitality
interested In the labor struggle, and
yet ! speak Of this primarily as one
aspect Of the larger social struggle
growing out Of the attempts to read
just social conditions and make them
more equitable.
The nineteenth century was dis
tinctly one of economic trlumphs-tri-
umphs In the domain OF production,
including transportation and the me
chanics Of exchange. The marvellous
progress made In these respects multi
piled mans productive power to an
almost inconceivable degree.
In the matter of the production Of
wealth as much progress was made
during the nineteenth century as dur
Ing all previous periods since history
dawned-that is, the changes brought
in single century through machinery
and steam have been greater than the
sum total Of the changes Of the pre-
ceding thousands Of years, and these
very changes and this material prog
ress have thrust upon us social and
political problems of the first magni-
tude.
The American wage Garner faces
this larger social problem in a dual
capaoity-first as a citizen Of the re-
public charged with the full duty Of
citizenship and next as a wage earn
er-as a wageworker who, together
with his fellow workers, is vitality
concerned in the question of wages
and general conditions Of employment,
which affect not only his well being
and that of his wife and children, but
the opportunities of all workers for a
higher development.
Three Different Factors.
1t Is true of wagewOrkers, as Of all
other citizens that most of their prog
ress must depend upon their own ini-
tiative and their own efforts. Never
theless there are three different fac
tors In this progress. There is. first,
the share which the mans own indi-
vidual qualities must determine. This
is the most important of all, for moth
Ing can supply the place of individual
capacity.
Yet there are two other factorssalso
OF prime importance-namely, what
can be done by the wageworkers In CO.
operation with one another and what
can be done by government-that is,
by the instrument through which all
the people work collectively.
Wages and other most important
conditions Of employment must re-
main largely outside of government
control; must be left for adjustment
by free contract between employers
and wage earhers. But to attempt to
leave this merely to individual action
means the absolute destruction of indi-
vidualism, for where the individual Is
so weak that he perforce has to accept
whatever strongly organized body
chooses to give him. his individual lib
erty becomes mere sham and mock
cry.
1t is indlspensably necessary, In order
to preserve to the largest degree our
system Of individuallsm, that there
should be effective aud organized col
lective action. The wage earners must
act Jointly. through the process Of col
lective bargaining in great industrial
enterprises. Only thus can they be put
upon plane OF economic equality with
their corporate employers.
Only thus Is freedom Of contract
made real thing and not mere legal
fiction. There are occasional occupa'
tions where this is not necessary; but,
speaking broadly, 1t Is necessary
throughout the great world Of organ
/ lied industry
believe this practice Of collective
bargaining, effective only through such
organizations as the trades unions, to
have been one Of the most potent
forces In the past century In promot-
ing the progress Of the wage earners
and In securing larger social progress
for humanity. ! believe In the prin.
ciple OF organized labor and In the
practice Of collective bargaining. not
\ merely as desirable thing for the
wage earners, but as something which
has been demonstrated 10 be essential
In the long run to their permanent
progress.
Weaknesses and Defects.
This does not mean that unequivo
cally indorse any or all practices .tha
labor organizations may happen. t.
adopt or any or all principles that they
may choose TO enunclate- Labor or
ganizations have the weaknesses ant
defects common to all other forms o.
human organizations. Sometimes they
act very well. and sometimes they ac
very badly. And am for them whel
they act well, aud am against then
when they act badly.
I I'believe that their existence is
necessity. believe that their aim'
and purposes are generally good, an.
! believe that all OF them have occa
sionally made mistakes and that SOM
qlas. w '''n gun" :
Dust in SO far as they are strong ant
effective they tempt designing mel
who seek to. cOnfrnI them for thei