The Dickinson press., 1910-09-10
them have been guilty q wrong

of them have been guilty Of wrong
doing.
Just in 80 far as they are strong and
effective they tempt designing men
who seek to control them for their
own interests and stimulate the de-
sires Of ambitious leaders who may be
clever, crooked men or who may be
honest, but visionary. and foolish. In:
other words, in treating of labor
unions, az in treating Of corporations
Or Of humanity generally, we viii do
well to remember Abraham Lincoln's
saying that there 10 q deal Of human
nature IN mankind."t ~ .al 't.f
Whether In q man q In an organized.
body Of men the power to do good
means that such power may DO twist
ed into evil. And in proportion % the
power grows 30 1t becomes steadily
more important that 1t should be han
died Alright. Just in proportion as In
its proper function power Ii important
to social progress, 80 in its improper
function It becomes fraught with 90
cial disaster. { =
Outside critics should appreciate the.
necessity Of organized labor and under
stand and sympathize with what Is
good in it, instead Of condemning it
Unfortunately. On the other hand,
those within its ranks should fearless
~ analyze the criticisms directed
against it and ruthlessly eliminate
from the practices Of its organization
those things which justify such crit
icism and attack. This is the path, not
only of right, but Of wisdom and safety.
Public opinion in the United States
is daily becoming more alert and more
intelligent and more forceful, and no
organization, whether trades union. or
corporation, whether industrial or non
industrial. can endure or permanently
amount to a social force If it does not
harmonic with a wise and enlight-
ened public opinion.
Hitherto we Americans have been
overoccupied with material things and
have neglected to watch the play of
the social forces about US. But now
we r awakening from that indiffer-
ence; and every form Of organization
representing al important economic,
political or social force must under
60 a closer scrutiny than eve before.
Contest Of Employer and Employee.
I think that the next quarter Of q
century will be important politically
in many ways; and in none more so
than in the labor movement. Not only
are the benefits Of labor organizations
more clearly understood than ever be-
fore, but any ~shortcoming or vice dis
played in connection Herewith is also
more clearly understood and more
quickly resented.
The public is growing more and
more to. understand that, in a contest
between employer and employee-a
corporation and q trades union-not
only the interests of the contestants,
but the interests of the third party
the public-must, he considered.
Anything like levity in provoking a
strike on the one hand or on the 9th
er is certain more and more to be re-
Esented By the public. Strikes aSe
sometimes necessary and proper: sorfe-
times they represent the only way in
which, after all other methods have
been exhausted, 1t is possible for the
laboring man to stand for his rights,
but it must be clearly understood that
a strike is a matter of last resort.
Our social organization is too COM
pick for US to fail quickly to condemn
those who, with levity. or in a spirit
Of wanton brutality, bring about far
reaching and disastrous interference
with its normal processes. The public
sympathizes cordially with any move
ment for a good standard Of living
and for moderate hours Of employ
ment. q personally, for instance, cor
daily believe in an eight hour day
and in n day in seven for complete
rest.) Where men and women are
worked under harsh and intolerable
conditions and can secure no relief
without a strike or, indeed, where the
strike Is clearly undertaken for things
which are vitality necessary-and then
only as a last resort-the public SYM
pathy will favor the wageworkers,
but it will not favor them unless such
conditions as these are fulfilled.
Therefore it is becoming more than
ever important that the labor move
ment should combine steady, farsee-
ing leadership with discipline and con-
troll in it's ranks.
Curse Of Dishonest Leaders.
Dishonest leadership is a curse any
where in American life, and nowhere
is it a greater curse than in the labor
movement. If there is one lesson
which I would rather teach to my fel.
low Americans than any other it is to
hound down the dishonest man, no
matter what his condition, and to
brush aside with impatient contempt
the creature who. only denounces dis
honesty when it is found in some spe-
cial social stratum.
VN -.