Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-24

Sold by druggists everywhere. Be sure to get
the genuine: 25c and s1.oo. Stearns. Electric
Paste Co.. Chicago. Ill.
to get a line on labor politics and labor
thought. But we outsiders could never
get the light that is dawning for us
in labor matters without first mastering
the big, simple, deeper lying divisions
into which all labor the world over is
grouped.
Four Divisions.
And that is easy. There are super
ficially four such divisions, which time
gradually reduces to the two natural par
ties into which all men divide. The four
are:
l. Cnorganized labor. which is called
non-union. individualistic or scabs, &C
cording to the point of view of the
caller.
:. Organized or union labor.
3. Socialism or labor-socialists.
T.. AnarchlSm and the direct-actlonlsts
The first division is by far the largest
in the United States The number of
workingmen who belong to no union is
greater than all the other kinds put to-
gether, and that isn't the limit of their
strength. There are many union men
who are unwilingly. organized. They
"
others who. believing in organization and
belonging to unions, object privately to
the methods of some organizations, some
times of their own.
This group is not only the largest: it is
the most comprehensive to most men.
1t has no distinctive philosophy of it's
own, like the other groups. 1t thinks as
most men think, feels as most men feel
and wants what all men want. The nom
union or scab worker wants to live better
better al nd he
thinks that II he is free to fight his own
fight for himself and his family he can
get on faster than by waiting for and
acting with the rest of his trade or class.
And If he has the qualities which make
for success. he can. It's easier and
quicker for one man to rise than it is for
one man or million to lift labor. There
is no doubt about that.
Does Not Solve Problem.
But the unionist or organization worker.
typically, replies that the rise of one or
even Of a million individuals in or even
out OF the ranks of labor, does not solve
the problem of labor. On the contrary.
individual success rather tends to set
back the class. For it is we'll known
That no employers are quite so hard on
their employees as those who themselves
nave come most directly up from below.
And every able man that either leaves
his class or by industry, skill and cour-
age sets harder, higher, faster pace for
1t, discourages or strains his fellows.
moreover, and this is the reasoning
most commonly heard in this group
experience shows that a hundred compet-
ing workers cannot deal, to the advan-
tage OF most Of them, with one employer
or one centralized combination of en-
.:,-
work and bargain together. This prac-
tlce. applied shop by shop or trade by
trade or industry by industry, will, tlpe
union men believe. gradually raise wages
conditions of labor. Such then, in brief,
is the philosophy of the second largest
group OF labor
The socialist. and the third largest
group OF labor, argues that the workers
cannot rise even as class except by
lifting all mankind and rearranging So
ctety as whole. The socialist program
is presented to labor as a class and pro-
poses to develop class consciousness-that
Is to say. it agrees with union labor in
urging the organization of the workers
into unions. etc. But the organization
OF labor and it's class consciousness are
but means to an end; to abolish classes
altogether and evolve instead society
or all-Workers. By workers the socialist
means not only what we call wage-work--
ers, but executives and organizers man.
ayers, engineers. professional people and,
In brief, all men and women who actual
ly perform directly or indirectly produc-
tive work. It's really only the capitalist,
the stockholder and the property owner
who does nothing but own that the So
cialist is against. He wants the work
ers. organized as the state. to own the
land. machinery and all the other means
Of production. Hence 1t is that the So
cialist-labor group lays most stress upon
government and goes in everywhere SO
ardently for politics. The socialist wants
the state.
Antidote to Socialism.
The fourth group is dead against the
third. Anarchism is natures antidote for
socialism, and the anarchist hates the So
cfalist with a hate that even the capitalist
Is not honored with. The reason is that
anarchism is against 'incursive force
all force that interferes with the liberty
Of the individual. ana the state is the