The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-08-23
GREEK AND barbarian

which Is present in Detroit and In
every other manufacturing or mining
center of the United States in militant
or in passive form. "We have, said
General Manager MacNaughton of the
Calumet 81 Hecla in recent statement
on the copper strike "Croations Aus
trians. Hungarians. Italians, Poles
ana other nationalities working for us,
nd.they are Industrious, loyal men.
But they do not know our language,
nor our customs our laws, nor our
ideals. They have been influenced 10y
Western Federation of Miners organ
izers and hired men, who have been
here. in some cases for years
Who is teaching these men the Ian
guage and the customs the laws and
the ideals of America The schools of
the copper country are educating the
children of the uniformed newcomers
during the few years OF school age.
But who is 10 tell them the meaning
of America when they are old enough
to work and 10 voter Who is to tell
their fathers and their nIothersI Shall
we leave il all TO organized socialists
and anarchists
Mr.. MacNaughton and his associates
have not been unkind TO their men.
They have seen that their employees
were properly housed at minimum
rents. and that their employees fam
lilies are supplied with proper medical
service at minimum cost and they are
continuing TO look after employees in
this In spite of non payment by th ?
strikers They regard their employees
for the most part as victims of agita-
tors. The Houghton Mining Gazette
points to the crowded meetings among
the miners who want to return 10 work
as proof OF it's contention that the
great majority Of the workingmen of
this copper country did not want to
trike.
A strike under these conditions
seems rather ridiculous. lt is not sur
prisIng that the mine owners stead
tasty refuse to recognize or deal with
the gang which is responsible for IT,,
in spite OF the overtures ot Governor
Ferris or his personal representative,
Judge Murphy. IL will be more sur
prising II the strike does not end At
an early date.
THE MEANING OF AMERICA
But the settlement of this particular
strike will not solve the main problem.
We must still ask 'twho rs TO teach
our immigrants the meaning of Amer
icaT" and howY Should we require
a stiffer course in civic and political
education as q preliminary To natural.
izationY And, 10y the same token,
who Is to teach our America born citi-
zens the meaning of American How
are we 10 teach the foreigner what we
don't know ourselves How much %
ignorance OF our own laws and OF the
very spirit OF oar own institutions do
we display in attempting to do things
we all want to do In way we all
ought TO know will not work Are
native born Americans sufficiently m.
formed on history and the failures OF
human undertaking ia governments
OF the past 60 instruct their fellow
citizensg Are native born Americans
as well acquainted as they ought e
be or might be with the primal laws
that all human experience shows must
obtain in the relation Of the individual
with individual. or the individual
with the state in every civilized soc
iety9 Are all native born Americans
sure that they understand welt enough
the philosophy of riot and force TO in
struct the European immigrant 10
they always remember that ri0I
means an attempt 70 rob govern
ment of powers granted u by agree
ment among tho individuals Of FIRE,
community ~ the safest and mos
satisfactory way of living together
DO they always realize that in so fa
~ every strike is an argument b,
force It is an assault upon reason an'
upon government based on reason
Manifestly IL is the duty. and tn,
function of the America citizen TO in
struct himself ard his new bretheri
in the meaning of America. IL Is no
only his duty. 10 pressing neces
sity, II this republic IL worth while
Strikes are no longer the exception II
our economic system, but its norma
aspect. Tho frnit OF the strike Is class
hatred. suffering. often violence, anC
always enormous waste which mus
tall ou everybody, directly OF indirect
ly. In our own state thousands OF
dollars are being squandercd hourly by
the closing Of mines In the upper pen