Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-28
FORBES WARNS
LABOR To De
CAUTIOUS
Declares Unwise Use of Vast
Power Would Lead to Dire
Result for All.
BY 3. e. FORBES.


.H days ago by paeans of praise to
s0ocracy. All over the globe gath
ncs were held to commemorate the
r,h Of Robert Burns, the most pow
RIM preacher of democracy and the
ps' deadly enemy of snobbery the
Ehieenth century produced Burns.
pIn in 1859, was of truth an orig
nal democrat, ass
As sat listening to learned
a,eches in landation of the man who
lsht the world, in an age of caste
ud distinction, that. "a mans man
ol "A that" that. rank is but the
guinea stamp and that
Princes and lords are but the breath
of kings,
An honest mans the noblest work of
God
as [ listened, sympathetically, to
such sentiments, my mind unbidden,
dWelt upon happenings and conditions
ia this land of applied democracy.
And Illuminating. l wondered if we
ire not ut present in danger, some of
l.s. to carry democracy" a tI.ifle too
1ar Does the pendulum threaten to
swing to a harmful extreme? Is the
ald-time under-doe the nottingham,
disposed to abuse his new position
shall | call it his new position of the
upper dog? May he, being strong,
forget % be merciful? Is he prone to
So act, that his last state may become,
worse than his first? | mean, is he
not in danger, unless wisely advised
and guided to embark on course
calculated to prove his own undong,
10 turn what should be a blessing into
ID curse. to turn what should bring
prosperity into an agency for adver
silly and depression?
/ know it will be accounted treason
10 even ask such questions | can
already see an thrush of letters de-
uouncing me as liCkspittle, as a
sycophaut as toadier to the rich.
And yet-well / can not but speak
Dy mind on the subject. The sub
eet at least is important II is worth
discussing. And so no portents of
ensure and condemnation can deter
ne, for | would speak as a friend OF
the class to whom | belong, the poor,
not the rich; as a workman. not an
employer, as a democrat, not an au-
tocrat. Much would ! rather say
What follows solely to an audience of
workmen face TO face, but since that
IS impracticable / must needs say it'll
here and accept the risk of being;mis-
understood.
Fellow workers.
Don't aspire to the exercise of tyr
dnnical power
Don't seek to become a privileged |
class.
Don't demand one law for employ |
ers and another for the employed,
Don't uphold wrong because COM
mitted by one of your--our-number,
Don't try TO palm off less than
fun days work for a full days pay
and then grumble because the cost of
everything goes up.
Don't insist upon rigid govern
mental regulation of capital and eX-
pect 10 escape similar regulation of
labor, by-and-by.
These exhortations are inspired,
among other things:
BY labor's demand that it he eN-
ompt from the operation of the Sher
man law against combinations tend
ing to restrain trade and to fix prices
"a demand that President Wilson
acquiesced in against his better judg-
ment
BY Iabors browbeating Of the Del
n
Installing, to avert a strike, two en-
poyeeS, with bad records who were
finally dismissed for apparently fla
grant wrongdoing Cribs incident IS
full of ugliness. Of evil import dis
quiCting0
BY the tenor of the proceedings at
he United Mine Workers of Ameri-
cas- conference now in session at In
danapolis.
BY clamor for irrational legislation
which. if enacted. would not only
emasculate capital, but later lead to
hardships for labor and all classes of
citizens.
BY multiplying signs of arrogance
among certain union leaders, COM
bined with disregard for the rights
welfare and convenience Of the gem
eral public.
BY a disposition, in highly organ
iZed trades, to undulY restrict out
put, to unreasonably limit mans
freedom to perform a full days work,
and thus foster a loafns spirit so ia
tai to healthy human beings mem
tai, moral and material growth.
BY rashness in fostering strikes
sometimes in disregard of agree
ments.
BY failure. thus far to realize that
new power carries with ii new re-
spOnsibilities.
Let me add that labor viii find. as
capital has found, that with what
measure it metes, so it Will be melted
unto.
And, also. need the observat ton be
made that every unreasonable and
arbitrary restriction placed upon