New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-10
An Open Forum for
Public Debate.
ADVICE TO THE I. W. W.
Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes Is Urged to
Take a Brighter View Of Labor.

TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: There has just come TO my attcn-
ton letter from Mrs. Rose Pastor
March q. In which she is very anxious
to correct the impression that she secs
revolution in the United States" She
says that she did not express herself as
believing a violent revolution to be in
evitable,' but she explains that the only
way in which 10 prevent this violent
revolution will be by means OF a simple
little plan like changing from private
monopoly to social ownership and control
OF land and industry and that unless
the people" (the Socialists "are unham-
pered in their attempts at political and in
dustrial organization, through which
means alone they may hope peaceably 70
solve their problems, unbearsble conditions
will force them TO use the weapons OF
despair, which are the weapons OF vio-
lence."
or course. Mrs. stokes was merely lok-
ing; but she makes another statement
which certainly is a gem: Conditions as
they are cannot be much aggravated
without becoming maddeningly intoler-
able to many millions of people" This
is a good companion piece for the asser-
ton made by Upton Sinclair, that I'VE
are moving to-day with the speed OF an
avalanche into one OF the most terrific
cataclysms in the history OF mankind
Mr.. Sinclair had il all figured out that
this terrible cataclysn was to happen ~
1880 that in point OF defniteness Mr.
Sinclair has gone Mrs. Stokes one bet
ter"
Probably ii will console Mrs. Stokes
very greatly TO learn that the real work
Ing people OF this country. as represented
by their own organization, tho American
Federation of Labor, take quite a differ
ent view OF the industrial situation. At
the annual meeting Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor at Seattle last November
the executive council OF that organization
earners-ten per cent OF them also being
Socialsts-unanimousl made the follow
ing declaration in their annual report:
Not only has there been progress made
I'm numbers, but for the increasing mum
bers there have been increase in wages
shortening OF the worllday. improvement
in sanitary and general conditions IN
der which the work is done, and better
protection for the life and health OF the
workers. These are fundamental factors
IN determining the standard OF living
prevailing among working people--the
greater proportion of all the people. The
test Of the degree OF civilization OF any
nation is the standard of living generally
prevailing. There can be no question OF
the statement that the general standard
OF living among Americans has been
raised year after year"
The truth is, Mrs. Stokes-and everybody
seems TO know it excepting here and there
a member OF the radical wing OF the So
cialist party, or syndcalist or an |. v.
". devotee-that the world is growing
better Instead OF suffering from an ever
deepening impoverishment and an ever
helplessness the masses i'm all
the stretches OF our civilization are be
coming better off. longer lived. better
and more and more their own
masters and there are no better Wit
nesses TO this than the two million organ .
lied wage earners who are quoted above.
Furthermore, these evidences OF ini-
provement are increasing. For instance,
on March 30 "rhe Daily Call the Of
fetal organ OF the Socialist party in New
York (Which organ is supposed to con-
tain as much pessmisn as can be gen
orally gathered together announced the
recording OF new agreement between the
employers and the employees of the Local
brewing industry. and stated that by this
q greement the employees obtained an
annual increase OF $500, 900 In wages. with
reductions i'm the workday and other bet
in conditions.
Only a few weeks ago they published
an official statement that the new sched-
ule of 1913 gave 10 branch OF the wom-
EN- garment workers employing thirty
six thousand persons, an advance OF ~
per cent in wages and an per cent re-
iuction in the working time.
Take Off the blue spectacles, Mrs
Stokes. and let in the sunlight. This is
no place nor time for talk about mad
Ieningly intolerabe conditions for millions
If people" nor terrible cataclysms' that
are only in the minds OF the destruction
lists. r. o. H. uoi'D"
Haverhill. Mass. April 8, 1914.
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