The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-12
UNREST IN THE
COPPER COUNTRY.

Edward S. Martin in Life: If one
copper miners strike the result in
cludes: An impression that the com
| pany's rule has had in it too much Of
benevolent feudalism, an impression
that the miners cannot sufficiently
manage their own lives, that petty
| bosses can make too much mischief,
that complaints about them cannot be
| successfully lodged, that the manager
most complained Of (MacNaughton) Is
too much concerned about the output
and not intelligent enough about the
outputters, that the men are (possi-
bly) too hard driven, and, not unrea-
sonably, dissatisfied with the condi-
tons under which they live.
On the other hand, n receives the
impression that the owners have been
attentive in providing for their an
ployes' needs, that the strikers (F1nns
and Croatians mostly) are hard ia
handle and full of socialistic prefer
ences, and that the strike Is due, not
so much to special troubles, as to the
ailment which we call "the general
unrest"
The are reputable people, the
chief officers Of the company being
grandsons Of the great Agassiz, who
had no time to make money. Grand
father Agassiz was a biologist. His
subject was life, including human life
If he could visit the Michigan PENN
sula he would be very much interested
and would. possibly, found a museum
there, n have petty bosses in glass
jars, and other nice specimens. And
one would / k to hear his conclusions
after he had made due studies, and his
ensuing lecture to his g~randsons.
We believe Grandfather Agassiz
could fix up the copper miners trou-
bles. No doubt he would want Charles
Meyer in a glass jar for a museum
specimen almost Immediately. It Il
pretty generally appreciated what sort
of a specimen Charles Is. The Out.
looks contributing editor has specified
him (along with Bill Haywood) as ar
undesirable citizen. He is the agen o.
the Western Federation Of Miners, tina
very hard concern which made so much
trouble in Colorado, and Is out to max,
trouble wherever it can. If we had {
; comfortable house and the Western
Federation Of Miners acquired right.
Of residence in h cellar, we woult
: get right out of that house. and e.
and live in a. tree. No decent concern
wants Meyers Federation on it's prem.
Uses. IL is IKE naVlng the Mana II
the back yard. 81.
However, there are few things il
life more desperate thar a despotisr
. of respectable characters. 1t Is a kin
of despotism that other respectable
\ people are loath to NEEDLE with, for 1
has few visible sores. and its pain
; are inward pains. But man require
more than bread, schools Inc institu
! tional alleviations, even with the NOV
/ les thrown in. He needs air and ell
bow-room for his spirit. He does nc
do well in a cage, even though hi
supplies of birdseed and water ar
never overlooked. A despotisn Of re
spectacle characters is something lik
a w~ell-ordered cage.
5 The office of specimens like Moye
and Haywood is to upset benevoler
8 and other depotisrns which pruder
9 people will not NEEDLE with. They ar
professional raisers of hell, out the
cannot practice their profession I
much purpose kept where there
some hell due to be raised.