The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-06-23
lR ADVERTISERS sEsG-wEEKLY
Labor Unions and War

4 r vABOR troubles continue to exert IAN un-
~ favorable influence on the eastern sugar
lmatket as well as on business generally The
Threatened railroad strike is not settled but only
I'm abeyance, and from all sections of our land
tword comes ofap unusual condition Of unrest
among all classes Of wage earncrs. The wage
lquestion is only one Of the causes In the public
mind when differences between employer and en-
ployed to the point Of actual severance of
relations it looms large because it is concrete and
well within the public UNDERSTANDING that the men
who contribute, their labor to the processes Of
production should demand larger share of the
lemoiuments and profits. -:
y The real causes Of this general unrest are more
hegptseated for they have to do with matters OF
democracy. The well educated, free and indepen-
dent American worker looks across the Atlantic
and sees his fellows sacrificed by the hundreds of
thousands the blood stained, shell-torn plains
and mountains, driven to self-sacr6ce and ami
hilation to support an autocracy which has its
lTery seat and source in the implement used for
their destruction. - i....E
Democracy is on trial, not in this land of free
nieny but on the sodden battle fields across the
'eas Hence the thinking people fear war not
that they are afraid to fight not that they would
not yield their own life blood and that of their
sons in the defense of This land of their nativity
and OF its free Institutions but because they fear
var as an institution. as the institution by which
the, autocracy Sof unbriddled power has always
truledFthe world and gained its ambitions and
purposes. + 81. ..-
= Discussion Of this phase of labor disturbances
Iana unrest is finding more space and attention
allotted it in the columns of the great moulders
| 2t public opinion, the daily press Trade and
financial journals devote consideration to the un-
DERIVING principles and the cause of labor unrest
which is that Of democracy, is discussed 1camIy
and dispassonately. HI, y u
+ The Annalist in one Of it's recent issues takes
up the question of the relation of the laborer to
war ~ orr of the countries, now at war:
President John p. white Of the United Mine Work
ers America quoted saying that war means the
death Of hbot's dearest hopes nasmuch ii means
esebshment OF autocrasy In order to subordinate
everything else to the success OF The primary
Apncfusion is obvious. One sees its illustration in
| England in what has already happened there since
the var, begupsan In the greater of
power which e Naked about Britain is actually dis
eussins the possibility Of dictator to wage the
Labor in England has objected to what has been
done to carry the British Nation toward this con-
dition Of autocratic government, and it may no
doubt continue to object It is surprising to find
the same view expressed in respect n possible war
OF the future But to draw the conclusion that the
acceptaRoe in time of war Of a system more auto.
cratic than democratic is sound the death knaI of
hbors dearest hopes Is to assume a great deal
than the mere resort to autocratc methods warrants
Antocracy in such case Is to a end the
narrowing Of tool better fitted than to pence
The tool might be turned against those call II
into use. but y need not be- fought "utoera.
teally isl very different thing from a brou"ht
on automatically. No that is vioativp Of the
true Interests Of labor be a just for Inbor
ba term IInost syDopymous with the whole people
f%H sutocfafer methods are hest suited the sue.
eesefSi wpTnRt of war thAv onght readily he
eepted by labor as by ell the rest of
labor would have for tbR time forego come it's
E"hts hut II would not he surrendering rirhts
but merely enntributin" them temporarily the com.
mon NATIONAL ehuse. There IL real dancer that
the rights of English labor viii he mpairod bv the
manner OF conducting the war II il more
Hk"lv that th"a" rights. nsin" the 30
in labor discussion will be increased instead dimin
ished.