The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-07-28
WHAT DOES 1T MEAN

There is hardly a city in the United
States today that has not got its labor
troubles. There is war in Minnesota,
war on the Pacific Coast, war in New
York, Chicago, Detroit and host of
others too numerous to mention. The
workers are organizing and fighting,
fighting and organizing as they have
never done before.
They want more wages, better con
ditions, more leisure to enjoy their
toilblighted lives, and they are going
TO get it. They may get licked, but
they will come back with redoubled
energy. coupled with previous ex-
periences, and will finally win.
The employers are organizing more
strongly today han ever they have
done. and are fighting more bitterly
and more fiercely than ever before,
because they realize that labor is
awaking from its centuries Of sleep
and beginning 70 stand erect and de-
ma1d its products.
TIE guerilla warfare nov going on
has been toretold By students and
scientists Of Industrial economics
fifty years ago so 10 them il is but
the unfolding OF history.
The era that we are now going
through is one OF the most interest
ing that the human race has ex-
perienced The dying out Of one
epoch and the birth Of another is
vitality interesting 10 those that can
interpret the signs Of the tines.
The centralzing Of industry into
larger and more modern factories, the
wealth Of the nation concentrating
into fewer hands as it must if de-
velopment is 10 continue, means that
the small manufacturer Is being slow
" crushed out Of existence and forced
into the already Overlooking ranks Of
labor and labor must educate itself
10 a recognition Of these facts in
order to intelugently survive. which
means that The workers are studying
economics more diligently today than
ever, not because they want 70, but
because they ara compelled. in order
to save themselves. and the results
are now manifest in the strikes and
lOck-outs throughout the country, but
the most hopeful sign IS the interest
in the political affairs of the nation
that workers are closely studying for
they are awakening to the fact that
politics have something to do with
the ~el-Deing Of the workers, despite
the frantic attempts Of reactionaries
TO try and delude them as Of old, but
labor the horny-headed, is removing
the coh-webs from its gray matter
and studying itself, and is asking of
itself the question, Why do I produce
everything and have nothing but
misery. while the boss who produces
nothing has every comfort that labor
can create? And when the boss wants
him to don a uniform and fight some
other worker, he now has sense
enough 10 tell him to do his own
fighting.
When labor realizes that the con
troll Of politics or, | should say gov.
eminent, for the worker in his own
interest, he will not send any labor
takirs TO misrepresent him, but he
will watch his interests and send a
delegate with a string tied to him, for
he will know. as did a million in the
United States last presidential cleo
ton, that the ballot IL the key to his
freedom. and It will then be all poll
tics In the union instead OF. as now. II
IL the ballot that elects the police
mans club when II knocks their heads
OF. The ballot passes eonsoript.on
laws and shoots them down when oa
STRIKE. II is the wish Of international