Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-21
LABOR'S ANSWER TO
SOCIALISM
That This Is A C~apitalistic War
Heiuted By The Calling on OF
strikes To Help Win The War.
(From New York World,

There is no better answer to the
Socialist SANDER that this is a capital.
lstc war on the part of the United
states than the action of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor in calling of
al strikes on government work. MOI
mas there been q finer expression OF
loyalty to the United States and to de-
mocracy thar the report of the execu-
tive council defining the attitude to-
wara the conflict of the mar who
works with his hands.
Organized labor has come to the
support of the government as mag
nincentiy as organized capital. This
is iaDor's war as we'll as' capitals war,
Wnlch Is another way of saying that
1t Is everybody's war. The interest OF
labor IN g victory of the free nations
over German ~autocracy does not diff
Ter In principle from the interest OF
capital: Indeed, of the two, Ameri-
labor has more at stake in the
overthrow OF Prussianism and the
vindication Of free institutions.
President Wilson stated the case ad.
mirably in his address to the conven-
ton when he said:
Any body of free men that !.
compounds with the present Ger
man -governmentsis compromising
Its own destfuction., But that is
: notsthe whpie of the story. Any
man IN Ag1erica,ai or anywhere
else. who's aupp9sesE that the free
industry and enterprise | of the
world can continue II the PAN
German plan is achieved and
German power is fastened upon
the world is as fatuous as the
dreamers Of Russia.
To tho TYn;<.a c 49,
thing, it means, as Garfield said, tina,
the Republic is opportunity" The
hope of American labor lies in keep
ing it as opportunity.
The defenders OF German imperial.
ism are forever citing Germany's in
dustria1 legislation as proof of autoc.
racy's benevolent attitude toward la.
Dor, and forever forgetting that Ger.
many's industrial legislation is based
upon the principle of a permanen,
caste system. If a caste system is de.
slraAle. there Is everything to be said
in favor of the German method. II
certain elements of the population
with their children and their chill.
dren's children. are to be condemned
in perpetuity to be hewers Of wood
and drawers of water, it is essentia,
that a paternalistic government,
should show the same consideration
Tor their physical welfare that Il
shows for the physical welfare Of
horses, cattle and hogs. That is VIVA,
the German government does, but it i.
not a system under which free mer
can live and prosper. 1t is a system
that denies opportunity and ali tina,
opportunity has meant in the devei.
opment of the American people.
Only the Socialist element of Amer.
ifcan labor IL blind to this. 1t alone i
willing to accept the institution O.
caste and seek for consolation IL
|"class consciousness" e Natural,
enough it is pro-German in this con.
fict, Just as the real American labo,
lis anti German and pro-democratic.
What has happened in Buffalo is
further demonstration that the mas,
of the American people have gone t.
1.-THE heart OF this issue and that the,
have no delusions about a German
peace or about the necessity for tn,
Ecomplete triumph Of the great prin.
ciples that brought the United State
into the war.