The Pensacola journal., 1919-10-12
NOBLE FOSTER nAooLEsoN


The chief reason Boshevism failed and win
continue to fail to make any headway this coun-
try Is that the American workngman, in spite Of
the high cost OF living and other troubles real
imagined, Is the most prosperous laborer in the
world In fact, he is representative of most
prosperous class in this country his prosperity
De estimated on scientific basis of comparative
values rather than money values, he has made
greater strides toward eQualizing and out
go than any other person in the social SCALE and
he alone has been able to demand and get In
crease In income living have risen.
Business men would postpone resumption of in
dustrial activities at full pressure waiting for
wage levels and other levels to fall hoping by
such action to force decline the Of labor
are unknowingly attempting to blast holes in the
dykes that are protecting nation from all the
horrors OF blood-soaked Russia.
Ihe newspapers have told OF the concerted
efforts that have been made for a year to
itroduce Bolshevst doctrines and Bolshevist meth
ods OF ms-government in this country; but the
same men who were terrified six months ago by
outlook Tor the immediate future agreed today
tnat the radical doctrines of Russian extremists
cannot be transp1anted successfully to American
sol To some persona who know the vyorking1nen of
this country only through the utterances OF a few
OF their more radical spokesmen. 1t has
surprise to learn that the failure Bolshevst
to gain foothod here has been due largely to the
American workingmen himself. who heard the Boil
shevists arguments only to laugh them aside,
The average laborer In this country, even the
unskiiled laborer is not ignorant person He
tinue to be prosperous If he continues to
for his own welfare assiduously he has done
in the past and does become too unreasonable
in his demands; he knows that the cost
of living advances his wages will advance and that,
whatever the conditions of life may be for others,
he will always be able to earn a living wage Know
ing that his trades unions and his special
tives in congress and elsewhere capable look
ing welfare in the future as in the past
the American workingman is well satisfied to rely
upon the machinery he has at hand without expert
menting with the strange contrivance OF disturbed
Europe.
Leaders OF industry who are disturbed by the
high labor cost OF their products who are hop-
ing to see the of labor decline In the near fu-
ture due to be disappointed, relative
Of labor VIII remain the year from today and
the likelihood is that the actual will be higher
rather than lower. Those industrial leaders who.
In addition to hoping for such decline in the wage
SCALE intentionally unintentionaly helping
to bring 1t about by deferring necessary business
activities such building operations are mat
ter Of fact unwittngly helping instead Of checking
O tendency which would give the Bolshevst the OPP
portunity he seeks in America-they threaten
ing the sources of that prosperity which Is today
making the American workngman of the
strongest bulwarks against the Bolshevist and are
undermining the workingman's confidence in the
good sense and far -sightedness of his employer.
The danger that such situation this may
be created is not, however. imminent danger, be-
cause Industrial leaders who take this short
sighted view growing fewer every day. The
number of contracts Tor new construction opera
ttons that have been let in the past few months and
are due to be let In the few weeks show that
many business men are awake to the need of going
full speed ahead instead waiting cost declines
that will not The slower investors will be
forced trail behind their progressive lead
and In the end will pay high, perhaps high
err for their postponed work. in addition to losing
time and profit that little foresight would have
saved them.
A lesson learned from the war itself points the |
way of the of uncertainty and unrest which
has followed the sudden transition from to |
peace The employer, the merchant, the industrial |
producer, all confident of the future, yet few
1are start ahead with firm tread The reason for |
the uncertainty is lack of confidence. The broad |
confidence which every had in his neighbor
while the on dwindled to pin-point when
The emergency disappeareda
Yet here lies the opportunity for making the
Industrial life of the nation better and stable
element in its welfare. If each class that is en-
gagged in the task of restoring the countrys pros
oerity would help revive the spirit Of trust, conf
ience and cooperation manifested during the war,
believing that their better natures should stand
yealed in peace times well during the stress
If war, happy start would be gained toward the
of America into better, happier,
more prosperous place in which to live. The trend
oward such movement for the substitution |
peration for competition has already shown itself
md it promises to bring business and Industrial
atoms to higher has ever been reached
,efore.
without close cooperation the war would never
ave been won, and without continued cooperation
long both ideal and practical planes 1t will
possible for this country to successfully the
tal issues created by the complex reconstruction
,roblems of the day and the sudden change from
bnorma1 conditions to subnorma1 peace con-
itons. Il