The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-18
WORK IS THE CURE.

Work and increased production is
the cure for unrest. Organized Ia
Dor in England has been brought to
the verge of ruin because of the self
ish actions of a small band of noisy
extremists" declared w. A. Appleton
of London, president of the Interna-
tional Federation of Trade Unions.
II can see but one course open to
the workers-they must repudiate the
men who have misled them so cruelty,
and they must set to work with Will,
in order to show that they are not
fighting against the community"
This is in line with Barney Baruch's
proposal of a labor and capital armi-
stice in this country that further
scarcity and suffering and higher costs
of living be averted by at least a tenn
porary truce while the country finds
itself and restores and produces COM
modities for the worlds use.
The recent settlement of the British
strikes in which the railroads were
defeated makes the views of such men
as Appleton of interest.
The view of the foreign conservative
element in the unions is of special
value because of the large foreign ele-
ment employed by this country in the
big American industries.
The president of the Trade Unions,
reviewing the English situation, con-
tinues:
1.-The crisis has come, and we must
take off our coats and set to work at
once. That is the only way in which
national disaster can be aVerted-for
we are on the road which leads to
ruin.
THE false leaders of the people
existent grievances and impossible
remedies. They have talked vaguely
and loosely about revolution and
about the iniquities of the capitalist,
until the workers have begun to be-
lieve their words.
direct action, or the same thing
under one of the numerous aliases by
which it has been called at various
times, was preached as the one method
that would bring the inquitous capt.
talist to his senses; and the advice has
been repeated so often, and with such
vehemence, that the truth of the doc
trine has been at last accepted by a
section of the workers-5ut only q
small one.
THE extremists confused the issues
and complicated the situation. They
distorted the facts, in order tC
strengthen their own position as pop
ular idols and champions. They die
not know-perhap they did not care
what would happen.
a"rThov have called into existence hX
their selfish teaching, forces which
they cannot control; and in theil
hearts many of these men are now il
mortal fear of this industrial Franken-
stein which they have themselves
created.
think that they Aare punshing the
people who are supposed to be op-
pressing them. Nothing of the kind
| They will feel the pinch themselve:
before anybody else suffers to any
/ great extent-and their wives ant
children will be cold and hungry.
IF they persist in their presen
policy until winter arrives, who viii
suffer most? Not the rich, agains
whom they are supposed to be wagint
war, but the poor. 1t is on the homes
/ of the workers that the cold hand o
| famine will descend.
! what is the truth? 1t is that TIL
nations credit is being shaken, ant
| that only by increased production cal
| the desperate situation be saved.
Standardization will inevitably en-
| tail a very pernicious kind of slavery
| Organized labor has been striving TO
more than a century to ensure tn
| liberty of the workers, but the day tn
| worker accepts any system of nation
aIization he will fling away the fruit
of ali this effort. He will sacrific
his individuality. and he will take hi
place as a mere cog in the stat
/ machine.
This is. Of course. a moral aspeo
| of the position that would be create
by the adoption of any system of ma
tionalization of industry. But Their
are many other arguments against tn
change.
Economically it is unsound. 1t
competition which really controe
prices, and labor has always been OPP
posed to monopolies of all kinds. Ye
the workers are clamoring for TIL
establishment of the most oppressiv
of all monopolies-a state monopoly
when they demand that the railway
and the mines shall be nationalized.
"If the principle of nationalizatio
be adopted it will be disastrous fro1
every point of view.
At urge the workers to pause an
think before it is too late. I have n
faith in the genuine repentance of tn
extremists-they have become fright
ened, that is all. They see that TIL
workers are ready to act and they fea
the consequences.
This is a hard saying, but 1t is tru
terribly truei Work. not revolution
will save the country from the rui
by which 1t is threatened-and it mus
! be saved by the Cooperation of a
classes of society for the benefit of tn
community"