Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-05-30
LABOR IS SOUND

Amid the sanguinary orgies of reyo-
luton and the crash of institutions
America stands erect. 1t would be
a foolish, futile and brutal boast to
wreath ourselves in the artificial
smiles of the professional optimist
and say "all is well' On the other
hand it would be equally absurd and
dangerous to imagine that our indus
trial system is destined to disaster.
The pessimist, like the optomist, ig
nores the most obvious facts.
Industrial civilization is sounder in
America today than anywhere else.
Let us not be affrighted by the ever
present problem of capital and labor
1t will be our chief problem for many
years. Capital and labor will be ad-
justing themselves to changing con-
ditions always.
If there is a menace it lies not in
the problem, but in the hearts of those
who must work out the problem
the laborer and the employer.
Our Industrial system is sound be-
cause American labor is sound.
American labor in it's doctrines, in
it's aspirations, in it's practical plans
and in it's activities differs from Boil
shevism as much as Russia differs
from the United States.
Alarnists have been predicting revo-
lutions in this country for a generation.
Twenty years ago they could see the
time near at hand when a few men
would own virtually all of the national
wealth. Ten years ago there began
diffusion of wealth that still is in prog
ress. The growth of vast Industrial
concerns has not led to the enslave
ment of labor
Because American labor at heart,
is sound, because it's head is clear and
because it has clung close to common
sense amid the red currents of radical
ism, it recognizes its community of in
terest with capital. 1t does not believe
in class hatred or the class struggle.
All of us can look back with regret
and yet with encouragement on the
controversies of the last few decades.
The fault as a general rule, was of the
head and not the heart. That solution
for every problem between labor and
capital were not speedily attained was
due. not to the innate viciousness of
either party to the dispute, but to the
fallibility of the human intilect.
Through all these disputes labor in
the United States maintained an atti-
tude that made ultimate solution prob
able 1t avoided altogether the atti-
tude of European labor which preached
revolution and practiced it whenever
it could Russia affords no parallel for
us. 1t would have been a miracle had
the Russians been able to solve their
problems without revolution.
When the czar was crowned more
than twenty years ago at the Petro
vsky palace S40,OOO,OO0 was expended
on a celebration lasting two weeks. 1t
occurred to some of the soft hearted
and soft headed aristocrats that the
autocracy would show it's thoughtful
benevolence if it distributed bread
among the populace. 1t really occurred
to them once in many years that the
people needed bread and they decided !
to accord the boon by way of celebrat- /
ing theczar's enthronement. The dis
tribution led to a riot among 100000
underfed men. women and children and
5000 were killed or MANNED in the
When the car was infor-
med of the tragedy he wept and in the
evening he danced.
We mention that scene because it was
q symbol of the rottenness at the heart /
of the Russian nation. Whatever
radicals may say, whatever aliens
maddened by European conditions may
triol ,.,eal,nesses we know that amid
IN o,,, ,,oIjtioaI and economic STRUGGLES
-a bad ro+bine. Of that de to con-
- T-itb
Both labor and capital have been
,,fsled Nv blatant reformers who pro
-,is,ad mt tbev vould solve all orr
nrobIer,s and make nrosperitv nm
:, liz - onIv elected t6 office At one
- H., +ail,ed IN terms of tariff or
,s f,i,,,of,i iis,, ar ,-',a+ NOT but their
,,.,,,,,i,,s. - o,,r+v II was onlv
-. +i,l ,,,tio,,.. ami co,,roon sense Of
= -,t-.,-, ,.,..,.i.. ,.f ,li classes that
.-., - .i,f- y, a7,-ance slovIv sfen
t.-, t-,,-s.1 ~, rettar dav
~. .,s.,.-....i ,,,.ot,Io,r,s ora fo be
l.l...,l ,..t.,, ne .,,,,,rn of sneed and
Efficiency it goes wfth soying that cap
tal as wen as iao9r must do It's
n.efien iauol