The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-06-14
ity Of them occupied before the world
Plutocrats Active.


war. -:
.Plutocrats Active.
There. is an active minority OF
powerful capitalists and employers in
tent upon establishing in the United
States dictatorship of the plut-
ocracy. There is an equally active
and even more determined minority
on the labor side determined to estab-
lish a dictatorship Of the proletariat.
Neither can succeed by wrecking the
existing Industrial and social struc-
ture Of the United States. We can
not have either a: dictatorship Of the
plutocracy or a dictatorship Of the
proletariat except upon the ruins Of
American industry. If we are to save
ourselves-if we are to save Ameri-
can productive industry and Amer
lean social life from disaster, we
must find method and a means Of
orderly progress to the new status
and new conditions which the work
ers Of America have been promised
and now demand. ~r'+'-, -.
Congress Reactionary.
This does not seem to be possible
through our existing political insti-
tutions. There is no hope for orderly
industrial and social progress through
the present congress. The sixty-sixth
congress of the United State is the
least enlightened, the most reaction
airy congress, that this generation has
known. I do not except even the dark
days of Cannonism and the Payne
Il Ia rife
contains as many hard-shelled fos-
sils as Cannon and Aldrich numbered
among their supporters. But this
congress has no group OF young, hard
hitting progressives such as threat
ened to depose Cannon from the
speakers chair and all but defeated
Aldrich In the senate. The progress
sives now in congress are relatively
old men, tired with 20 years of hard
fighting. They have not quit fight
ing and they have not lost their
ideals, but they have lost their old
punch and aggressiveness.
Espionage Law Bad.
There is another reason why we can
hope for nothing through tht ordinary
political machinery. That is the
espionage law, which has terrorized
countless thousands into ignominious
silence. The espionage act was bad
enough under war conditions. It is
Infinitely worse to continue it on tht
statute books since the signing of the
armistice. It will be an outrageous
invasion of the most sacred rights Of
Americans to enact any such legisla-
ton to apply to peace times. But I
am informed that majority of the
reactionaries of the house and SEN
ate are intent upon the enactment
of statutes Of suppression and oppres-
sion more stringent even than the war
time espionage act. I have faith
that President Wilson will veto any
such federal legislation. But I see,
with equally great alarm, that somt
OF the states. have already enacted
vicious legislation of this character
and am informed that; the predatory
interests are determined and have the
power to put such bills through the
legislatures of" perhaps a majority Of
the states and to secure their approval
by the governors Of these states.
For Free Speech.
The suppression Of free discussion
during a critical period such as we are
now entering upon is of the greatest
danger to the very life Of the nation
There must be a safety valve of free
speech and free assemblage if we are
to escape the destructive explosions
which policy of suppression and
coercion will render inevitable. The
present espionage act should be i'm
n1iediately repealed and every state
should purge its statute books Of
every such act limiting the rights of
its citizens.
Although the possibility of orderly
Industrial and social progress through
our political institutions thus seems
to be remote, it is nevertheless pos
sible that we will find other means
of reaching the same end What
we need is a national understanding,
not of politicians but Of people. There
is no reason why such an undtr-
standing as is necessary to avert the
catastrophe which seems to be i'm
pending cannot be reached by those
leaders who much more directly and
truly represent the people than the
man who sit in. congress. mean that
through a national conference of the
representatives of labor and of cap
ital, with proper representation of
those public groups which: have no
direct affiliation with or dependence
upon either labor or capital, an ef-
fective understanding can be reached
which will provide the means for or
derby progress toward better condi-
tons and better relations between all
groups Of American society.
England's Way.
This is the method which England
was forced to adopt when, according
to Frank Al ::::Vanderlip, she was
threatened notwithstanding revolution
Lloyd George aid not then go to par
Lament for a. solution Instead he
summoned an industrial parliament
made up of several hundred leaders
OF British industry. They reached
an understanding and the British re-
volution. was averted." ...--<..,,
Some weeks ago the. cables carried
an intimation that President Wilson
contemplated the adoption of some
such method OF dealing with the. in
dustrial situation in the United States.
It Is true that this was no specifically
confirmed by he presidents message
to congress, but a message to congress