The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-11-06
WAS LABOR BEATEN?

PuOA4caAS anu IL supported friendly and
progressive Republicans as it did the
same type Of Democrats. Its success
or failure is not to be measured by the
mum Der of friends it has rewarded or
the number of enemies it has punished.
In the long run it is comparatively
unimportant whether the incoming ad-
ministration is reactionary or progress
sive. 1t is equally unimportant whether
the new congress is privilege-controlled
or devoted to the public interest. The
determination Of the issues that were
advanced for consideration and the Sc.
lection Of candidates at best are transit
tory. What has been done can be un-
done, and it will be undone if it is dis
appointing in its consequence.
The real gain, so far as labor is con-
cerned, is that it has finally recognized
what workers in other nations long ago
recognized, namely, that its problems
are political as we'll a. economic. The
encouraging thing il that the workers
realize thai the solution Of AL the poll
teal problems and 1rs>y Of the social
and economic Problems is at the ballot
box. And with this new knowledge will
come clearer consciousness Of the Won
derful potentiait;es that ichere in col
lective voting.
The workers did not vote altogether
collectively at last tuesdays election.
They We're split three and four ways
But the opponents Of labor, their wives
and other women members of their
households voted rni;edly with the con-
soiousness. of zeslots in behalf Of what
they believed to be their social and
business interests.
It cannot be denied that labor made
many and serious errors in it's first real
political attempt. Much effort was
wasted. There was lacking that solid
arity that is essential to effective polti-
cal action. But solidarity comes only
with enlightened self-interest, and that
also has been lacking. The workers gen
orally knew that the time had come for
them to forget party labels and vote for
men and measures that gave larger pro-
mise Of devotion to the national we'll
being. But they did not know how to
best attain their ideal of a better state.
Many Of them were bewildered by
multitude of counsellcrs. Some were
nislead by unwise leaders. Here and
there rivalry engendered bitterness that
reacted disadvantageously. But all these
matters are of trifling Importance in
comparison with the major premise
that labor was sincerely actuated and
tried to throw off the CALLING bonds that
hold it in subsection.
The one thing that counts is that
labor did try in it's own behalf. It made
the first real nationwide effort to i'm
press its will upon politics. It won some
notable victories. It sustained some dis
astrous defeats. But everywhere it tried
and the value Of the effort is not lost
because it tried in wrong and ineffec-
tual manner. It gained experience that
will stand it in good stead in future
struggles. It will profit by these ex-
periences. It will not repeat its errors,
but it will enlarge and improve tried
and proven methods.
Labor is finding itself politically. 1t
has been bartered and traded until mil
lions Of workers had despaired Of poll
teal emancipation. Millions of workers
are still convinced that it is waste of
time and effort to engage in political
controversy. They have seen victories
turned to defeat, they have been sub.
jected to so many betrayals, by friends
as we'll as enemies, that. many Of them
had attained a state Of passivity and
inertia that seriously intezfered with
the progress of the recent political ven
ture.
Labor is learning to supplement its
political strength to its economic
strength for redress of its wrongs. It is
learning that those who dominate the
agencies of government would use it as
means to dominate the destinies of
producers. The anti-union forces among
the organized employers are already
planning to strike their heaviest blows
at labor through their new control of
government in the election Of Senator
Harding who was their candidate for
President. Economic strength alone
IL lame and impetent when facing po-
litical strength. That truth will be
driven home to the workers more than
it ever was before during the next two
years at least. In the meantime we
can watch and learn more.
COME II MUST.