Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-20
BY RAY STANNARD BAKER
Article VIII,

ago man WltH WHoHl was ots
cussing the industrial problem sud,
denly asked:
What are you going to do about
me?"
What do you mean?"
well I'm the Innocent BY
stander. I'm the man who gets the
brickbat intended for zone of the
belligerents. I'm the Public. What.
ever happens | get hurt
! have dealt in former articles
with the attitude of various groups
of employers and employees toward
the present industrial unrest. 1t is
now important to consider the point
of view of the great third party"
The awakening of the public to the
seriousness of the present--unrest
its threat to American institutions,
is in some ways, the greatest news
in the whole situation.
We are in the midst of sudden,
powerful, and, at present, crude re-
assertion of public rights. 1t is as
though the American giant had sud
denly awakened--or just returned
from war overseas!-and finding dis
order all about, had acted with ter
rife force and direction. 1t is the
American Wayne may not at all
approve it, but there it is!-to act
first and inquire about it afterwards.
I recall a saying of the early days
in the north woods, when the lum-
bermen first went in: "Cut the trees,
ask about the lines afterwards" !"
There is much of this spirit still left
in America.
Pounce on Disturbers.
So we have pounced right and left
upon disturbers-with little inquiry
and less understanding-tossed one
handful of them back to Russia and
evidently propose to toss still 9th
ers. No one knows the number of
thousands-or the fleet Of ships re-
quired to take them! A stupendous
business! We have raided the Off
ces and homes of both wild and
tame radicals, sometimes with legal
authority and sometimes without;
we have choked off radical orators;
turned out radical members of the
legislature and now propose the
most sweeping and drastic legisia-
ton in the world for dealing with
disturbers. One bold stroke at
what seemed a threat to public
rights and public order-the police
strike at Boston--has made a pres
idential candidate!
Deep Instinct Underlying.
1t is not the way they do it in
England, nor yet>in France; it is
our way, and must be SO accepted
and dealt with.
1t is our way, and behind it, ruth
less as it is, and little as many of us
can approve the methods employed,
there is deep instinct that the sell
fish forces of cliques, groups, inter
ests, whether of labor or capital, in
American life have grown too
strong, and that there must" as
one leader expressed it, "be some
kind of a newdeal."
The causes Of the present disor-
der and unrest reach far back and
deep down; the war merely acceler-
ated developments already under
way. At the bottom lies the popu-
lar discomfort, which has been grow
ing for years, with the economic ar
Of society; feeling that
they are unjust and undemocratic;
a feeling that while there have been
enormous developments in machin-
cry and business organization, the
social and political structure has not
kept pace with them. This feeling
is not peculiar to America; it is
worldwide.
Someone has said that the great
est invention Of the Wonderful CEN
tury" was not the steam engine, or
the dynamo, or wireless telegraphy.
but that extraordinary and potent
device, unrestricted social organiza-
ton.
Groups everywhere that felt op-
pressed, or wanted protection. or
organized to get it Capt.
talists organized, combined, trusti-
hed-and succeeded beyond the
dreams of avarice. Labor organized
and became powerful. Prohibition
lists organized and dried up the
country. Women organized and got
the vote. Voluntary social organiza-
ton 'has for the last rs years been
humanity's magic wand. 1t would
do anything! 1t has built up Won
derful technique Of its own. 1t
knows how to get money, use prop
aganda, influence elections, force
legislators. 1t is wonderful tool
used sometimes for good purposes,
sometimes for wholly selfish pur-
poses.
Old and New Contrasted.,
Consider more specifically labor
organization. | remember we'll the
little. dismal, smoky rooms over sa-
looms that used to represent the
typical labor union headquarters OF
Is years ago. / thought of the con-
trast the other day when l visited
the fine hall-it cost several hundred
thousand dollars-built by the Street
Car Mems union OF Chicago.
Once the movement demonstrated
its success in improving the condi-
tons of lite for working men-and
it was the only way they had-it
spread like wildhre. I was amazed
the other day to look at the lists of
unions affiliated with one of the
principal city central bodies; school
teachers. actors, newspaper. writers,
architects, nurses. They are all COM
ing in. Public employees are con-
ing in: policemen, postmen. The
movement is even penetrating the
rarihed atmosphere where authors
and college professors are supposed
to dwell.
l received a communication the
other day from the Atthors' lea u,ie