The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-03-20
PRIVILEGE aims {. !.
TO BEAT LABOR
Hopes to Control Government,
Courts and Industry So It
Can Check Liberalism.
CONTINUED From Page IL

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edge has some other plans ready to
pdesent to its lawmakers. It wants 4
sedition bill with teeth in it. It
wants 1t, not because the nation Is in
peril, but because privilege dcA sn't
wish to be disturbed while It is loot
ing the people. It doesn't want any
scenes while it is outraging the re-
public.
Privilege is going to the national
conventions with the determination
of naming presidential candidates and
debating platforms that are in ac-
cord with the views and demands Of
privilege. Merely to glance down the
list of aspirants is to know that priv
ilege has had hand in their selec-
ton. For privilege knows what it
wants and knows the men who will
give 1t.
There are more than 100000 or
ganized workers in this country.
They could, were they so disposed.
determine the presidential election
constitution of congress. Perhaps
they are so disposed. There are
heartening evidences, at least, OF tre-
mendous ferment in the mass OF
; workers. They realize that they face
the momentous struggle in all his
! tory. They know what privilege is
about. They know that they have
their backs to the wall and must
fight desperately if they hope to save
! their rapidly vanishing rights.
It has been customary for privil-
eye to flatter and fawn upon labor.
This policy got privilege many votes
got it many elections. Now privil-
eye does not choose to be courteous.
1t eschews flattery. It tells labor
point blank that it does not need
| their votes and does not want them.
! Labor, it says, cannot awake to its
! own interest and jealous in defense
Of them, privilege would have q short
shift in economics as we'll as politics.
J Perhaps labor has learned it's les
son. Perhaps privilege is counting
i too much on past performances.
Privilege is always very dense. It
, never learns anything new. 1t has
/ been the way of privilege in all aEas
to close its eyes to newly created
forces. It learned nothing from the
war. Its old vices are accentuated
and it gained no virtues.
Privilege is itching for a fight with
labor. and privilege shall be accom-
nodated. 1t shall have all the fight
It IS looking for. Five million or
ganized workers are ready for it. and
many more millions of unorganized
workers are looking for a chance TO
get into it: eEor.: there can be no re-
lief fro high cost of living, from OPP
pressive laws, from Ubiquitous court
! decisions, from arbitrary use of TIE
| power of government, until privilege
Is given an old-fashioned thrashing.
Labor has gained something, too
1t has learned who are its friendA
and who are its enemies. The roll
calls in congress have separated the
sheep from the goats Labor can
now pick out its friends blindfolded,
1t knows them by their first and last
| names. And it will not forget them
during the long, hot months when
political spellbinders are going up
and down the country saying "sweet
nothings' in the hope that they can
again pull the wool over the eyes of
the workers.
It Is to be a merry fight, with no
quarter asked and none given. La
Dor also is eager for the fray. For
:abor, at last conscious Of it's strength,
realizes as never before that it's in
terests are safe only when they are
'igi1antly defended.