The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-01-28

tries. They are very vitality affected
| by the length Of the working day
and the sanitary conditions under
which they work.
There must necessarily be grad
ual change from che autocracy of
| the past to the coming democracy.
The autocractic management of
| industrial enterprises has not been
so humane and ideal and unselfish
that the Bourbons of Industry
| should brand as foolish and i'm.
practica BILE this demand for democ-
| racy.
An English economist insists that
without industrial democracy, the
forms Of political democracy never
have availed but little and never
will since the beneficiaries of in
| dustrial privilege virtually own and
actually control the state.
Despite the wild radicalism Of
much of the French Encyclopedia
we can hardly take issue with this
statement, "A mans most sacred
property is his labor It is anterior
even to the right of property, for
it is the possession of those who
own nothing else. so he must be
sure to make the best of it he can"
It entirely misses the mark for
the directors Of a corporation to
say, ut is our business and we will
run it." 1t is the business Of the
people to SEE to it, that they carry
on their business in a just way.
When Carroll D. Wright was head
Of the United States bureau of labor,
he found that in Is per cent of the
strikes, the employers refused to ar
bitrate. President Wilson, in speak
ing before the American Federation
of Labor, said, Il am speaking of
my own experience when I say that
the labOrers. are more reasonable in
a larger number of cases than the
capitalists"
DR.. Gerald Binney Smith of Chi
cago university says, 1T is in the in
dustrial realm that there is most
need Of the recognition of the DEM
ocratic principle. How naturally We
have transferred 20 the world of
modern business, the title which we
have repudiated in our politics. We
have our coal barons' and our
| money kings and host of other
industrial 'magnates.' Such titles
do not arise without a correspond
ing reality behind them. To the
proposal to democratize business the
answer is that business demands
such special ability that failure
would be sure if every measure were
to depend upon the votes of en-
ployes Or if the people should elect
the managers. But may there not
be democratic control of special abil-
ity without the displacement of spe-
cial ability?"
A recent statement from the Fed
eral Council of Churches quotes an
expression Of democratic sentiment
from unexpected sources:
'In an industrial age there can be
no real brotherhood Of man unless
there is brotherhood in industry.
! Mr.. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., has put
! the matter we'll: Surely it is not
| consistent for us Americans to de-
mand democracy in government and
practice autocracy in industry Of
similar import is the recent state
ment of one our foremost labor
leaders that to political citizenship
must now be added industrial citi-
zenship. Political democracy leads
to industrial democracy because a
nation trained in school and church
and state to democratic relationships
will inevitably carry these same
principles into industry. The grow
ing sense Of manhood and RESPONSE
bility in the workers tends in the
same direction. There can no long
err be satisfactory relationships un-
der an autocratic shop rule, any
more than in an autocratic state.
Arbitrary control leads to class war,
which is as contrary to Christian
principles as any other war;"
There is no more place for Ho-
henzollerns in industry than in the
state. There will be no cessation
of industrial unrest until the prin-
ciples of democracy are extended
to the world of industry.
There must be a wise discrimina-
ton. Christian leaders have always
been pioneers in seeking justice for
the oppressed. But we must avoid
a blind adherence to all the pro-
grams Of labor. There is no in
fallibility belonging to labor unions
any more than to corporations. A
recent writer is wisely discrimina-
tive: Labor is suffering the agon-
les of being divided against itself
On the one hand may be found men
Of American culture and refinemen,
who are struggling for Industrial
democracy. On the other hand may
be found men of alien blood whose
program of intoxicated radicalism is
to establish the despotism of the
proletariat. They have thrown re.
straint and reason to the winds
and have abandoned themselves te
all manner Of excuses. They hope
to ride into their dominion on thu
tired backs of laborlng men, whom
they pretend to serve. They arr
obsessed with a mania for the de-
struction Of organized government
and for the destruction of Christian
institutions"
If we condemn the autocratic die
tatorship of corporations then W.
must likewise pass condemnation o,
the dictatorship of labor organiza
tons.
The church cannot afford to civ,
blanket endorsement to all the pro
grams and purposes of labor organ
izations. What shall be the messag,
of the church in these trying time
of reimbursement?