Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-21
Washington. D. c.. Sept. lS.-Out

OF the industrial controversies that
have racked the country for h last
year and threatened a crisis during
recent weeks Two distinct schools OF
Thought have developed. One is mil
liant: the other. pacifist. One is in
sistent that the time has come to
! fight TO a finish the difference be-
tween capital and labor or between
the unions and the anti-union ele:
ment. The other contends that the
psychological hour has arrived to
stop fighting-to effect an armistice
and negotiate a peace that will tie
permanent. --
or the two schools the militant
has been more largely in evidence
and has asserted its views the more
vehemently. 1t would appear to be
the stronger numerically. Strangely
enough its membership runs from one
extreme to another. including both
the ultra-conservatives or reactionar-
les who believe in the absolute CAPT.
~talistic domination of industry and
those immoderate radicals who would
destroy practically all our existing So
cial economic and political institu-
tons.
Between these two extremes the
membership of this element is re-
cruited from the fighting men CAPT.
tai engaged in the management of in
dustry. from the ranks of employers,
large and small, who have always
been FESTIVE under the compulsion Of
dealing with the unions and union
leaders. and from the public group
that suffers Inconvenience or loss as
a result of the ever-recurring conflicts
between capital and labor.
The ultra-conservatives of capital
0ay fhof tha hono ~ oiVvs1Sro<So- 1;4~
In the perpetuation of the existing or
der of things, and that this mean
that the growing power of unions
and unionism must be crushed. at
least to the extent of making 1t i'm
possible for any combination of work
ers to grow 80 strong as to be able
to interfere with capitals absolute
domination OF industry.
The fighting men in management
are even more Jealous Of the rights
of capital than capital itself. More
over. they have a personal interest
in making good in their executive
positions and instinctively they resent
and resist any attempt on the part Of
Of industry. The employers who
have always been FESTIVE under the
compulsion Of dealing with unions
believe that the man who has a job
to give has the right to fix the wage
and conditions of work, and that la
Dor can take it or leave 1t, as their
saying goes. Their dealing with UNI
ions has always been a matter Of con-
~cession, rather than Of cooperation,
and 1t is human nature not TO want
to make concessions.
Adverse Public Sentiment.
The public factor in the militant
school Is made up Of people who do
not inquire into the causes Of strikes
or seek to ascertain which side is
right. They are opposed to strikes
because: sooner or later such indus
trial upheavals Interfere with bust
er or more expensive. As they see 1t,
we have strikes because we have un-
ions. They argue that to compromise
or settle strikes means merely to in
vite' more disturbances Of similar
character. and they conclude that the
war between capital and Labor neces-
sarily will continue until one side or
the other ID whipped to q s~tandstil1.
Hence they say the time has come to
fight 1t out to 9 finish. 5
LAwless demonstrations destructive
Of nfetarid property which almost In
variably feature all the big strikes
havs uriqlestionabiy had much to do
with. creating. a public sentiment adj
the unions and most union leaders
are opposed< to violence does not on
ret in the public mind THE fact that
the strikes are made the occasions
for ofenseS against law and order,
and the average good citizens idea
lot the way to deal with. such law
lessnsss q 70 stamp 4 put. root and