The St. Johns herald., 1922-09-07

There are always in the labor move
 ment those who are anxious to gain
 advantages through instrumentalities
 other than the movement itself, but
 who are short-Sighted and do not lcOk
 far enough ahead to be able to see the
 ultimate hurtful influences the adop-
 tion of the schemes they advocate
 thing except the one object aimed at
 is obscured from their vision. AS a
 rule, though, there are many excep-
 tions, such policies are urged by those
 comparatively new in the movement,
 and who have paid little or no atten-
 tiOn to the struggles the organized
 workers have gone through in attain
 ing the influence and power at pres
 ent wielded. AS a consequence of their
 ignorance they are constantly trying
 to give away the power to control
 their own destinies rather than in ex-
 erting themselves to keep in their own hands the right to regulate affairs which directly concern their lives.
 Strange as it may seem, these same persons are usually heard setting forth their claims to democratic principles, though their policies are utterly op- posed to true democracy and tend to- ward centralization of the power 10 regulate human life The democrat believes the individual should be given the very largest degree of freedom of action consistent with the interests of society as a whole, and he believes that in the long run such a system will give the greatest satisfaction to the people because it will have the influ- ence of constantly increasing their ability to govern themselves and avoid the necessity for leaning upon the philanthropic and benevolent members of society; he wants to be allowed to do things for himself instead of hay ing others do them for him. The trade unionist who has at heart the best interest of the workers, therefore, hes itates to relinquish to any other agency whatever the right to regulate those things which have to do with his ex- iStence as a worker, because whoever governs his working conditions also very largely controls his entire life. He wants to be free, and the word freedom to him has some real signifi- canoe.
 However, the advocates of the sO- cialization of everything are a per sistent lot and though their policies are turned down time after time, they bob up serenely every now and then | and insist as vehemently as ever upon | the majority giving their pet hobbies | an opportunity to operate. Though | persistence in an individual is an ad- | mirable characteristic, it furnishes no | reason to anyone for yielding to wrong policies, and it is to the credit of the | labor movement that it rarely allows | itself to be pilOted out of it's true course by ardent advocates of UtOpian dreams. The burnt child dreads the fire, and the fingers of the labor move ment in its early history very often received blistering. It is, therefore, cautious and must be shown before k 1t rushes into anything, even though the less experienced and thoughtIess In its ranks are anxious to lead off into the fields of chance. The gambling spirit does not dominate the labor Its every move is fraught with veal or woe for the workers, and f cannot afford to be governed in it's actions by anything other than sound even though an occasional wild plunge might lead to some sue cess. Gambling is a failure, though some few persons do profit by it. A abor movement, guided by the take-a- .hance element would be of no service 70 the tOiling millions-San Francisco