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beginning to show itself; while the press and magazines are
beginning to raise an occasional and troubled voice。 Two leagues of
class…conscious capitalists have been formed for the purpose of
carrying on their side of the struggle。 Like the socialists; they
do not mince matters; but state boldly and plainly that they are
fighting to subjugate the opposing class。 It is the barons against
the commons。 One of these leagues; the National Association of
Manufacturers; is stopping short of nothing in what it conceives to
be a life…and…death struggle。 Mr。 D。 M。 Parry; who is the president
of the league; as well as president of the National Metal Trades'
Association; is leaving no stone unturned in what he feels to be a
desperate effort to organize his class。 He has issued the call to
arms in terms everything but ambiguous: 〃THERE IS STILL TIME IN THE
UNITED STALES TO HEAD OFF THE SOCIALISTIC PROGRAMME; WHICH;
UNRESTRAINED; IS SURE TO WRECK OUR COUNTRY。〃
As he says; the work is for 〃federating employers in order that we
may meet with a united front all issues that affect us。 We must
come to this sooner or later。 。 。 。 The work immediately before the
National Association of Manufacturers is; first; KEEP THE VICIOUS
EIGHT…HOUR BILL OFF THE BOOKS; second; to DESTROY THE ANTI…
INJUNCTION BILL; which wrests your business from you and places it
in the hands of your employees; third; to secure the PASSAGE OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY BILL; the latter would go
through with a rush were it not for the hectoring opposition of
Organized Labor。〃 By this department; he further says; 〃business
interests would have direct and sympathetic representation at
Washington。〃
In a later letter; issued broadcast to the capitalists outside the
League; President Parry points out the success which is already
beginning to attend the efforts of the League at Washington。 〃We
have contributed more than any other influence to the quick passage
of the new Department of Commerce Bill。 It is said that the
activities of this office are numerous and satisfactory; but of that
I must not say too muchor anything。 。 。 。 At Washington the
Association is not represented too much; either directly or
indirectly。 Sometimes it is known in a most powerful way that it is
represented vigorously and unitedly。 Sometimes it is not known that
it is represented at all。〃
The second class…conscious capitalist organization is called the
National Economic League。 It likewise manifests the frankness of
men who do not dilly…dally with terms; but who say what they mean;
and who mean to settle down to a long; hard fight。 Their letter of
invitation to prospective members opens boldly。 〃We beg to inform
you that the National Economic League will render its services in an
impartial educational movement TO OPPOSE SOCIALISM AND CLASS
HATRED。〃 Among its class…conscious members; men who recognize that
the opening guns of the class struggle have been fired; may be
instanced the following names: Hon。 Lyman J。 Gage; Ex…Secretary U。
S。 Treasury; Hon。 Thomas Jefferson Coolidge; Ex…Minister to France;
Rev。 Henry C。 Potter; Bishop New York Diocese; Hon。 John D。 Long;
Ex…Secretary U。 S。 Navy; Hon。 Levi P。 Morton; Ex…Vice President
United States; Henry Clews; John F。 Dryden; President Prudential
Life Insurance Co。; John A。 McCall; President New York Life
Insurance Co。; J。 L。 Greatsinger; President Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Co。; the shipbuilding firm of William Cramp & Sons; the Southern
Railway system; and the Atchison; Topeka; & Santa Fe Railway
Company。
Instances of the troubled editorial voice have not been rare during
the last several years。 There were many cries from the press during
the last days of the anthracite coal strike that the mine owners; by
their stubbornness; were sowing the regrettable seeds of socialism。
The World's Work for December; 1902; said: 〃The next significant
fact is the recommendation by the Illinois State Federation of Labor
that all members of labor unions who are also members of the state
militia shall resign from the militia。 This proposition has been
favorably regarded by some other labor organizations。 It has done
more than any other single recent declaration or action to cause a
public distrust of such unions as favor it。 IT HINTS OF A CLASS
SEPARATION THAT IN TURN HINTS OF ANARCHY。〃
The OUTLOOK; February 14; 1903; in reference to the rioting at
Waterbury; remarks; 〃That all this disorder should have occurred in
a city of the character and intelligence of Waterbury indicates that
the industrial war spirit is by no means confined to the immigrant
or ignorant working classes。〃
That President Roosevelt has smelt the smoke from the firing line of
the class struggle is evidenced by his words; 〃Above all we need to
remember that any kind of CLASS ANIMOSITY IN THE POLITICAL WORLD is;
if possible; even more destructive to national welfare than
sectional; race; or religious animosity。〃 The chief thing to be
noted here is President Roosevelt's tacit recognition of class
animosity in the industrial world; and his fear; which language
cannot portray stronger; that this class animosity may spread to the
political world。 Yet this is the very policy which the socialists
have announced in their declaration of war against present…day
societyto capture the political machinery of society and by that
machinery destroy present…day society。
The New York Independent for February 12; 1903; recognized without
qualification the class struggle。 〃It is impossible fairly to pass
upon the methods of labor unions; or to devise plans for remedying
their abuses; until it is recognized; to begin with; that unions are
based upon class antagonism and that their policies are dictated by
the necessities of social warfare。 A strike is a rebellion against
the owners of property。 The rights of property are protected by
government。 And a strike; under certain provocation; may extend as
far as did the general strike in Belgium a few years since; when
practically the entire wage…earning population stopped work in order
to force political concessions from the property…owning classes。
This is an extreme case; but it brings out vividly the real nature
of labor organization as a species of warfare whose object is the
coercion of one class by another class。〃
It has been shown; theoretically and actually; that there is a class
struggle in the United States。 The quarrel over the division of the
joint product is irreconcilable。 The working class is no longer
losing its strongest and most capable members。 These men; denied
room for their ambition in the capitalist ranks; remain to be the
leaders of the workers; to spur them to discontent; to make them
conscious of their class; to lead them to revolt。
This revolt; appearing spontaneously all over the industrial field
in the form of demands for an increased share of the joint product;