302 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



can not obtain separately, and thus have arisen organizations of 

 the workingmen in different lines of industry, and as they have 

 increased in number and complexity, they have tended toward 

 more extensive combination, with greater centralization of con- 

 trol witness the Knights of Labor, the Sovereigns of Industry, 

 and the American Federation of Labor. But as the representa- 

 tives of the people, charged with the administration of the politi- 

 cal government, have, times without number, because of ignorance 

 of the working of economic law, because of cowardice in follow- 

 ing their convictions, because of personal greed, because of a 

 truckling to popular prejudice, enacted laws, sanctioned executive 

 action, or indulged executive neglect, that have inured to the in- 

 jury of the people as a whole, so also have the representatives of 

 workingmen, charged with the administration of labor organiza- 

 tions, from like causes, enacted regulations, permitted action, or 

 neglected to restrain action, that has worked to the direct injury 

 of their constituents, and tended to bring labor organizations, as 

 a class, into widespread obloquy. As the demagogue has often 

 obtained political preferment, so also have the palavering hypo- 

 crite and the sordid bully but too frequently been made the rep- 

 resentative and spokesman of labor ; and then, again, it has often 

 happened that well-meaning representatives of labor, after con- 

 ferences with employers in which they have been clearly shown 

 the conditions that necessitate reduction of wages, or that render 

 impossible an increase of wages, have been repudiated and con- 

 demned by their constituents when endeavoring to make such 

 conditions clear to them. All too often have workingmen of the 

 best intentions been overruled by the headstrong, who have 

 worked upon their credulity and prejudice until they have met 

 appeals to reason with unreasoning sullenness, and when minds 

 credulous and prejudiced have been inflamed by liquor there have 

 been deplorable and disastrous results. In years past the confer- 

 ences between the representatives of capital and the representa- 

 tives of labor have too often been marked on both sides by 

 aggressiveness, rapacity, and greed, by the absence of good faith 

 and calm, considerate, thorough discussion. Strikes have inured 

 to the injury of both capital and labor, but as strike after strike 

 is fought and ended the reasons for the conflicts come more 

 clearly to the light of publicity, and popular opinion, the basis 

 of all law, seizing upon the points of dispute and perceiving the 

 attitude of the combatants, visits with condemnation or approval 

 the one side or the other ; and this light of publicity, searching 

 out that which is unjust in the action of labor and that which is 

 unjust in the action of capital, can not but bring, and may now 

 be seen to be bringing, a healthier tone to the proceeding of one 

 and a greater honesty of consideration to the attitude of the 



