Present and Future Strife
By L. A. S.
THE political and industrial upheavals of the times, so conspicuous in Europe to-day, afford ground for much speculation as to what new alignment of the contesting forces, what new weapons of warfare, and what unlooked-for events, the immediate future may disclose. We hear rumors of general coalitions of workingmen’s organizations and universal strikes to enforce the demands of one class against the other. In the industrial world we find, on the one hand, a union of all the employers’ associations of the country, formed not long ago at Chicago, arrayed against the labor unions on the other hand. A general coalition of these labor unions is contemplated. Advocating such a coalition, Eugene V. Debs, the political and industrial agitator, said in a recent speech:— Intelligent workers have decided to follow the example set by capitalists, and combine their forces into one great industrial union, so that all may at all times work together in harmony for the good of all. . . . The new national organization, which we are to bring into existence in Chicago . . . will be based on absolute antagonism of the two classes [capitalists and laborers]. It will recognize the class struggle, and will use all its power to overthrow the capitalistic class and abolish the wage system. Will the spirit of revolution which is spreading in Europe extend to the shores of the Western hemisphere, aided, perhaps, by another period of hard times? It is worth noting here that Mr. John D. Rockefeller is quoted by a Boston journal as having recently said:— The American people are about to suffer from their greatest panic. . . . Where there were three million men out of work in 1893, there will be ten million in idleness when the next attack of hard times comes upon us. A world-wide uprising of the discontented classes against the possessors of wealth and the forces maintaining existing political and industrial regimes, is a vision of a large class of industrial agitators. A noted individual of this class, speaking of coming revolution, said: “The revolution will be joined by the workers of every country; . . . a general, popular uprising. This we regard as inevitable.” It requires no great stretch of imagination to see a connection between these things and the picture of world-wide confusion and strife which has been presented through the spirit of prophecy as the condition which will soon be reached in the world. It requires no extraordinary vision to discern the signs of the times.