A Revolution Called For
By L. A. S.
In a speech at Spring Valley, Ill., December 15, John Mitchell, the leader in the recent Pennsylvania coal strike, spoke of the prospect for peace between capitalists and the labor unions. He believed the outlook for peace was hopeful, but there was one condition. On this point he said:— I do not believe there is an irreconcilable conflict between capital and labor. I believe they are partners, but until there is a complete revolution of our present system of government, capital and labor will be in conflict, as will be the capitalist and the laborer. So then, there will be no peace between capital and labor, until there is “a complete revolution in our present system of government.” What kind of an outlook is that for peace in this country? Who wants to see our present system of government revolutionized? Not the plain, law-abiding citizen who believes in government of the people, by the people, for the people. But there are certain classes here who would like to see such a revolution. They are, first, unscrupulous men of wealth, organizers of unlawful combines, who would like to see constitutions, legislatures, and courts bend to the dictates of the money power; men who would like to set up an American oligarchy; second, the labor unions, which aspire to dictate to the employer regarding what men he shall employ, when he shall employ them, and how much he shall pay them, and to dictate to the individual laborer in the matter of securing a job. This class would institute in this country government by labor unions; and third, the class who would like to set up a theocracy, using the civil power to carry out the dictates of the church. If our present system of government is to be revolutionized, the new government must take one of these three forms. But by the side of this declaration by President Mitchell, that there must be “a complete revolution of our present system of government” before capital and labor can be at peace, put this statement made by Whitelaw Reid, in a recent address at Pittsburg, touching on the great coal strike:— This year there could be found no power in the State of Pennsylvania or in the United States to stop disorder and riot in the coal mines; and finally that imperative work had to be done by a volunteer from outside the constitutional processes or authority of the high office that intervened. President Roosevelt intervened, after it had been found that there was no governmental power in the State of Pennsylvania to end the strike. But neither could he as president, making use of any governmental power in the United States, effect this desired result. There was no power in the nation, State or federal, which could in any constitutional way be brought to bear to effect a settlement and restore peace. And resort was made to a process wholly outside the State and national systems of government. A strike commission was appointed to settle the whole difficulty by arbitration. By this act it was proclaimed that in the matter of settling this great strike, the most important thing before the nation, government in the United States had ceased to exist, and something outside the constitutional processes of republican government had to be substituted in its place. And this was government by arbitration. Let this precedent be followed up, as there is every reason to believe it will be, and “a complete revolution of our present system of government” will soon be here. L. A. S.