UNION PACIFIC EMPLOYES' MAGAZINE. VOL. V. HUMAN PROGRESS. prepared to be idle even for a short time without the effects A year has closed and a new being seen in the larder. one is before us. The masses have Wage earners form the great reason to feel that the past year mass of the population. Each have, has been a progressive one. True, theoretically, as great a voice in no one's particular formula for the affairs of the people as any; the relief of all ills has been still they have no practical voice adopted by the civilized world, in the control of affairs that are of but the needs and desires of the such vital importance to them. masses have been kept constantly Commercial and industrial depresat the front, have received more sions in America arise entirely or less attention from all. The from artificial causes the best year closes with the questions evidence possible that our affairs raised by the industrial masses are conducted on an erroneous standing paramount to all others. plan. Natural causes cut no figure The conflicts that have taken in the permanency of production. place whether classed as successful It is from the consumption of the for the side of labor or not, have products of labor that we live and been of a nature that have brought enjoy life. Commercial and finanthe burning question of the day cial depressions restrict producout more plainly and carried in- tion and, to the wage earner, vestigation and research to greater checks the means that comes to depths, to the disgust of many him to procure the necessities for who have panaceas to offer, inves- consumption; thus the over supply tigation being the ban of many which some say causes a restrictheorists. tion of production is not used up The results of the November as real necessity demands, thus elections indicate what men can prolonging the depressed period. do and that they are looking more Thus a people suffer through a to themselves for results than to season of depression while they appeals to others, that the princi- retain in full all the muscular and ple of self-government is growing brain force and willingness used deeper and wider. It is but the in the most active periods, and all slight harvest from the educational that is necessary for the produc-. seed sown in years past. tion of all the necessities and unThe year does not close with the limited supply of luxuries, with commercial and industrial condi- nature fully as generous and all tions exceedingly favorable for the natural material at hand on labor. No one feels changes there which to utilize that force,, still. so quickly or severely as does the accept the situation as a matter of wage earner. So few are ever course, having been led to halieva and it is in no way binding; that no rights are justly vested in any one that are not the equal rights Before the advancing light of knowledge the chimerical rights of kings and feudal lords have vanished and so will the deeded rights of the few to the monopoly of natural resources. that it results from natural causes over which no human being has power. To destroy this fallacy is the preliminary work necessary of every other human being. for a better state of affairs, that so long as there are human beings in need of any product of labor that there can be no such thing as an over supply, that so long as a man has the desire to labor that there should be no just cause why he should not have full access to the material necesary to labor on and full use of the results of his labor. Every man that is idle, every man that feels that his labor does not give him a proper return should study the cause. He may find that the remedy is simple The year closes with thousands enough, that it lays in the great of willing brains and hands idle, mass of mankind being awakened and thousands working find that to the fact that it should not be, that which is given them as the and it will not be so long. Manresult of their labor will not pro- kind suffers much from the belief vide the actual necessities of life, that they have to. It was simply and do what they can to regulate that that caused man to submit to the amount of wages received, the tyranny of a monarch. Even raising it to the satisfaction of doubt of his authority was horrimany, that at the end of the year or ble to contemplate. Some musseason they stand as before, that tered up courage enough to doubt they have not been able to regu- and even uncrown one and there late the amount paid out for ne- was no indication of divine wrath cessities, that in some way it but rather, on the contrary, demaverages about the same in in- onstrated that "God helps them crease as the wages do, they that help themselves." remaining in about the same posi- There is nothing within the tion. It indicates that the human reach of man that is above invesrace do not yet know how to live, tigation. Man can make no inthat as civilization has advanced fallable law that forever must be it has destroyed some of the fac- above question and perpetually ulties nature gave to aboriginal rule man. Man has tried it many man, for he found no occasion to times but invariably some doubter suffer so long as nature was gen- exposes its fallability and it fades We under our so-called away. Agitation now going on civilization suffer, with abundance is causing attacks on beliefs that on every hand and a practically have been recognized as law, exinexhaustable source from which posing their fallability and causto secure more, with the skill and ing their destruction. Agitation power necessary to prepare it stand- makes doubters and consequent ing idle. How long will man be investigators, and is therefore guilty of such folly? Not until he mankind's hope. In doing this learns his rights as a child of earth, there is no necessity for warfare that the rights of any one is equal between persons. There is not only to the rights of any other necessarily any conflict caused by one, that these are inalienable, personal hostility to those enjoythat even if ancestors did re- ing existing conditions. There nounce those rights or any part is nothing in danger of being taken of them they had no right to do so from them that is rightfully erous. their's. It is simply seeking the condition; but in the European right, and no one should have rea- races there is inherent sufficient son to regret the prevalence of personal ambition to rise in the right. A just man will aid inves- estimation of their fellow men to tigation of any doubt that contest that tendency and make may arise as to the justice of headway against it, and workmen his own position. The most revo- are beginning to understand that lutionary problem should be dis- as a class they can do nothing cussed by employer and employe without the aid of others and then jointly without in the least effec- class in that degree is not recogting their present industrial rela- nized. Federation is being talked tions, those should remain in for but how can federation exist their proper channels, improve- between two organizations when ments introduced as both see one by every way possible strives that it is right. to keep the other in an inferior Human progress is but the de- position? It cannot long; men struction of privileges conceeded a discover that real federation canfew. Legislation that mankind has not exist with that condition excause to be proud of has been isting, and it is forced to the only the repeal of existing laws or background finally to disappear, previous legislation. It depends and there is realized then the folly entirely on how well and rapidly of keeping up two organizations class distinction is eliminated. Or- when class cuts no figure in acganization of men that aids pro- complishing the just objects of gress recognizes no class. organization. It is towards this that the indus- Such indicates that men are trial organizations are seen to be progressing. China, with its going. Experience is demonstrat- complete class organization, has ing that no permanent good stood stationary for centuries. results from organization that The unambitious Chinaman is extends no further than class or content to remain in the class his trade; that when such does tem- birth designated to him. porarily result it is at the expense A dull period is often a blessing of others and the wider organiza- in disguise, especially when there tion extends the more plainly has proceeded agitation and the this is seen, that success of organi- formation of labor organizations zation on class basis depends en- have been active. Men see that it tirely on how well it can keep is often necessary to seek employother human beings back; hence ment at labor other than that the adoption of apprentice restric- they have taken pride in classing tions, the prevention of helpers themselves with. It acts as an and laborers acquiring skill in a educator. It is "putting yourself trade, being that which they need in his place." It demonstrates the most to cause them to enjoy how little there is in workingmen's more of life, but which class or- class distinction, how easily other ganizations say they must not powers tumble them all into the have but sentence them to remain same pit. It makes such see the where a certain age finds them. common enemy from the common Such does not aid human progress; level. it checks it; its tendency is to crystalize conditions as they are. It admits that one human being should be subservient to another if he is born or forced into that Mankind is laying every day some part of its future social structure. Some part of the material for it is being prepared. May we all see the new year be come the old with something of It is natural for man to demand such a prominent nature accom- attention when authority is placed plished that the agitators, the builders of the structure can point to it with pride and all mankind rejoice. A CAUSE. in his hands, as he was wont to give to others, the one that would thus show the "biggest head” being the one that would grovel the lowest to authority. Thus it is invariably found that the ones who are the hardest task masters; most exacting on those under A contributor to the December them, are the ones who have for number of the MAGAZINE calls at- years submitted to tyrany without tention to the "big head" disease. grumbling. The worst slave drivPeople suffering from it can hard- ers were those who were themly be classed as peculiar people, selves slaves and knew nothing because it is a disease that is but the severest treatment. Knowwidespread, and none of us can ing nothing else they acted as they declare with a certainty that when knew. conditions come to us favorable to the disease that we will not have a run of it in a greater or less degree. Our government is theoretically one of the people. The officers of the government are the servants of the people, not the masters; still, The boy with his first pair of we do not find this condition expants loves to strut and let others isting in practice. That old idea see he has them. It is as natural that we have inherited from our as eating. The grown boy cannot ancestor, when government was entirely outgrow these desires. In outside of the people, which must the youth there is no harm for be reveranced and in which the it in no way inflicts injury or pain masses never expected to take to others. In the elder it often takes the form of tyrany and makes him also at times appear as ridiculous as if he imitated the child. part, except to blindly support it, has not been bred out of the people yet. As of yore there is a sort of timidity shown when one dressed in uniform or clothed in There is a cause for this dispo- authority approaches. It is caused sition. Long years of acknowl- by the impress of aristocratic or edged rule of princes through the hereditary rule on the average superstitious belief in divinely mind. Instead of compelling officreated authority, bred into man a cers to perform the duties assignreverence for those in authority, ed to them as we would anyone in those in the lowest grade of intel- private life that was performing a ligence being effected the most. service for us, we fear them as The most ignorant always display masters. The result is seen in a veneration for the boss. The the dispictable condition of our degree is regulated by the degree municipal affairs and public enof intelligence, there being more terprises. or less of it to be found in most Some declare that republics are people. It will take many genera- experiments yet and because of tions of democratic surroundings some bad conditions believe monto eliminate it from the race suffi- archy would be preferable. They cient to not attract attention. It do not look deep enough for the is transmitted from father to son, causes of these bad features; they how the father acts being accepted do not realize that the bad feamore or less by the son as proper. tures are caused by the monarchial |