ery necessary to exercise its functions."

The employers say that trade unionists are not abiding by the recommendation of President Gompers, that unions shall not insist on changing labor conditions during the war, so they want action.

While President Gompers never made this statement, and has made repeated denials of this ridiculous claim, some employers persist in their contrary claims.

And in the meantime they are waiting for labor to accept salvation by the compulsory arbitration route.

WANT VOLUNTEER WORKERS. Washington. For the purpose of mobilizing workers during the war period, the Federal Department of Labor has organized the "United States Public Service Reserve."

Shop executives, skilled craftsmen, railroad men, lumber men, nurses, clerks, etc., who are in a position to and the Government by working elsewhere, are asked to become members Each of this public service reserve. applicant will furnish, on blanks provided for this purpose, general information regarding ability.

The Department of Labor gives assurance that claims of labor shortage will be first investigated, that all labor in that particular locality may be first utilized before other workers are assigned. "This," says the department, "will simplify the problem of labor readjustment after the war."

Where workers join the reserve and are notified of opportunities elsewhere, they are asked to consult their employer, if possible.

Membership in the reserve is entirely voluntary, and no penalty is attached to this movement, which is intended solely to list those workers in the country who are so situated that they can be moved quickly on work intended for war use.

Employers will be asked to assist, that the distribution of labor may be made as far as possible.

WEEPS FOR CHILDREN. Baltimore.-W. E. Robinson, a Belair (Md.) canner, is heartbroken because the Keating-Owen child labor law has forced him to employ men and women instead of little children. In a letter to a local newspaper, Mr. Robinson says:

"Since the 1st of September I have not permitted these boys and girls to work in my factory. They are healthful, industrious youngsters, and the work they have been doing was very beneficial to them, mentally and physically. But my heart aches for them now. Their parents are all at work in the factory. Where are these husky boys and girls? What are they doing?

"The advocates of this child labor law have undertaken a serious responsibility. I sincerely trust the Supreme Court of the United States will declare it unconstitutional, and I hope Congress can wake up to the absurdity of it, as it now stands, and repeal or at least modify it."

LITERATURE MADE EASY.

A man wrote to the editor of a small weekly newspaper asking a very simple question: "How can I get an article into your esteemed paper?" and the cruel editor wrote in reply: "It all depends on the kind of article you want to get into our paper. If it is small in bulk, like a hairbrush or a teacaddy, for instance, spread the paper out on the floor nice and smooth, place the article exactly in the center, neatly fold the edges over it, and tie with a string. This will keep the article from slipping out. If, on the other hand, the article is an English bathtub or a clotheshorse, you will find one of the New York Sunday papers better suited to your purpose."

"Waiter," said a traveler in a railroad restaurant, "did you say I had twenty minutes to wait, or that it was twenty minutes to eight?"

"Nayther. Oi said ye had twenty minutes to ate, an' that's all ye did have-an' yer train's just gone."

NEW YORK. THE SOCIALISTS.

To the Editor:

We hear a good deal about these would-be moulders of public opinion, the "soapbox" orators, who infest certain street corners in all our principal cities. These talkers are on fire with the desire to make much of themselves, who, being unable to break into the newspapers, or pay for a hall, or steal a pulpit, take their stand upon some box and hurl their notions at the heads of those who have the time to listen or the curiosity to learn what the noise is all about.

Anything that is considered too rank or dangerous for most men and women to hear is popular with these industrial reformers of the world. Nothing that is conventional, agreeable, cheery or pleasant is ever considered of enough importance to occupy the time of these apostles of gab and twaddle. The soapbox platform is the last resort of the noisy and opinionated soul who believes that Socialism will make this world a heaven; that all rich men are sinners and that all poor men are saints, tramps a benediction and work the sum of all evil.

Our country is at war and the unrestrained speech of the ignorant and the disloyal is not one of the safeguards of liberty. It is not necessary and it is not a good thing. If President Wilson thinks it necessary to subject the press and thought of more than one hundred million people to the intellectual fancy of a single person, why should these ranters be allowed to display their ignorance and spray their venom over an audience

If the speaker is endeavoring to spread the theories of Socialism, he

of the world in its hands to-day. The plutocrats, doddering and senile, may go on bankrupting themselves purchasing fighting gear, but it is up to the Socialists to see that it is not used."

This is what the Socialists said before the war, but what did they do? They went to war, fought for the hated capitalistic tyrants as willingly as any other class possibly could. The Vorwaerts, the leading advocate of Socialism in Germany, is quoted as follows: "The Kaiser has shown himself the friend of universal peace. In the case of the present war it is the duty of every Social Democrat to do his best fighting beside his fellowcountrymen, especially when operations are directed against Russia. We urge comrades to set aside the aims and purposes of their party and have just one fact in mind: that Germany, and, in a large sense, all Europe, is endangered by Russian despotism. Every Social Democrat will be expected to do his duty toward his fatherland, culture and humanity."

Several months before the present war was declared the Socialists in the Reichstag voted for war appropriations. And this is the way they attempt to excuse themselves: "We had not agreed upon a practical anti-war program." The confession of a fault to excuse a crime. "Socialists are not martyrs." Then they should cease prating about "revolution."

The inherent character of the Socialist movement partakes of the weakness, ignorance, childish enthusiasm and perverse objection to authority which characterizes its constituents. It attracts the discontented and the half-informed weaklings in all the walks of life. It is a resort for the mentally sick, and a haven for cranks and dreamers.

The movement has produced leaders of its own kind, talkers but not doers. Wild dreamers full of bluff and bluster. Always orators and nothing else. The party has chosen as its speakers, not the careful and the constructive thinkers but the boldest and noisiest talkers. These talkers are worse than worthless now. A lot of dryrotted parliamentarians, every one of them secretly desiring a German triumph. In most cases he is an enemy, either because of some inherited hatred of England, or of a secret pro-Germanism. In some cases he is a natural born ass and should be put with the Huns in some concentration camp.

Talk about peace now! Germany wanted war and Uncle Sam will give her war until she cries enough. Licked and licked thoroughly. Uncle Sam was slow enough to take his coat off, but the job will be finished and finished right when he puts it on.

In my humble opinion Socialism will never be a success because its leaders do not believe in or teach individual morality. They never have and do not now insist upon the importance of personality and of leadership. One never hears in their meetings the need of placing principle above material gain, especially when they hold that there is, in all probability, no hereafter, and that the present life constitutes all. A foundation built of rotten bricks will be a rotten foundation in spite of all the paint or plaster that can be put upon it.

A revolution which rejects Christianity is doomed from the beginning. It is a ship sailing upon a sea of blood, and its captain is despair. There is no port to which its bow is

turned and the future promises nothing. It is a revolution in the wrong direction and partakes more of backwardness than of progress. Without faith in an overruling providence, wiser and stronger than man, a SOcial movement of any kind must sink and vanish in the sands of time. Socialism promises the world a new age -a new age without a heart. Is this to be their compensation for sacrifice and trial? If so let me not be counted among their number.

Come now, let us see if the Socialists really do object to war? And we will refer this question to the leading Socialists themselves. John Spargo thus expresses himself: "I am not opposed to sabotage (the destruction of property) because of any love of law and order. If the

class to which I belong could be set free from exploitation by violation of the laws made by the master class, by open rebellion, by seizing the property of the rich, or setting the torch to a few buildings, or by summary execution of a few members of the possessing class, I hope that the courage to share in the work should be mine. I should pray for the courage and hardness of heart necessary."

There is only room for one more quotation of the many in our possession. Dr. Bouck White in a debate said: "If violence would do the trick, there is no violence we would not resort to. If dynamite would blow from the earth the capitalist class, we would sell the coats from off our backs to-morrow to buy the dynamite with which to do it."

These words are from sincere sources at least, but the great majority of Socialists will do or say anything to promote the cause of Socialism. It is laughable to hear their speakers object to war on humanitarian grounds. One might as well say that friendly thieves do not steal from one another because of their innate love of honesty. Nonsense! If the red flag should call the Socialists tomorrow the great majority would respond as soldiers.

Most people believe in war whether they are willing to acknowledge it or not. Let us picture a possible experience. I am doing my work, an individual objects and attacks me, grasping me by the throat in an attempt to strangle me. What shall I do? What would you do, reader? Shall I let this murderous fellow have his way? Shall I not defend myself to the best of my ability? Under these circumstances I would not wish to die, and would not if hard fighting would save me. This is war on a small scale.

A

Now let us suppose that a nation is attacked by another. One that has long been rattling its sabers and waiting for "the day." What shall the attacked nation do? Shall it protect itself or give way to despotism? In either case this is war as it is generally understood; even if there are certain men here and who reap gain from the sale of munitions, that does not in any way affect our country's right to protect itself. The slur so often cast against clergymen by socialists that they are offering conflicting prayers to an all-wise and patient Providence for the victory of their respective countries is childish. clergyman's prayer is just as personal as his vote; it is not a church matter at all. Nor can it be truly said that such men are luring the poor, simple and childlike workmen on to slaughter while they remain at home with the "capitalists," for in this war clergymen of all faiths as well as the sons of rich parents are going to the front in thousands. Do not let us as workmen be deceived into believing that any and every writer and talker is telling the truth who is able to attract our attention by exaggerating the reports of slaughter and suffering now coming from Europe's battlefields. Try to learn what the writer or the talker's viewpoint is, and this will enable one to judge to some extent at least the merits of the argument presented. If a Socialist censures the Christians of today for not stopping the war, remember that the Socialist does not believe in Christians, that

he is only erecting a figure for the purpose of knocking it down for our edification.

There is, no doubt, back of all pretense and diplomatic sparring, a great deal of injustice which is traceable to the selfishness of the individual. If this is So, no matter what peace treaties may be established, or systems of governments inaugurated, no permanent good can exist until the individual units of every social structure has some conception at least of human brotherhood. This world will never be better until justice has been applied to the social, economic, industrial and political life. To enthrone love instead of selfishness, and human life in place of gold, are the duties resting on every one who calls himself a Christian.

WILLIAM HAVENSTRITE.

Local No. 1.

BOSTON.

A Word for Private Enterprise. To the Editor:

The primary and necessary functions of government are to maintain the peace and execute justice between the different members of society; but all civilized governments are charged with other duties which it has been found they can perform, if not in a better, yet in a more uniform and convenient manner than private citizens, and which are also incidentally of political importance. Some of these duties are to conduct the post office by which intercourse by letters, and the dissemination of printed information is made uniformly easy and cheap all over the country; the free education of youth; the protection and improvement of harbors, the survey of lands, the recording of deeds, which are the tokens of ownership of lands; the care of public health, and the abolition of nuisances; the care of roads and bridges, and many others.

Some of the above matters are left to the care of the Federal Government, others are assigned to the various States, and yet still others are

taken care of by the city and county governments.

Because of various arguments appearing in the columns of the Journal from time to time, most of which have favored the taking over by the Government of about everything that is now operated by private enterprise, I have a few words to say.

I wish the readers of this article to remember that private enterprise would perform all the matters now left to the Government in a much more satisfactory way. Because we assign to the Government some duties, therefore which private citizens could, and often would, perform in a better manner than the Government, this does not prove that the Government ought to extend such operations and intrude into the great field of private enterprise; and yet we all know there is a constant tendency toward such extension. Thus it is maintained by some persons that the Government ought to be a carrier of parcels, and thus assume the functions of an express company. Others wish it to take possession of the telephone, and telegraph, while others imagine that it ought to own and manage the railroads. Various reasons lead men to these notions, such as impatience under delays or inconvenience, etc., disappointed business rivalries; hopes of gain by selling out at a large price to the Government; a liking for grand operations, such as the Government alone can carry on, and a vague and ignorant belief that the Government can really transact business better than private persons.

Three good reasons why a government should be strictly confined to its proper functions are as follows: (1) It would have to increase greatly its staff of servants, which increases the patronage, which means the power of bribery possessed by those in power, and their means of corrupting the people, and thus encroaching upon our liberties; (2) it would greatly increase the amount of money to be handled by the Government and thus make the possession of power tempting to bad

men, which is another means toward the corruption of the people; (3) it would make the people dependent and deprive them of incentives to ingenuity and enterprise, and lead them to look to some power, outside themselves, for the management of their daily lives. All these are serious evils and if we had to choose it would be far wiser to turn the post office, public. educations, and roads, and all matters of that kind over to private enterprise than to allow the government to assume still other functions, such as the telegraph or managing the railroads.

We in the United States may not at any time have all the physical convenience which we might have for a while if the government did everything for us, but we have the means of peaceful progress, the certainty that we shall slowly but surely solve all the difficulties which press upon all civilized nations alike, and solve them without revolution, which means without permanent injury to society.

Local No. 4.

M. A. O'BRIEN, JR.

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

To the Editor:

Labor is getting more and more in the spotlight. Whilst master minds are conceiving and geniuses are creating unheard of appliances, it is after all up to some physical or muscular labor to produce what some other fellow has had in his brain.

On every board and mission created for war purposes organized labor is represented by representatives of its own choosing, and in nearly every contract let by the government union labor conditions and wages are provided for. This is a great achievement and we are confident that there will be no retracing, but advancing, of the strides forward thus taken. Let us make our loved country strong and victorious for the sake of humanity and thus insure for our children and their children the priceless heritage of liberty and democracy at the same time stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against the foes of democ