Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/457

 CAMPAIGN AGAINST GERMAN ORGANIZED LABOR 443

marks and then to disappear ; or agricultural laborers who have just come into town, and who regard the lowest wages paid in town as a tremendous run of luck in comparison with the earn- ings of agricultural labor. Besides these there are foreign laborers from countries very low in civilization, with limited needs, as, for instance, those from Russian Poland, Galicia, and to a certain extent also from Italy. The immigration from these countries into Germany is just now immense. It is very far from being true that all these are "elements of especial value to the state." Of course, all these ought to be protected against mal- administration or insult, just like the other citizens. The general protection of person and of property, the foundation of every civilized state, should be secured to them. But beyond that they deserve no further protection. Other social classes have an abundance of social and economic means of constraint which are highly disagreeable for those upon whom they are exercised, and which cannot be legally forbidden. Such means of con- straint must be conceded to the labor organizations also, so that they may attain their ends.

If the "voluntaries" are to be protected against such attempts at constraint by means in excess of general criminal law, every attempt of this sort must necessarily have the character of special legislation, and of assault upon the labor organizations. The "voluntaries " are the lowest strata of the labor element, who are either mentally or industrially too weak to push demands. If they are to be the ones who in the establishment of the condi- tions of labor are to be consulted in the first instance, these conditions of labor will always remain upon the plane that is most unfavorable to the laborers. Whoever protects and strengthens these elements thereby holds the whole labor popu- lation fast upon this lowest plane. He ties the hands of those who attempt in organizations to work themselves up a trifle higher. Hence the " protection of the voluntaries " is the battle- cry of all those who oppose the advancement of the laborers. Whoever, on the contrary, is of the opinion that this advance- ment of the laborers is for themselves, for the state and nation, for the historical development of mankind in general,