nce in this country,
businesses of this character (anthracite coal mining) must be handled
with extraordinary caution." Which is to say, that to withstand the
advance of socialism, a great and greater measure of Mr. Ghent's
_benevolence_ will be required.

Again and again, Mr. Brooks reiterates the danger he sees in harshly
treating labor. "It is not probable that employers can destroy unionism
in the United States. Adroit and desperate attempts will, however, be
made, if we mean by unionism the undisciplined and aggressive fact of
vigorous and determined organizations. If capital should prove too
strong in this struggle, the result is easy to predict. The employers
have only to convince organized labor that it cannot hold its own against
the capitalist manager, and the whole energy that now goes to the union
will turn to an aggressive political socialism. It will not be the
harmless sympathy with increased city and state functions which trade
unions already feel; it will become a turbulent political force bent upon
using every weapon of taxation against the rich."

"The most concrete impulse that now favors socialism in this country is
the insane purpose to deprive labor organizations of the full and
complete rights that go with federated unionism."

"That which teaches a union that it cannot succeed as a union turns it
toward socialism. In long strikes in towns like Marlboro and Brookfield
strong unions are defeated. Hundreds of men leave these towns for
shoe-centres like Brockton, where they are now voting the socialist
ticket. The socialist mayor of this city tells me, 'The men who come to
us now from towns where they have been thoroughly whipped in a strike are
among our most active working socialists.' The bitterness engendered by
this sense of defeat is turned to politics, as it will throughout the
whole country, if organization of labor is deprived of its rights."

"This enmity of capital to the trade union is watched with glee by every
intelligent socialist in our midst. Every union that is beaten or
discouraged in its struggle is ripening fruit for socialism."

"The real peril which we now face is the threat of a class conflict. If
capitalism insists upon the policy of outraging the saving aspiration of
the American workman to raise his standard of comfort and leisure, every
element of class conflict will strengthen among us."

"We have only to humiliate what is best in the trade union, and th