individualism,--of group individualism,--if the
confusion of terms may be permitted?

But the facts of the class struggle are deeper and more significant than
have so far been presented. A million or so of workmen may organize for
the pursuit of interests which engender class antagonism and strife, and
at the same time be unconscious of what is engendered. But when a
million or so of workmen show unmistakable signs of being conscious of
their class,--of being, in short, class conscious,--then the situation
grows serious. The uncompromising and terrible hatred of the
trade-unionist for a scab is the hatred of a class for a traitor to that
class,--while the hatred of a trade-unionist for the militia is the
hatred of a class for a weapon wielded by the class with which it is
fighting. No workman can be true to his class and at the same time be a
member of the militia: this is the dictum of the labor leaders.

In the town of the writer, the good citizens, when they get up a Fourth
of July parade and invite the labor unions to participate, are informed
by the unions that they will not march in the parade if the militia
marches. Article 8 of the constitution of the Painters' and Decorators'
Union of Schenectady provides that a member must not be a "militiaman,
special police officer, or deputy marshal in the employ of corporations
or individuals during strikes, lockouts, or other labor difficulties, and
any member occupying any of the above positions will be debarred from
membership." Mr. William Potter was a member of this union and a member
of the National Guard. As a result, because he obeyed the order of the
Governor when his company was ordered out to suppress rioting, he was
expelled from his union. Also his union demanded his employers, Shafer &
Barry, to discharge him from their service. This they complied with,
rather than face the threatened strike.

Mr. Robert L. Walker, first lieutenant of the Light Guards, a New Haven
militia company, recently resigned. His reason was, that he was a member
of the Car Builders' Union, and that the two organizations were
antagonistic to each other. During a New Orleans street-car strike not
long ago, a whole company of militia, called out to protect non-union
men, resigned in a body. Mr. John Mulholland, president of the
International Association of Allied Metal Mechanics, has stated that he
does not want the members to join the militia. The Local Trades'
Assembly of