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Riis, Jacob A., 1849-1914

"The Making of an American"


But it was the only time I have been suspected of sympathy with
violence in the settlement of labor disputes. The trouble with
that plan is that it does not settle anything, but rakes up fresh
injuries to rankle indefinitely and widen the gap between the man
who does the work and the man who hires it done so that he may
have time to attend to his own. Both workmen, they only need to
understand each other and their common interests to see the folly of
quarrelling. To do that they must know one another; but a blow and
a kick are a poor introduction. I am not saying that the provocation
is not sometimes great; but better not. It does not do any good,
but a lot of harm. Besides, if we haven't got to the point yet where
we can settle our disputes peaceably by discussion, the fault is
not all the employers by any manner of means.
We jumped out of the ashes into the fire, as it turned out. At
Scranton our train was held up. There were torpedoes on the track;
rails torn up or something. For want of something better to do, we
went out to take a look at the town.


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