The lords of trade have their hundreds and
thousands of humble subordinates over whom
they rule, often with a rod of iron. They
may be turned away from work and wages
at any moment, by any whim of the selfish
employer. Hence, through fear of this, they
lose their manhood, and dare not assert even a
decision of their conscience. There is no more



316 WHITE SLAVES

melancholy sight to my eyes than that which I
often see nowadays — the former happy pos-
sessor of a shop or store, who has lived com-
fortably and with the true nobility of a citizen,
and whose family have felt the dignity of the
home, now made a clerk and drudge in a huge
establishment that, by its relentless use of
millions, has undermined and overthrown all
the independent stores of a large district, while
his family are thrust into the unsavory com-
munism of a tenement house, and lose all the
delicate refinements of a quiet home. It is
easy to saj^ that this is but the natural law of
trade. So to devour men is the natural law
of tigers. But this truth will not reconcile us
to the process. I f we ar e to stop men from
stealing directly, we can stop them from steal-
ing indirectly. If natural law works evil to
the community, we are to make statute law,
which will act as supernatural law, and control
the offensive principle. Unless we wish our
social equality destroyed, and a system of prac-
tical serfdom to take its place, we must put a
limit to the acts of greed, and so preserve the
independence of our citizens."



THE GOLD GOD OF MODERN SOCIETY 317

Every thoughtful observer of the "signs of
the times " knows that the deepest problem
of our age is the amicable solution of the
struggle between labor and capital. Some of




SOUTH IJOSTOJSr ItAG-PICKKBS.
