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• CHAPTER FIVE Labor i n th e Progressive Er a IN THE openin g scen e o f hi s film The Bank, Charli e Chapli n demonstrated th e gul f betwee n capita l an d labor . H e strod e purposefully int o a bank an d acros s t o th e safe . Havin g carefull y dialed th e correct combination , h e opened th e door, entered , an d reemerged carryin g a mo p an d pail . I n Why is there no Socialism in the United States? (1906), b y Germa n politica l scientis t Werne r Sombart, Sombar t believe d tha t America n worker s wer e s o wel l provided fo r tha t socialis m wa s no t neede d i n th e Unite d States . This woul d no t hav e bee n th e opinio n o f Russia n playwright , novelist, an d revolutionar y Maxi m Gorky . Gork y prophesie d i n In America the revolutio n an d horro r h e foresa w fo r th e Unite d States fro m th e unemploye d wh o woul d on e da y sprin g upo n New York , thei r hand s "unfettere d an d unrestrained,' ' an d who , "like rapaciou s marauders, " woul d reduc e th e cit y t o "dus t an d ashes—bricks an d pearls , gol d an d serf-flesh , th e unwashe d an d the idiots , th e churches , th e dirt-poisone d hotels , an d th e subtl e 20-storey skyscraper s . . . yes, reduc e the whole cit y to a muck heap , a pool o f stench an d huma n blood , int o th e origina l chao s whence i t came. " Gorky' s prophes y di d no t com e tru e althoug h 198 • AMERIC A I N TH E AGEOF THE TITANS there wer e time s whe n th e federa l governmen t feare d a workers' revolution, notabl y i n th e Grea t Re d Scar e of 1917-21 . From th e great railroa d strike s of the 1870 s through t o th e grea t sit-down strike s of the 1930s , American labo r history wa s violen t and turbulent . America n labo r wa s b y n o mean s passiv e t o th e rise of industrial capitalism , bu t when its vigorous struggles wer e turned int o sensationa l storie s o n th e fron t page s o f th e nation' s newspapers, publi c opinion wa s antagonize d agains t it . Thi s partl y explains wh y a coherent , working-clas s movemen t faile d t o de velop an d sustai n itsel f for an y lengt h o f time. Working in the Progressive Era The cente r o f labor conflic t wa s th e workplace. Whethe r tha t plac e was locate d i n a stee l mill , dow n a coal mine , o r o n th e water front , th e worl d o f the worke r wa s continuousl y changing . During th e Progressive Er a industrialists wer e trying t o reduc e the sudde n fluctuations o f economi c fortune s attendin g th e capi talist cycl e of booms an d slump s and , also , t o reorganiz e th e wor k process i n orde r t o improv e efficiency , stability , an d manage ment power . A t th e same tim e factorie s wer e growing rapidl y i n size, whil e th e for m o f thei r operation s wa s lengthenin g th e dis tance betwee n worke r an d boss . I n 1870 , onl y a fe w factorie s employed mor e tha n 50 0 people . However , b y 1900 , ove r a thousand ha d wor k force s i n exces s o f 500 . Fo r example , th e packing fir m Swif t & Co . expande d fro m it s singl e plan t wit h 1,600 worker s i n 188 6 t o seve n packin g houses , employin...

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