Now, we know, you and I, that these remedies wouldn’t cure the faults that we can see.  We know that in Russia they’re worse off for the way they’ve heeded Lenine and Trotzky and their crew.  We know that you can’t alter human nature that way, and that when customs and institutions have grown up for thousands of years it’s because most people have found them good and useful.  But here’s puir Jock!  What interests him is how he’s to buy shoes for Jean and Andy, and a new dress for the wife, and milk for the wean that’s been ailing ever since she was born.  He hears the bairns crying, after they’re put to bed, because they’re hungry.  And he counts his siller wi’ the gude wife, every pay day, and they try to see what can they do without themselves that the bairns may be better off.

“Eh, man Jock, listen to me,” says the sleek, well fed agitator.  “Join us, and you’ll be able to live as well as the King himself.  Your employer’s robbing you.  He’s buying diamonds for his wife with the siller should be feeding your bairns.”

Foolishness?  Oh, aye—­but it’s easier for you and me to see than for Jock, is it no?

And just suppose, noo, that a union comes and Jock gets a chance to join it—­a real, old fashioned union, not one of the new sort that’s for upsetting everything.  It brings Jock and Sandy and Tom and all the rest of the men in the works together.  And there’s one man, speaking for a’ of them, to talk to the employer.

“The men maun have more money, sir,” he’ll say, respectfully.

“I cannot pay it,” says the employer.

“Then they’ll go out on strike,” says the union leader.

And the employer will whine and complain!  But, do you mind, the shoe’s on the other foot the noo!  For now, if they all quit, it hurts him.  He wouldna mind Jock quitting, sae lang as the rest stayed.  But when they all go out together it shuts doon his works, and he begins to lose siller.  And so he’s likely to find that he can squeeze out a few shillings extra for each man’s pay envelope, though that had seemed so impossible before.  Jock, by himself, is weak, and at his employer’s mercy.  But Jock, leagued with all the other men in the works, has power.

Now, I hear a lot of talk from employers that sounds fine but is no better, when you come to pick it to pieces, than the talk of the agitators.  Oh, I’ll believe you if you tell me they’re sincere, and believe what they say!  But that does not mak’ it richt for me to believe them, too!

Here’s your employer who won’t deal with a union.

“Every man in my shop can come to my office at any time and talk to me,” he’ll say.  “He needs no union delegate to speak for him.  I’ll talk to the men any time, and do everything I can to adjust any legitimate grievance they may have.  But I won’t deal with men who presume to speak for them—­with union delegates and leaders.”