As we have seen, American labor has not been content with the traditional politico-economic optimism.

Like all aggressive men alive to their own interest, the laborer soon decided that what he really needed was not equal rights, but special opportunities.

He also soon learned that in order to get these special opportunities he must conquer them by main force--which he proceeded to do with, on the whole, about as much respect for the law as was exhibited by the big capitalists.

In spite of many setbacks the unionizing of industrial labor has been attended with almost as much success as the consolidating of industrial power and wealth; and now that the labor unions have earned the allegiance of their members by certain considerable and indispensable services, they find themselves placed, in the eyes of the law, in precisely the same situation as combinations of corporate wealth.

Both of these attempts at industrial organization are condemned by the Sherman Anti-Trust Law and by certain similar state legislation as conspiracies against the freedom of trade and industry.
The labor unions, consequently, like the big corporations, need legal recognition; and this legal recognition means in their case, also, substantial discrimination by the state in their favor.