Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-11-21


reduce wages, and he did abolish labor
organizations. Nor is this all. Corbn's
villainies did reach the attention of Con-
gress, and a committee of that body
passed judgment upon him, the first in
stance on record, and now the scoundrel
is known to the nation, not only as q
| tyrant, but pirate as well, a brass
checked, bronzed-faced monstrosity,
who, metaphorically at least, is gibbeted
before the world, and has become the
target for the righteous maledictions of
all men who abhor hypocrisy and de-
pravity.
Such is the imperfect Characterization
of the man who stains the pages of the
North Ame1fcdn RerieU with the venom
of intense hatred, but the excessive ma
lignity of the attack, like the overdose
of some poisons, defeats the purpose in
not harmed, Corbin, by law of retribu-
tive justice, is made more conspicuously
Infamous.
In what regard, we inquire, are labor
organizations tyranncal? Throughout
their entire history they have sought to
achieve for workingmen better condi-
tions. Not by antagonizing capital, but
by defeating the impoverishing and de-
grading schemes of such heartless scoun-
drels as Austin Corbin. To defend labor
organizations when attacked by such
knaves as Austin Corbin it is not required
to say that they have made no mistakes;
that every movement and method has
been perfection, the embodiment of wis
dom, and therefore deserving of approv-
al. Labor organizations are human, and
therefore fallible. This may be said
with equal propriety of all human organ
izations, including the church; but it
may be said, and should be said, for it is
an eternal truth, as imperishabe as the
pillars of Gods throne, that from first to
last, everywhere, in all zones that belt
the earth, where there has been labor
organization, their purpose has been to
resist tyranny, oppression, despotism
and degradation; to obtain fair wages for
work; to elevate their membership in
the scale of being; to obtain food, cloth
ing and shelter befitting human beings,
and something more for rainy days, for
sickness and old age; to advance in edu-
cational power consideration and influ-
ence; in moral excellence, in culture and
refinement; to awaken noble aspirations,
that i'll all things pertaining to citizen
ship there should be such development
of mind forces, such comprehension of
duties and prerogatives as would re-
| dound to the welfare of the state and be
accepted as guarantees of the perpetuity
of free institutions. Such are the unde-
niable facts of history relating to labor
| organizations. They have been written
in tears and blood, with "an iron pen
and lead in the rock forever" The
chronicles are filled with records of vic
tories and defeats, but every repulse has
inspired defiance, and every triumph
has emphasized the conquering truth
that
Freedoms battle, oft begun
Bequeathd from bleeding sire to son,
Tho batiied oft is ever won'
And in confirmation of the truth, there
is not breeze nor gale that freshens
and blows in all our broad land, from
ocean to ocean, from gulf to inland sea
that does not touch and unfold the
banner of a labor organization bearing
the motto: "The final triumph of labor
draweth nigh" And yet it is these labor
organizations that Austin Corbin, the
bloated, cash cursed representative of
ideas as hostile to American institutions
and to the genius of our government as
ever sent head to the block or neck
to the halter, seeks to overthrow. What
are the methods employed by virtue OF
which he has gained temporary victory
list. To give employment to no mar
who is member of a labor organization
I'd. To require pledge of every MAJ
employed that he will not join labo
organization.
Sd. Men employed who favor labor or
CARNATIONS are required to abandon thei
work.
4th. Promotions are entirely confined
to men of undoubted loyalty to Corbir
and his policy.
Corbin has at least $4,000 men in hi
employ who have yielded to his enslav
ing program. They have renounceC
their rights as men and as citizens; the,
and their wives and children are Corbin'
slaves; they are reduced to commodities
they are Corbin's chattels; and this condi
tion of degrading servitude, of monstrou
, tyranny, comes at time when the eman
, cipated African slaves and their descend
} ants are manfully asserting and main
tanning rights which Corbin's employees
for considerations of bread and meat
throw to the winds. 1t is such fact
that compelled the Congressional Com
; mittee to declare that Corbin was "Rus
| sianizing" the anthracite regions O
2 Pennsylvania.
= 1t must not be assumed that Corbin
J the only tyrant who rushes into prin
=: with his pleas to "eXcuse his devilisl
deeds" He is not the only gold-plate,
J giant who uses his tyrannous strength t.
a crush labor organizations. He may b.
; more soulless than others of his type
[ may have more rattles on his tail ant
! more fangs in his mouth; he may be tn
representative reptile; he may take NOR
delight than Others in seeing men resigI
, their hopes, renounce their rights anC
forget their wrongs when yielding Il
orders from his iron lips; but there are
others, animated by his example of in
fernal despotism, who, reveling in the
weakness and wickedness of luxurious
power, have determined to break the
bonds of brotherhood which bind man
to man, and, this accomplished, make
the very sun in the heavens blush for
the degeneracy of American citizens,
who resign their birth-right at time
when the school and the church, press,
poet and orator, the philanthropst and
the statesman would have the world be-
lieve that ours is the Gland of the free
and the home of the brave"
| The time has come for workingmen to
rise superior to faction, to look facts
squarely in the face, and determine to
| unity, to federate, consolidate, and there
by successfully resist the encroachments
upon their rights and liberties by such
men as Austin Corbin.
What IA Woman Reads.