People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-10-21

lect of the associations work is to cause
the defeat of any candidate who is in
sympathy with any movement looking
to the reduction of freight rates by
statute. Mr.. Reese says the efforts of
the association in Kansas will be direct
ed toward defeating the success of the
fusion of democrats and populists, as
they have enough votes to hold the bal
4nce OF power, and they don't propose
to cast them for that party which would
legislate against their interests"
This is equivalent to statement that
the object of the National Railways
Employees association is to fight the
peoples party.
| respectfully submit to all members
Of such association that the above
language indicates:
l. An utter misconception of the
scope, aims and purposes of organized
labor.
>. A peculiar schism, or division in
sentiment, with dangerous tendency,
existing in the ranks of organized la
Dor.
5. A gross misrepresentation of the
true status of railroad corporations and
their capitalized fraud; in that it is as
sumed that a reduction of freight and
passenger rates must necessarily reduce
wages of railroad employees.
4. A lack of familiarity with the well
worn adage: 1T is poor rule which
will not work both ways"
Twill present few ideas in support
Of the foregoing propositions:
|. An utter misconception of the
scope, aims and purposes of organized
labor. We're the question asked For
what purpose does labor organizer" nc
one would, for moment, think of an
swering, ito further the ends and
protect the interests of the holders Of
railroad stocks and bonds" Still les,
would they be likely to answer: "TC
form an alliance, offensive and de
fensive, with organized greed and cap
italized fraud, in opposition to the PEG
pies demand for equity and justice. g
1t is commonly supposed that the ends
to be attained and the principles. to be
covered by organizations of railroad
employees are the enforced compliance
on the part of railroad corporations
with the just demands of their EN-.
ployes and the practical illustration Of
the basic axiom, that IAN injury to one
is the concern of all" Ithas been predi.
Gated and predicted of organized rail
road labor that its mission would be tC
defeat any attempt on the part of the
railroad corporations to infringe upo1
the rights, or reduce the wages of the
employees, by presenting a solid anC
united resistance to such ac
ton. Indeed, it has been con
fdently expected that, instead
of uniting with corporate monopoly in
its aggressive fight against the libertie.
and fortunes of the American people
the railroad employees of the United
States were organizing to protect theil
own interests and maintain their scale
Of wages, to the end that they may not
be crushed between the upper and
neither millstones of the peoples de.
mands and corporate rapacity. That
is to say, that in the impending mighty
struggle between the American citizen
and the almighty dollar, organized Ia
Dor would see to it that the attack Of
the peoples hosts upon an encroaching
plutocracy was not diverted against
the guiltless army Of toilers upon the
peoples highways.
.. A peculiar schism and division O
sentiment, with dangerous trend, ex
isting in the ranks of organized labor
The proposed action in its closest anal
ySis presents this proposition on the
part of the organized labor: That tn,
people in their struggle for liberty anC
warfare against oppression and spolia
ton, must not attempt to reduce tn,
extortionate tribute exacted from them
for fear Of reducing the wages of tn,
sons Of toll who are fortunate enough t
have to depend upon corporate monopo
lies generosity for "a bare subsistence.
For what then is labor organizing AM
what good purpose can be subserved b,
the federation of labor? Suppose tina
from the same standpoint and for tn
same reason the street railway employee
of America should oppose all Legislation
looking toward the imposition of
charge for street railway franchise:
and the regulation of rates of transpor
tation. Or the telegraph operators con
clude to oppose to the bitter end Wana
makers postal telegraph scheme. Ant
what if packing house and stock yart
employees should unite in opposition Il
all efforts on the part of the people t,
destroy the trust known as the bee
combine or the "Big Four" and to es
tablish some semblance to competition
in the conduct of live stock commission
yards? Then the cashiers, tellers ant
bank employees generally. mipht stead;
ly oppose the popular demand for tn
abolition of banks of issue and the issu
ance of money direct to the people
at low rate Of interest upon approve,
security. The result would be tina
sordid selfshness, acting upon an in
dividualistic plane, would clog tn
wheels of progress of modern civiliza
ton, and preclude all possibility o
united collective action in the directio,