The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-09-02
FEDERATION.

EGUE6AIxON.
A significant incident Of the Home
stead lockout is the disposition mani
tested by many branches Of union
labor not to handle in their work
any material that comes from the
Carnegie factories.
This is both wise and just.
An unqualified endorsement of so
radical a measure will perhaps startle
some of our more conservative read
ers, especially those who are not
familiar with the actual conditions
that labor has to meet. The Home
stead lockout accentuates the fact
that labor is indebted to protection
for nothing; that wherever labor has
secured an advance in it's wages, a
decrease in the number OF hours of
toll, Or any privilege that anchor
ates it's condition, it has wrested it
from protected capital
BY VIRTUE OF ORGANIZATION.
Whenever toll has averted disaster
in the shape of increase in the hours
OF daily labor, reduction in the
amount of it's stipend, or depriva-
ton of any of the privileges it has Sc
cured, it has done so solely by virtue
OF organization. Incontrovertible
evidence OF this truth is found in the
fact that organization is the core of
difficulty over which the gigantic
struggle at Homestead is waged, and
not the question of few dollars diff
ference in salaries. Carnegn refuses
to recognize Organized Labor; there's
the rub. Has he not repeatedly Of
fered to treat with the men as indi-
Viduais? He has squandered hun
dreds of thousands OF dollars, sacri-
feed score of lives, and called out,
at enormous cost to the state, the en-
tire military power OF Pennsylvania.
What for?
To save a few dollars salary ex-
penses? Spend a thousand dollars to
save ten? Not at all
To break down organized labor;
that is what 1T is all for, and the
Scotch baron says he will let the
grass grow over his Homestead
works before he will recognize the
men in any other way than as indi-
viduals.
If organization was not the effec-
tive instrument we aver, do you sup
pose Carnegie would wage such dead
ly warfare against it? The interests
of union labor everywhere are in
volved in this struggle. If all the
builders and all the railroad opera
tives, and all others who have occa-
sion to use such material would re-
fuse to touch the product OF the
Carnegie mills, it would compel them
to capitulate or close the works for
good, despite the drawback of non
union labor.
Unorganized or "scab'' labor is the
club wherewith the corporations
have in the past defeated Toll in it's
struggle. They have divided the
hosts of toll and used one portion as
a deadly weapon to destroy the
other. Such tactics are possible only
by reason of the fact that the unjust
economic laws which have rapidly
increased the numbers and the pov-
erty OF the poor and multiplied the
riches OF the wealthy, have produced
a vast army OF workmen who must
have employment or starve.
Labor is now learning the lesson of
ballots. It has discovered the source
OF it's woes in the iniquitous laws by
which it has been despoiled of it's
earnings and the booty converted to
the swollen Golfers of Wealth.
Its remedy is the Ballot and it's
hope for the salvation OF it's interests
which are the interests of the ma
tion--is in the peoples party We
commend it's platform and it's litera-
ture to the consideration of everv
working man.
In the meantime the most effective
means OF protection for the interests
OF labor is in the federation OF it's or
carnations and their loyalsupport OF
one another. Labor has the power,
either in the form of ballots or fed
GRAFTON, to preserve it's integrity, if it
do but make intelligent use OF it's
weapons.
Here is another instance, to con-