The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-02-16

InS conspiracy OI bHc THiirOuu ulreC-
tors to keep down the rate of
wages was injuring the business of
an entire community, because the
shopllcepers who traded with the
railroad hands were losing good GUS
toners, and the community itself was
being impoverished. If the law still
favored the capitalistic conspirators
instead of the labor conspirators,"
the conspiracy laws themsclves-long
n hateful tyranny to workingmen--
would be made the subject of an utter
ance to the lawmalting power.
Now all this is not creating new
political party. 1t is simply bringing
the power of organized labor to bear
on authority. Moreover, the redress
thus sought would be obtained far
more speedily than through the pres
ent method of waiting for election day
to come around, not to mention that
as matters stand now there Is no CEN
trail power with authority to voice
the demands of labor generally. OF
course there exist very adequate
means Of setting forth the wishes OF
influential sections of the working
classes. The difficulty has heretofore
been that there was no harmony in
the multitude of plans for relief.
When tho labor organizations have
formally allied themselves, 1t will be
possible, think, to secure such re-
forms as government ownership of
railways and the telegraph far more
speedily than through any other chan
mel of public opinion. One of the
chief tasks of the new regime will be
to push these favorite measures by an
active propaganda. Another thing
will be the Cancellation of those ele-
ments opposed to labor unions by a
series of actions and utterances that
will show how fair-minded working
men really are. 1t will be made clear
that everybody's interest is to let the
worlingman be prosperous.
From present appearances there is
likely to be no great difference of
opinion among the members of the
committee on the subject of organiza-
tion. There may be what may be
termed an advisory council, in which
the referendum will form court of
last resort. For l am convinced that
the unions will never submit to the
dictation of a federate committee. The
present subsection to capitalistic
tyranny is SO hateful that relief will
not be sought in subjection to any.
thing equally unrepresentative. The
functions of the advisory council may
be to outline policies and recommend
measures. These policies and meas
ures should in turn be submitted to a
referendum on organized labor and the
majority vote ought to decide. 1t
seems to me that when the one million
or more of union workmen have voted
among themselves on ASCERTAIN meas
ure and have agreed upon It with
practical unanimity, the result upon
the lawmaking power will not fail to
be satisfactory.
AS have said, workingmen are not
in favor of strikes until every other
fair means to obtain redress has failed
Under an amalgamation of labor or
ders large general strike would be
less likely to occur because such
variety of different trades would be
called upon to participate and the gen.
cral discussion would tend to evolve
some satisfactory plan of settlement.
If the demand of the men were fair,
the discussion would enlist public SYM
pathy and bring moral as well as gen.
eral victory. And If the demands OF
the men themselves were not fair, theiI
brother unionists would be the first t.
acknowledge the fact.
This naturally leads to the old cues.
ton of the temptations labor leaders
are asserted to be under to show their
authority by precipitating strike
the bigger the better. 1t never seems
to occur to outsiders that the most
to suffer by strikes are the labor lead
ers themselves. If the leaders were
the selfish and mercenary creatures
their enemies make them out to be,
living in luxury and travelling in state,
they would naturally dread a strike.
For their revenues and the revenues of
their orders come exclusively from the
wages of the members, Throw those
members out of employment and those
revenues cease. The treasury Of the
order is drained for their support and
a momentous responsibility is thrown
upon the labor leader. Why. then,
should he long to bring about a strike?
Why should he be so anxious to leave
his fine horses and his carriages, his
picture galleries and conservatories, to
say nothing of his hosts of friends in
the -Four Hundred, for whom he sets the
fashion, to lead lot of impoverished
wageworl1ers, i'll clothed and i'll fed as
they frequently are, when in nine
cases out of ten the result is so ag-
gravating to himself? The public.
spirited men who have been denounc'
ing the new scheme of alliance as a
provocation to strikes on n gigantic
scale, owing to the bullying labor
leaders, can, no doubt, answer these
questions.
In fine, Ghe workingmen of the United
States have been forced to consider
and act upon this contemplated alli
ance. believe it will be a success
that it will bring harmony, redress
many wrongs and lead to the ultimatt
emancipation of labor.