The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-05-04
TRADES UNIONS.
Mr.. j. r. Brandrup Reads an Inter-
esting Paper Upon Them
BEFORE the Social Science Club.
Their Relations to Society
Discussed.

at the beginning of the club year,
those papers which deal more directly
with strikes and labor unions happen
to have been placed upon dates which
mark deep unrest in labor circles
everywhere and no doubt added much
interest to the discussions which have
taken place at the last meetings OF
the Social Science Club. The paper
last evening was on Trades Unions, :"
and was presented by Mr.. j. r. Brand
rup. 1t showed considerable study or
the question, and while the subject is
a broad one-too broad for an even
ing's consideration of all its points, the
paper gave a comprehensive view OF
the situation from the union stand
point.
He reviewed the labor situation
from early times, and briefly sketched
the history of the first attempts at
the formation of labor organizations,
and the causes which led thereto.
The various labor organizations as
formed led precariOus existence
through the years that followed, I'M
til the present century, but did much
good in relieving the condition OF la
Dor. In the early attempts in Eng
land the clergy did a great deal for
the betterment of labor, by cOmbin-
ing and making demand for an in
crease in their wages. He then fol-
lowed the struggle which took place
with the introduction of machinery
in England during the first years OF
the present century. War had reduc-
ed the condition of English labor to a
most pitiable condition, and in many
instances workingmen were on the
verge of starvation. The introduce
tion of labor saving machinery which
dispensed with seven out of every
eight hands had an appalling effect
upon them. To their idea it cut ev-
cry chance of their ever working
again, and as result they formed the
strongest and most secret Organiza-
tion ever known in any country. The
object of those organizations was to
destroy these new machines and the
havoc they committed for several
years was immense. 1t was not until
some thirty of their ringleaders were
executed that these riots were stop
ped. This had very depressing effect
upon the cause of labor organizations
from which recovery was Slow. "It
was not until 1924 that combinations
for workingmen were rendered legal
for improving wages and reducing
hours of labor, and for these two pur-
poses alone" The statute which gave
this power was not satisfactory in ev-
cry respect, but it marked the pro-
gress made. Trades Unions, he said,
have been, and are to-day, regarded
unfavorably by a large portion of the
public. He believed this was because
very few people as, general thing,
az taken the trouble to look into
the matter and find out what they
really are. On this point he said:
sThey simply judge them from what
they read in the newspapers regard
ing outrageS and violence committed
on human beings or on property at
times of strikes and judge all union
lists by the wrongs committed by a
few men, who perhaps never had TAX
en- the obligations necessary to be-
come member of any of the different
societies. Outrages committed or
damage done to property in times of
+n;ly 81 nI h on
who are not loyal to their organiZa-
but plunge ahead without thinking
that one of the fundamental rules OF
an organization of this kind is to act
peacefully Another thing to consid-
er is that we cannot expect to find a
large number of men, composed of all
nationalities, uniting without finding
a few black sheep among them and fol-
the crimes committed by these few at
times of stikes, the whole Trades I'm
ions have been condemned time anC
again. The instructions given by the
leaders of organizations in time of {
strike invariably are to protect the
property belonging to their masters.
He then considered the charge that
membership of union deprived the
workingman of his liberty, but coulC
find nothing to warrant the assertion
Because they delegate the task of ask
ing for greater wages or less hours, in
stead of asking personally, he hel(
was no more deprivation of libert,
than for client to hire a lawyer tt
plead his case before jury. He die
not believe unions were the cause O
hostility between capital and labor
but were rather the results of the sc
called hostility.
Taking up the charge that union
are organized for the purpose of strikes
only, he proceeded to show that thi
is not so, and touched at some lengt
upon the general benefits arising there
from in the way of benevolent an
educational work, and also the wor
they have done in securing Shorte
hours, and the general effect of thi
upon all classes of labor in which h
&c in