The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-07-27
L1B09 ORGANIZATIONS.

tive and il the affirmative. In
the negative by the casual OBJ
server who has given the subject
no thought, and il the afir.na-
tive, by the careful inqu;rinG
Business man VINO has taken the
time to look into The matter and
has given the subject careful con-
s;dcration. The ground for the
latter conclusion is based upon
the attitude taken by the old
brotherhoods toward the Alreri-
can Railway Union and its leader
Eugene V. Debs. The Brother
hood Of Locomotive Engineers,
the Order Of Railway Conductors
and the Brotherhood Of Train
men did not so out and evidently
looked 2lpon the De5s Union,
managed as it was with total DIS
regard Of reason and prudence,
as all organization destined to
smash itself to pieces upon the
rocks Of public disapproVal.
Chief Arthur Of tie Locomotive
Engineers, regarded the move
merit IS unjl:stitlab!c and rpirous.
Grand Master Wilkinson Of the
Brotherhood Of ,Trainlnen, de-
plorcd the state Of affairs created
by Deos, and his union took no
part i'll the strike. In a recent
interview he expressed some SEN
timents regarding the invio-
liability OF contracts that have
been read BY property owncrs,
sensible worl,i,g:rcn and friends
Of Law and crdei with both pleas
ire AID profit. lie declares that
"t.lc strength o. tle old brother-
moods lies i'll their respect fol
their contracts with the employ
ing companies" Certainly
when an organization of work
inGmen have made 4 contract
they should not regard it as less
bin ling upon them than upon
The otter party to the agree
lrent. Labor unions that follow
this rule place themselves in an
altogether different class from
that Of tie kind managed By
D~5s, Of which there have been
a number created during the past
lew years.
rhe Krights>sG Labor, which
Only a few years ago had attained
such gigantic proportions and
such power that there was cause
for serious alarm lest it might
bring Oh some civil strife, was an
organization similar to the Amer
lean Railway Union, but, hap
PLY, it has dWindted almost into
nothingness. Labor orga1liza-
tions of this tyne hold within
themselves the elements of their
own sure destruction and a mi
croscope is unneeded to discern
the fatal germs Of the disease
that cause their death. They Go
not benefit the workingInan. In
fact they are enemies more to be
feared by him than any others
with which he has to contend.
Tie strike and tie boycott are
the chief weapons used for the
accomplishment OF their ends.
These agencies necessarily inf1ict
frequent and severe losses upon
their members who are compelled
to go on strike and lose their
wages, contribute from their say
ing to the support Of other strik-
I ters and also by the increase in
prices upon t.le necessaries of
life caused by labor disturbances.
It takes a long time for working
men to see that strikes are as a
rule losing game, and that or
ganizations such as Powderly
managed Or Debs now controls
are beneficial principally to the
few agitators who handle the
funds. When this is once
learned the members draw out
and the organization breaks up.
Labor organizations which
benefit the members are the only
enduring ones Of these the
orders of the conductors, Of the
locomotive engineers and Of the
traininen are excellent examples.
They have Legitimate objects; are
managed with some regard for
business principles and with a
sense of responsibility to the
public and with a decent respect
for law and the rights Of Others.
The existence Of such labor
unions are a benefit and serve as
a good example to the general
mass of workingineI. Their in
crease in numbers and stability
during the past lew years is an
encouragement to the hope that
before the twentieth century
lawns we willsee all labor unions,