The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-03
THE TRADES UNIONS.
A Defense of Their Methods and a
Definition Of La bor Freedom.


To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
THE Tyranny of Labor" in your issue OF
Saturday. suggests some thoughts. You
quote approvingly the attitude of the nom
union laborer. who desires to exercise his
right TO produce regardless of the rights or
trade union laborers. Here we have con-
fict of rights with which to start. You
side with the nonunion.st because, you say,
the demands OF the trade unionist are IAN
insult to free labor" which prompts the
question, is labor free? or. plainly. is the
laborer free to labor? AS there appears to
be doubt to this. let us cite an
illustration of common occurrence Here
is community in which all are employed
at separate callings, and exchanging their
products. The workers are all specialists
in their distinct branches of social produc-
tion-journalists, printers, hatters, CLOTH
iers, shoemakers. carpenters. farmers. A
machine is invented, we will say. which will
supply the demand for the product Of the
printers with one-half the labor The ma
chine is owned by one individual and Is pat,
ented. He. with the assistance of one-halr
the force heretofore employed, can supply
the demand for printing at much less cost
than hand labor: so much SO that the latter
cannot produce printing for the new prices
and live. even II they had the opportunity.
printers. What shall they do? They are
without a trade except that of printing,
which is no good to them. They need CLOTH
thsm They cannot tnm 70 o ses
nalist, halter; they have rot the skill, and
these calllngs are already overcrowded.
hre + sga5 aGr
than supply. They, with some capital. could
become vendors of products, merchants, or
movers of products, transporters. but here,
living. and if they should make
connections here they turn some
is pinched by exactly the same causes as
is the laborer, so called. The unemployed
might go back to the land, as was formerly
the land being fenced in. excepting. per-
haps the poorest quality. If as last re-
sort, they should submit to the mortgageor
and take up seco1 their tale is
in his freedom to roam the highway; and
for that he is cast into jail. A want ad;
in the Journal would block ax.S sid IgSa
apoiis from Chicago. Laborers onered
themselves for N.56 TO $1.25 per day. az
hard and injurious work, and it was found
necessary to post sign. mo help wanted"
But of course, these men are Free" and
would rather work for such wages than
submit to the "un-Americanism" of the
trade union. Those who secured employ
ment, by the way, have already taken OUT
a charter of organization from the Amer
lean Federation OF Labor. Should they III
the future attempt to increase their wages
they will without doubt, prevent others
from defeating their ends by taking their
places, and in an emergency very likely re-
sort to the un-American boycott to secure
American wages. Should these men. after
securing fair conditions. refuse to others
equal opportunity of employment, by. for
instance, refusing admission TO their or
ganization. then your charge, the ty-
ranny of labor" would be true; but trade
unions do not act so: the door is open TO
The trade unionist asserts his right to or
ganize to secure humane conditions; he
must regard all other laborers who refuse
to cooperate as enemies s; ne VIII op,ec, 10
created, just the same as any weil,reeu-
lated family would expel the interloper.
He is anything but tyrannical, Tor ne IL
willing to share his trade union efforts with
But let us take our community of labor
ers again under conditions 9f-not Amer,
lean freedom, but freedom. Land, we viii
saw is free to him who occupies and uses
if-and that is the the only honest title.
Money. with which to exchan nss Phoou Ms.
nopoy in ideas, patents, IS also unknown.
we will not enter into the merits Of the
for the time being: hut merely let us see
how il would work 1t will be admitted.
] suppose. that II the laoorer were freed
be much improved. and instead of living
from .shand to mouth he would be able
to save that which ne f TOR gave b TO
work A machine IL now invented. The
printers produce a much larger product.
They compete r, with fa eacn TS Ssxer ns now
give more of their product for the wheat OF
the farmer AS there is no monopoly. by
Ri pa must be the actual labor expended. AS
the Increased product exceeds the demand.
some of the printers are unemployed The
this: Increased the product. lowered the
price. displaced printers and benefited the
farmer ct al. The price OF wheat remains
able than printing. labor, viii grsvitate
thereto. Land is free. and its product is
in demand EARNING nroes Tse ca Means
of exchange also based on the same-actual
weaith-can be obtained at cost OF its pro-
has now a competitor The total produc-
ton of wheat Increases prices fall The
remaining printers now derive penent
We have. then, more wheat and more print
ing. and both are cheaper: and as the sup
ply of both exceeds the demand tne NUMBER
Industrial pursuits likewise. Here We have
the benefit of the machine distributed eauit-
ably sae aere is
Under present conditions the trades
unions restrict to fight restriction When
the restrictions and special privileges OF the
State are abolished and that much-talked-
of freedom is inaugurated. then the trades
union may with reason be asked TO let up.
but not until then. AUG MCRAlTH-
Indianapolis. Dec. l.
An Echo from the M0lderx' strike.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
In Saturday mornings issue Of the Jour-
nal l read an extract taken from letter
signed IAN American" and published IN
the Brooklyn Eagle. the course adopted
by the iron workers now on strike In New
York city. which. on the whole. with the
preceding remarks on the situation. goes
fully to show that organized labor. under
the present system OF unity. or unionism.
an 1t should BE- called il a fraud in many
Of the organised systems now in force. but