Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-03-29
LAeoR.s HONEST FIGHT.

A Principle ut Stake That Respects No
Party Lines-RSghteous Indignation.
The Union seeks to defend its pet
politician, S. j. Collins. in the face
of the fight that labor throughout the
city is making for the principle OF
recognition to the same extent that
other tax payers expect and demand
respectful consideration at the hands
Of their public servants, by abusing
the labering men who are opposing
the special champions of Collins, and
seeking to construe their motives as
purely of partisan nature. When
it says that s.last winters petitions
to the board were the work of few
trained democratic demagogues." it
utters a malicious falsehood and
grossly insults every honest laboring
man who is seeking to redress the
wrongs that have been done his cause
in Collins interest. The tactic that
q political construction can be put
on the stand taken by labor is the
one precisely Collins is working to
whip the outraged workingmen of
his party within the line wherein he
may be vindicated. The only poll
tics that can possibly be attached to
the present contest is that Sinnet
and Oberg are both republicans, and
so is Collins, and on that account
they preferred to vote for him in
stead of listening to the voice Of the
labor unions.
Labor's True Position.
The laboring people regard Collins
as foe to their cause. and having
taken part in the success of the
court house bond issue. throwing the
united strength of their unions in
its favor they felt that they had a
just right to protest against the
board extending any advantages in
the construction of the building to
one who in sentiment and &C: has an
inclination prejudicial to organized
labor's interests. The first petitions
were of a mild protest, but later,
finding that they were not respected,
the various organizations, not of
Rock Island alone, but through the
Tri-City Labor congress, represent
ing every labor organization in the
three cities, entered in the form of a
petition and resolution a vigorous
protest against Mr.. Collins or any
other foe to union labor. All these
were absolutely disregarded-no one
sprung to his feet or vacated the
presiding officers chair to take the
floor in behalf of the petitioners.
They were regarded as amounting to
nothing, and treated as such.
Understanding how far the cause of
union labor had been enlisted in the
success of the court house project,
The ARGUS took up their cause and
stood by them in their petitions to
the board. not knowing what super
visors would sustain or ignore them,
| and as for union labor being made
the instrument of a political move
ment, as the mouthpiece of Collins
so fiippantly and insultingly asserts,
there are plenty of union men of re.
publican faith who are in a position
to give and who are proving to the
satisfaction of workingmen that it is
a miserable fabrication-an untruth
as vicious, it may be said, as the
term "boycott petition" which the
Union today applies to the efforts of
laboring men for recognition.
Respect Party Lines.
And furthermore. let The ARGUS
say this much, that it respects rather
than belittles every honest fight for
principle: that it believes that labor
is to be commended in this instance;
that it should know no party lines,
and if in any township in the county
there is running for reelection to
the county board a candidate, be he
democrat or republican, or Of any 9TH
err political utilization, whom labor is
abundantly satisfied was one of those
who like Sinnet and Oberg denied
the petitioners the right to be heard
on the board, such supervisor shou d
receive the full force of rebuke su, b
as arises from righteous Indignation.
There is no party greater than the
common people, and the commo n
people have right to petition those
whom they nut in authority. and