The herald., 1896-01-27
A Strong Argument in Favor
of Organization
TRUE FRIENDS OF LABOR
Will Ever Try to PeaceabIy Solve
Labor's Knotty Problems
The Aim Is to Regulate a Standard Of Living
in Reasonable Harmony With Gem
eral Conditions s-Labor Notes

pSueutS Ol OrgaUlZatlOQ. WnaG OrSanlZa-
ton, drill and military discipline is to an
army in time of war, applies equally to
trade unions. Organized labor needs drill;
1t needs discipline; it needs the brightest
of its membership to counsel and advise.
Good and disciplined armies sometimes
make mistakes, through no fault OF the
rank and file, but through some ill-advised
order. The army of the Potomac spent
months in drilling and in discipline prior
to the onward march to Richmond, under
General Mcclellan. BY persistent effort
under the leadership of General Grant and
his able assistants, success crowned his
efforts.
The following are a few extracts from
the essay of j. H. Nc Williams:
Reorganization has civilized the world.
By combining men have utilized their
make the earth yield abundance, to rear
aloft the stately edifce devoted to science,
art and industry. In short, what brought
man from barbarism to state of q ra-
tional, useful being, was organization. No
one man can change a system, root out the
incongruities arising from natural or ac-
quired traits OF character. No man can
singly raise wages, shorten hours, prevent
child or contract convict labor, improve
sanitation in shops, or compel legislators to
put just laws on our statute books. Who
are the people who are at the mercy of ty-
rants, who bow in humble submission to
the most degrading and humiliating terms?
Why they are mon with no organization.
1.-THE union man believes in shor er hours
because it distributes work better-in other
words, that it is better to give ten men work
than to do ten mems work. We believe a
high civilization impossible in a country
where the middle classes, which is the bull
n q in n nQS SIlr ra
impoverished. We want to guide
the people out of the industrial
wilderness by the light of reason,
not the red-handed torch of the ncendiary.
Why should we clamor for blood; for
whose blood would it be which would be
shed if the much talked of trouble which
every one seems to think is inevitable,
should happen? We know war is a game
that kings play at, that the despot can buy
immunity. while the poor producer is ruth
lessly torn from the side of loved ones to
fight battle he is not responsible for. 1t
is the unorganized mob that talk revolu-
ton. We have the best government and
the best country on earth, or all foreign
citizens would not be falling over them
selves to get here.
.'Who is to blame for low wages? Why
YOU, my non-union friend, to the extent of
your individual part in the matter. We
have free ballot, free education and a
greater degree of free speech than any gov
ernment on earth. Then, with all these
advantages, let us unite in unions for good
wages. short hours and humane treatment
for all toiiers. Trades unionists of today
have learned a lot of useful things by ex-
perience. We have learned that we must
be we'll informed as to the conditions upon
which to base demand; we must be po-
lite, reasonable, opportune, and above all
set down on ranting, abusive members.
Our radical reformers say we don't go far
No otl5f fopa
on a people until they are familiar with its
principles and favorable to its adoption.
"There are large numbers of men all
over America who want labor to be crushed
and humbled to abject slavery, foolishly
imagining that when the yoke becomes ln-
bearable they will rise en- masse and, like
the French, throw it off. But the French
were a homogeneous people and to unite
them in sentiment and purpose was an
easy task, while America is composed Of
the most extreme Opposites OF opinion. If
a revolution between capital and labor is
precipitated the result will be chaos and
confusion.
"Another argument against allowing Ia
Dor to become totally impoverished and
enslaved is that when men reach point
where dogged Indifference merges into
cowardly despair they are powerless and
devoid of ambition.
Labor will suffer defeat in America
with the decline of unionism, if it comes.
Recognizing the cold facts that capital hires
men to make money out OF them, the union
can argue that muscle is commodity, and
it does not matter how much mawkish
sentiment is bestowed on the man who
sells his Drawn and skill, schemng men
will always try to reduce him to the lowest
possible point where he can live and still
be profitable factor.
"What we air1 to do is to regulate a
standard OF living in reasonable harmony
a.
volume OF business and the comparative
prosperity of a locality A high rate of
wages means happy, intelligent, patriotic
people. And he is a true friend of labor
who tries to peacefully solve labor's knotty
problems"
LABOR NOTES
Debs will visit Los Angeles again soon.
Electrical Workers. Association meets
tonight.
The Painters Union meets Tuesday
evening.
Direct legislation will accomplish all that
is desirable in economic reform.
Railroad Brotherhoods are invited to af-
filiate with the American Federation of
Labor.
Constant abuse of organized labor and
its membership will not win. 1t convinces
no one.
The Cooks and Pastry Cooks Associa-
ton will give ball at Turnverein hall on
February 18th.
No reform, moral or intellectual, ever
came from the upper class of society. said
Wendell Phillips.
The settlement of the trouble in the East
Side bakery was decided triumph for the
Bakers Union of this city.
Los Angeles has had less labor strikes
during the past few years than any city of
its size in the Uni+ed States.
The Typographical Journal, published at
Indianapolis, has come out, and it's ap-
pearance Is improved in every way.
The supreme court of this state holds
that labor performed for a corporation, in
order to entitle one to a lien. must be by
the month.
Let no guilty man escape, but the consti-
tuition of the United States and the states
must be upheld-is the sentiment Of organ
lied labor in this city.
The regular monthly meeting of Typo
graphical union, No. IVA, was fully at
tended yesterday and business of impor-
tance to the craft was transacted.
If citizen has money stolen from him,
why should the officers always gobble it?
Why not pay it to the loser, or let him
have some opportunity OF reclailning his
own?
The United Order of American Brick
layers and Stonemasons, which has MEM
bership in Chicago of about 5000, has de-
cided to join the American Federation of
Labor.
Already there are signs that encourage.
The church is waking; society Is waking;