The labor world., 1899-05-20
WILLIAMSON & MENDENHAlL,

man to whom they might well listen
| He had no warmer friends anywhere
than the union men of the East, anc
especially of Pennsylvania. eve are
| assembled here" he continued, ''in
behalf of an organization for the
rights of manhood, and to be treated
| not as serfs but as American citizens
I have heard that the people of Du.
luth have condemned the unions, and
have declared that they are radical.
I want to say that if these men are
radical, God help those of the rest of
the country. In 1898 these men were
subjected to a reduction of 20 per cent
of their wages. They struck, and
agreed to reduction of 10 per cent.
Many unions all over the country
agreed to reductions, but the Duluth
union is the only one that has not
been restored, and many have had
their wages increased. Not only that,
but in 1896 these men were given
another cut of per cent, making 16
per cent altogether. They bore these
cuts without objection, and yet you
call them radical. I tell you it is
pretty hard to get men to agree to a
cut in wages, especially when they
are organized.
'"The union is simply a business or
ganiZatio where the members pool
their l.; Dor to sell it to the highest
bidder. Organized labor stands for
better wages, better work and better
men. Some men say that the unions
are all right if they would not strike,
There is strike on in the whole COM
petitive system of the Industrial
world. I go into dry goods store
,, and offer them a small amount for a
shelf full of goods, and they will not
accept my offer. Because there is a
strike price on those goods, and if
will not pay that price the merchant
goes on a strike against me and will
/ not sell to me. The same is true al
through the industrial world, and the
one commodity whose price is fixed by
the buyer and not by the seller is
labor. If the laboringman endeavor:
to fix the price at a plane where hi
can get Il reasonable living, you say
he is Il miserable striker.
"Others say that it is all the worl
of agitators. I thank God that this
is day of agitators and a country
where agitation is possible. Look a
the countries where agitation is no
permitted, China, Mexico, Russia ant
others. Moses was one of the great
est agitators OF the world. Whel
Pharoh would not concede to his de
mantls he got his brickmal1ers' unio1
together and they started off to es
tablish cooperative colony on tn
Debs plan. I never had much syn.
pathy for Pharaoh for getting drown
ed in going after them. If he hat
been like Mr.. Mendenhall and the cap
italists of today he would have sa
where he was and got out an injunc
ton. I want to tell you that ever,
man that is working in behalf o
movements for the betterment of hu
manity is an agitator. I thank Co
that there are ayitators for Christian
ity. for temperance and for labor
Christ was the greatest of all agita
tors and he set in motion question
that will go on agitating until tn
end of the world. Even the preacher
have a union. and the one 1 kno,
of had strike. 1t was down j
Ohio and they decided not to pray TO
the legislature unless they were pal
for it. When they had been out
while one of the members happene
10 remember that the catholic clerg
were not members of the union, an
for fear they would pray for the legi:
|lature one of the preachers scabed 0
], the union and the strike was broken
i Mr.. Mahon is most magnet