Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1899-04-08
OIRGA MIA TTGDRJ,
Mr.. w. Y. Powell,
Grand Chief Photographer,
Peoria, Illinois.
Dear Sir and Brother:

SOIld, ILLINOIS,.
Dear Sir and Brother:
| have Just received through the
Kindness of Mr.. II. w. Craig, mem
Der of the local board of adjustment
OF the coast division, copy of your
letter OF March LIST. to him, in which I
note the following question: "Do you
think it possible for one man working
as an organizer to secure so per cent
of the men in thirty days?" and you
ark him to ascertain the opinion of
members of other boards.
hardly think it possible for an or
ganizer to do this in so short time,
but believe that when the matter is
properly presented to the photographers
of this state, they will respond by fill
ing their applications for membership
IN the order. The pay of the tele-
graghers is slowly but surely growing
less, while the duties grow more ardu-
Gus and the management more ex-
acting. A selfish motive or the in
stinct of self preservation will finally
drive them together, but the process
is too slow, and fraught with the
dangers of delay; for they will soon
be confronted with the alternative,
either to support with their loyal and
united membership the only order
that can and dare demand justice in
their name, or find when too late, that
their enslave1ncnt has been madecom-
plete.
BY this time you have doubtless re-
ceived former letter in which | point
out distinction to be made between
soliciting membership and orgariza-
ton. The first is, of course, a most
necessary preliminary to the latter
but it is not all of organization. When
sixty or eighty per cent of the tele-
graphers on division have signihcd
their desire to organize by subscribing
to the rules of membership in the or
der and paid their dues, that division
is ready for organization to begin
in fact it has then and there begun;
that is the beginning. Organization,
let us remember, is a process; it is Vi
tai, not mechanical and must conform
to the laws OF growth, not those of
the mechanic. Hitherto, labor organ
izatiOns have stopped iii the organic
ing process just at q time when they
have begun to develop Il sturdy growth
They continue soliciting membership
however and delude themselves with
the idea that thisis all of organization.
This is a mistake, and he who sees it
not before, will quickly realize itwhcn
it is too late to ''reorganize "AIen
membership may come am men
NAV go, but organization, like the
brook, perpetual life,) must go on
forever" II must continue to expand
and enlarge and develop until the
perfect state appears. When it stops,
degeneration at once begins.
"Organized labor" as we know it
today has practically come to a
standstill. Lost in the bewildering
mazes of capitahstic organization it
is blindly cropping for way out Of
the swamp of industrial slavery into
which it has been driven by its slave
capturing masters. Yesterday labor's
hope of finding a way out of its diff
culties lay in orgarizatiot; today it
lies i'll a reorganization of industry
and society; tomorrow it may be in
revolution But the reorganization
of society and industry is coming;
slowly and surely it is being wrought
out, its foundation will be Organ
lied labor" and on the cornerstone
of its temple will be engraved the
name fits goddess,
JUSTICE.
1900.
And when "organized labor secs the
light that is Just ahead, it will move
forward with the irresistible power of
a Niagara or the explosive force of