The labor world., 1900-09-08

With the weather man on his best be-
havior, a glorious day greeted the thou
sands who flocked by boat and rail to
Fond du Lac where the picnic of the
amalgamated labor organiza tions of
Duluth was held. The scenery, always
picturesque, was at it's best, the recent
rains having covered meadow and for
est with the freshest Of green, while
the warmth Of the sun was delightfully."-
tempered by the softest Of early
autumn breezes. The day was perfect
and the thorough enjoyment of the
crowds present was obvious to ALL
There were a few Incidents which
niarred to some extent the uninterrupt-
ed pleasure of the afternoon and even
ing, but they were not felt to any great
degree in the otherwise apparent de-
termination Of everyone to extract the
fullest amount of recreation out of the
day In a large public gathering as
that which attended the picnic, it is
perhaps impossible to expect that all
should be perfect, and the program was
interfered with by one or two untoWard
incidents.
The speakers were Senator c.. o.
Baldwin, w. l.. Window and II. j. Nc
keon, all Of whom seemed to realize
that brevity was the desideratum in the
speeches and they accordingly suited
the mood Of the crowds by condensing
their remarks considerable
The fact that the athletic sports and
dancing to the music of Flaaten's or
chestra with other attractions were pro-
ceeding during the speech making pre-.
vented the gathering around the
speakers stand from being as large as
it doubtless would have been under
other circumstances.
Remarks by Mr.. Window.
Mr.. Window said in part:
II have always cherished the idea
that organized labor, or unionism, as
you call it, has ever been justified when
capital and employers of labor make
combinations. -
Having been a close followers of the
proceedings of union labor conventions,
| am particularly impressed with the
fact that, in directing the affairs of
labor, these conventions have always
shown as great tact and research as
any other convention ever held. The
one barrier that labor has to contend
with is the obtaining of the sympathy
of the public in it's labor difficulties
One great reason why you have not had
this sympathy in the past is that the
strike has first been declared and then
the arbitration tried afterwards. It
seems to me that labors greatest neces-
slty in this respect is diplomatic
corps, consisting of men whose judg-
ment can be trusted and who would
not lose their heads in an emergency
do not believe there should be fighting
between capital and labor except when
capital Expresses labor, and then the
light should be Waged in earnest and
continued until the cause of labor is
successful.
Then those with whom labor has
had no trouble should not be made to
suffer with those that create the trou-
bic. Employers favoring unionism
should not be included in the strike or
be made to suffer without having done
anything detrimental to the cause. And
In this respect I would like to see a
ever there is strike, to protect the
property of those against whom the
strike has been declared. There is al
ways some destructive Individual, gem
orally not a union man, who will seize
such opportunities as an excuse to exer-
else his destructive tendencies. The
public is naturally with the strikers till
some overt act is committed and these
nj on1i "a l.
cient in controlling crowds and protect
ing property than federal or state
troops or municipal police.
And now as to politics. Don't be
alarmed, I have sufficient control over
myself to avoid the danger Of overstep-
ping myself in this respect. 1t is my
candid belief that union labor should
have no politics. When you have
man that you are sure is a genuine
friend Of labor running for office, be he
Democrat or Republican, vote for him.
But the moment unionism goes into
Poitics, it leaves it's independent atti-
tude and must expect the venom and
vigorous opposition of all parties
The sympathy that the members of
ne different parties have for organized
labor as long as it is not itself a party
organization, passes away, as soon as it
doeS become partisan, and the other
parties support their own issues and let
unlonlsm take care of it's own interests,
therefore believe that it is a. mis-
take for the union or organized labor
generally to become PARTISAN If it does
the same fate is in store for labor as for
temperance and prohibition. There was
a time when prohibition, or more prop
erly speaking, temperance, was in the
heart of IS per cent of the members of
the big political parties. Then the
cause resolved into a party of it's own
and temperance was deserted by the
other parties and today it has not one
tenth of the strength from a moral
standpoint that it did before it became
the fundamental principal of a separate
party"
Senator Bnldvvin's Speech.
Mr.. Baldwin in his opening remarks
created considerable amusement by in
forming his hearers that in case of an
interruption similar to that which had
disturbed MI. Window during his
speech he had arranged for the
counter attraction Of set-to
between Mr. McKeon and Mr..
Windom on the platform, which,