The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-06-16
UNIONS CONDEMNED FOR WORKING
ONLY WITH UNION MEN.
with all That 1T Involves,
is BASED ON Equality of Rights
and Of Liberty-What Organized
Labor Does, Capital has Done Com
stuntly Since the establishments Of
Connective Industry and the
"Free'' Market.

lionists demand preference over the nom
unionists, and do they not, by insisting
upon recognition and the exclusive en-
ployment of organized Workmen, de-
prive others of a right to a livelihood?
These questions are asked directly or
by implication by every opponent of
unionism, and the superficial consider
them serious if not unanswerable. Yet
they betray ignorance Of the very prin-
ciple of equal rights which they pos
fess to invoke, ignorance of the nature
Of the industrial system which is up
held as the highest product of our civil
ization. Unionism, with all that it in
wolves, is based on equality of rights
and of liberty. What organized labor
does, capital has done constantly since
| the establishment of competitive indus
try and the free" market, says the
Fedora zionist.
Let us take concrete and striking
ILLUSTRATION. The capitalistic press, the
alleged champion of American justice
and constitutional liberty, has COM
mended Vigorous protest." issued by
the New York and New Jersey Machin-
lery Manufacturers Association against
the policy of the machinists' union.
The protest may be vigorous in it's
terms, but it is wretched in it's logic.
| The union demanded an agreement on
| the part of the manufacturers to en-
ploy no machinists in the future who
did not satisfy it's requirements. In
other words, the union demanded the
discharge Of certain men with whom
| it was not willing it's members should
| work and exacted a promise that
none obnoxious to it should be en-
ployed in the future.
This, according to the press, was an
Outrageous, tyranical, un-American
proposal. They say that the non-union
machinists had the same right to earn
their living as anyone; that this is a
free country, and therefore men must
be allowed to make agreements regard
ling services and wages unrestricted;
7 asaa 1sst
Istitutions Of the country we're main
tanned to protect this freedom Of scon-.
tract. They wind up by declaring that
they refuse to enter into conspiracy
with union men ''to violate the laws of
our country by depriving free Amer
lean citizens of the right to work for
whom they choose"
The argument has plausible air, but
lit is wholly fallacious. It overlooks
one-half of the truth. It forgets the
rights and freedom of the unionists.
What about their right to make con-
tracts unrestricted? What about their
right to make livelihood on their own
terms?
| The right of Workingmen to organize
is admitted.
Their right to strike for any reason
which they deem sufficient is also rec
ognized by the law and by public opin-
ion
! With these admissions as the premise
does not the conclusion follow that or
ganlzed Workmen have the right to re-
fuse to work with nom union workmen? :?
Such refusal is an exercise Of their own
right of contract, and it can not be
a violation of the right of ANYBODY
|else.
| The employers right to contract is
not restricted, except in so far as all
successful competition is a restriction
upon the unsuccessful. Competitive in
ldustry is a species of warfare, as all
ljurists and economists perceive. The
lorganiZed labOrers compete with the
lunorganized, and if "collective bargain
ing gives them an advantage, the ad-
vantage is entirely legitimate Collect
llVe bargaining would not be resorted to
1t 1t did not confer an adVan tage in
tine labor movement. The EMPLOYERS
Iare free-in a legal and moral sense.
|of course-to choose between the organ
lied and the unorganized. If he pre-
Ifers the former for economic reasons,
because they are more proficient and
productive, the latter have no griev-
lance either against him or against the
|Workmen chosen. This is the meanin.,
Iof the free market. There is no ICON
spiracy,' no denial of rights and no vi
lolation of freedom. There is free bar
lgainng and the success Of the more in
telligent, deficient and stronger.
The organization of labor is simplv
Ian economic method of insuring Sue
lcess in the struggle for existence. The
Workmen who do not organize take
their chances, and if they fail, because
lof their inferiority, they simply pay
the economic penalty of their weakness,
| hCll IISuI " III a. llFlIlS is not TAX
len away from them, but when the SUD-
ply of labor is greater than the demand
some Of the laborers must remain idle
and unfortunate as the result is, the
fault is often neither with he employers
nor. with the workmen whose services
are purchased. Merchants compete fo1
custom exactly as Workmen compete
for employment and invariably with
the same results, success goes to the
more Intelligent and stronger, brought
about by combinations. Merchants sell
: at such prices as they think it safe ia
demand. Workmen have the same
right to set the prices and conditions
d of their labor, and one Of these condi-
|. tlons sometimes is, that unorganized
& laborers shall not be employed along
& side; of them. They have a right to
!, lenfo force scond ition, and il they are
I glstrong enough to- enf force It, they reap
4 the benefit q. org ganizat ion ana col
sllective bars raining