The labor world., 1900-01-20
Labor Union ]
Leaders,.
Are Not the llI-JIred Ignorant
Creatures Presented by the
+. .. Average Paper.

L
Is Composed Of Well Educated
] Men and Not Of the Ignorant I
Element. ]
A MONG the many newspaper men
u who attended the Detroit conven-
- ton was writer on the Detroit
Daily News. After the convention had
adjourned he gave his opinion of the
convention and those. who attended
it. If those who belittle and ridicule
labor unions and those who are ac-
tive in the movement would attend
one of these conventions, their ideas
would undergo radical change. The
article in the Detroit News is a fair
picture Of actual conditions. It says:
Only radical and irrational actions
lis to be expected, in the opinion OF
many people, from a labor convention,
the delegates to which are, in the
1pain, union officers and walking dele.
gates The humorous press has pic
tured these last as fellows who go
around with chips on their shoulders
hunting for some onc to knock them
off. They are supposed to be ill-bred
and ignorant, though with a low kind
of cunning, and when they are not in
some saloon they are harranguing
their dupes in the union meeting, fill
ing the members minds with vague
hopes of financial and social better
ment, And inciting them TO strike.
"A soI,y s<, <ha nj tho
truth.
Any one who had the time and in
clina tion to attend the nineteenth an-
nual convention Of. the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, which closed its nine
days session in This city recently
would have, been disabused of many
false notions in the popular mind as
to the social and Intellectual status
of the leaders in the labor movement
And. too, it would have been seen that
the radicalism Of the leaders is much
less prominent than their conserva-
tism. Most of Those who took part
were officers of national, international
or local unions. They were the cream
of the labor mavement. Some were
college educated. A few dressed as
we'll as drummers; others looked the
horny handed Workingmen they were.
There was one silk hat in evidence,
and gold headed canes and kid gloves
were to be seen. Few, il any, bore on
their faces the evidencesof dissipation,
and the convention as a whole might
have been taken as a meeting Of rep
|resentatives of almost any important
commercial or fraternal interest.
When one comes to review the action
of this convention, it is found to be in
harmony with it's appearance. The
members were more anxious to avert
troubles than to cause them. More
time was spent in effecting compro-
misses 4or in making rules that would
lead to them, than in passing resolu-
tions to stir up discomfort with the en-
ploying class. Conservatism was in
the saddle and firmly seated, and no
|attempt was made to change the pro-
gram decided upon by those who have
for pears directed the course Of the
American Federation of Labor. For
seventeen of the nineteen years of its
existence Samuel Gompers has been at
its. head. For over half this time P. ].
Mcclure, now it's first vice president,
has been an officer. Others have held
positions varying between five and
nineteen years. And they have grad
ually consolidated the labor movement
until today some 100000 members
owe allegiance to this central body.
No hair-brained men, with illusory
promises to it's members, could have
accomplished so much in so short
time. They are the real captains OF
industry. f5
Proposed antitrust laws had no
charms for these labor leaders. They
have come to distrust schemes looking
for the betterment of the people by leg
islative action. Their experience has
taught them that a well organized
trade is more potent to raise wages
than subsidies, tariff dues or trade re-
strictions. And, doing cash bust
ness with their employers. they per-
ceive that neither a gold or a silver
basis can materially affect their wage
scale, which is based on the cost of
living, and must rise or fall as the cost
of sustaining a family is affected by
the range of prices Of commodities.
While believing that the eight hour
workday is necessity, the convention
took cognizance Of the fact that it could
not be brought about in an hour and
the members were willing to wait pa
tiently for the fruition of their hopes
in this direction. though watching that
nothing should occur in the nature of a
backward step. In this they were mind
full of the interests of their employers,
where competition is as fierce for a
market as it is among themselves for
work But they are bound to thew the
rocks of obstruction into stepping
stones of greater progress for the fu-
ture," as one member puts it.
Many industries are coming to the
conclusion that 1t is better to deal with
the Federation than with local unions.
In this way individual animosities are
kept back in the settlement of differ
ences. and the dignity and rights OF
all interests are better subserved. Tom
johnson says that if he were a wage
worker, he would be a good member OF
| his union. and if he were an employer
he would join the employers associa-
tion believing that the rights of both
1 i Il.