The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-11-24

is permanent. III a. trade, machinery
may be invented at any moment that
will replace your labors. A crisis may
come and precipate you out into the
streets in hundreds: fire may burn
down the shop or warehouse in which
you are employed any day: an acct
dent or OLD age may warrant as fac
tor in Industry. And then. where are
YOU? And where is your wife and fam
'ly: Or perhaps you are IL tradesman,
getting work casually at pound or so
I week and trying to keep a Family u,
hat: or an unskilled laborer working |
ike horse on a wharf or in q quarry |
OF a cutting-or what? For food
enough to give you strength To &c |
more work for more food; for the priv
'lege Of hawking your labor power |
around from master to master until |
'ou can find someone who can make a |
profit out of it; taking the risk Of be-
ing NAMED, killed or cripplc'i> haunted |
BY the spectre of starvation, and finally |
asst away in your old age like worth |
ess machine. 1t is for you and such |
IS you that the labor movement is |
working. 1t is to bring the conditions |
# your lives into harmony with the |
advance OF knowledge and science that
he labor papers, the labor politicians.
he labor writer's, ard the labor think
rs and speakers are striving. And
| What are you doing to help yourselves
| nd to assist those who are working
| or your salvation?
! Are you member OF trades union?
not, why not? 1t doesn't require
| mach thought to see the advantage a
| nion is. IT is out OF the unions that
| he whole movement here and else
| where has grown. The unions are the
Jack bone Of labor-in- politics and Of
| he labor press. The unions are the
| My guarantee for a minimum wage
| hat there is until the legal one is
,chievel-the only surety that any
hing like fair conditions Of labor for
rou. The union is a good investment
| or your money. It gives you Il good
eturn for what you invest in il. It is
good speculation-a good Investment.
Compare the trades that have unions
md those that have not and see if 1t
sn't SO. IT every trade had its unions.
! nd most of the men could be got into
he unions, there wouldn't be any low
wages in this country. A trade union
the only protection the workers have
against their wages being dragged
lown to the starvation level 1t is the
only wall against which they can put
heir backs in the desperate struggle
Ifor a livlihood: ); It is. the only pr0tec-
ion they have against the hours they
|1ave to work being made as long as
| possible. It is the only security that
| he men who produce wealth shall have
i claim on the product TO the extent OF
decent sufficiency. 1t is the only way
| hey can make themselves heard 1t
hey have a grievance. Look, for in
stance at the difference between the
difference trade union gets if it inter-
Jews minister and the treatment an
1norganized lot Of unemployed receive.
Politicians have to respect a trades
1nion because it means votes and un-
anin1ity of acton. And it means INTEL
igence besides. Employers respect a
rades union because they know it has
}. power to back up it's just demands by
calling public attention to any COM
plants it has against them. A trades
union is a political force and an in
lustral factor OF vital impor-: 1t is
he first duty Of every worker 10 get
'nto the. union. And not only 70 get
into the union. but to act up to its
principles. it's teachings, and it's policy.
It is the duty of every wage Garner to
Jr a unonist.
If you aren't in a union the next ;:est
hins is to get your name on the roll
! ! and vote for labor candidate. A
ahor candidate is a man who is sent
~ Intelligent workers to try and get
laws made that will tighten the burden
II their lot in life; laws that will! see to
it that men can get work; laws that
will Help those who are working to
keep up decent scale, laws to prevent
employ ers from overworking men. wo-
cell and children; laws that will do
away with strikes; laws that will see
that man who has worked hard ali
his life is not turned adrift ul,provided
for in his old age-that he won't have
to serve or become q pauper. All !Lcse
: things are possible. Over in New Zea-
land the working men have got then,
through unionist. and everyone who
Inc unemployed. no starvation wages no
long hours, no strikes, no neglected
workers in their old age. Ant. we
might have the same state of affairs
here only that too many OF the work
. lers are too Indifferent about their own
Interests to spend half an hour get
Ting their names on the roll, too care
less to keep them there once they are
on, or too easily gulled to plank their
vote down every time for the labor
candidate. The electoral laws are bad
= mo doubt, but they are good enough to
lgive us majority of labor members
in parliament, only for the criminal me-
/ |gligence and indifference of a grea.
, many of the workers.
Then, If you don't belong to a union
and you can't get a vote, you can sub.
scribe for the labor paper. The labor
y papers are here to fight your battles