The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-03-17
UNION LABOR AND TRUSTS.
Aims and Object~-Similar and Yet
Difrerent-Survlval Of the


FltteHt.
A trust is body of capitalists who
have obtained control of the profits in
a certain line of business.
A trade union is a body of workers
organized to obtain control Of the wa
ges paid for a certain kind of skilled
labor. =
Both trusts and unions are formed
to do away with competition and to seq
cure higher profits or higher wages to
their members.
The trust maker and the unionist are
both clear headed enough to see the
folly of playing the game OF business
single handed.
They both see that it is d case Of
"organize or die" that competition is
played out, and that the man who
stands alone, whether he Is a capitalist
or a laborer. is likely to be broken in
two.
So far trust has been more successful
than the union in making it's members
rich, because there are not as many
capitalists as there are E:workingmen
and it is easier to bring them together.
B Besides, g cal italist can see what IS.
good for his pocket, while tllouea nds:
Of workers never think for thenlselves,
but believe any old thing the.foreman
tells them. - ~,., 70 s; :
There isn't capitalist in New York.
who wouldn't jump into a trust the
very minute he was asked, while it
would take half lifetime to get the
benefits Of unionism explained to some
who need it most. r.:
1t takes longer to complete the or:
ganization Of unions than it does to
form trust, but when unionism is
perfected it will be the strongest or.
ganization in the world $500,
They laugh best who laugh last. The!
trust are knocking us right and left.
ike a pin in bowling alley, but some
time in the next ten years they will
lind out that it is not the beginning
but the finish Of q race that takes the
prize.
Unionists possess what the world
needs most-labor; and as soon as they
can close up their ranks and control
the labor market the mightiest trust
In America will be brought to its
knees.
Ihere Is great difference between a
trust and a union-a trust is formed to
increase the profits Of few men who
nave already enough wealth, while q
union is formed to secure living wages
Tor number Of underpaid working
people,.
The purpose Of a trust is to close nm
factories and mills and mines, and to-
olscnarge as many men as possible.
while on the other hand the purpose Of
q union Is to reduce the hours Of labor
and thus give employment to the un-
employed, :.
trust freezes out as many of the
smaller capitalists as it can, and cor.
ners all the profits for a few eiant.
VINO are In the scheme, while a nunion
opens Its doors to every worker In tho
trade and even pays salaries to organ.
.zers VINO gather as many non-union.
ISIS as possible In out Of the rain.
trust frequently has been nrovon
guilty OF corrupting the legislature and
congress, bribing right and left to MOI
some bill through which put n,1i,ons
In Its own pockets, while trada ,,n,o"
ism seeks by lawful means - san,,n.
.es's'at'on Tor the unemployed, or for
the poor little child workers in factor.
les, or for some Of the weaker and nee-
IIected members of society.
! A trust keeps the public in the d.r,,
as 10 It's plan OF operations, and covers
user with a cloud Of mystery, while a
union holds open meetings, writes wei
come over the door, and by means 80
lectures pamphlets and papers doc.
the best to teach the public the nr,n.
ciples for which it stands. -
so here we have two kinds Of trusts
lone formed to benefit q few score ~
ordinary people, and the other formed
TO benefit fifty or sixty millions of or
! binary people,. g :z5@s.s ~, 80
Both Of these cannot exist forevo,.
side by side. but there Is no dIoubt that
the filter will survive. Neither is there
the litter. ss;3 II ss*'' III