Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-07-17
LABOR AND TRUSTS.
LARGE COMBINES DON'T TRY
TO LOWER WAGES.
Wage Farmers and Capitalists Getting
Closer Together Every Day-Steady
Employment, More Pay and Shorter
Hours the Ru1e-Labor Movement.

bOurS the Rule-LabOr Movement.
Down with the trusts" is one of the
slogans of the Democratic party this
year, and it's agents will endeavor to
cause they say that trusts lower the
wages of the workers.
But what is the truth? Not one single
instance can be cited where large in
dustrial institution, employing hun
dreds or thousands of people, has at
tempted to reduce their wages. Neither
can 1t be shown that u single one Of
the hundred national and international
trade and labor unions Of this country
IS fighting the large combinations. In
stead Of fighting them, they are getting
closer together every day. The growing
tendency between labor and capital has
been toward annual conferences to de-
termine wage scales, hours of work
and conditions Of employment. The
tendency is to employ arbitration and
Cancellation in the settlement of differ
enceS. This method has long been in
vogue between the railways and their
employees, with the steel-rail makers,
with the wirenail makers, with tin
plate manufacturers, with the steel
beam producers, with the Amalga-
mated Association Of Iron, Steel and
Tin Workers, with the newspaper pub
fishers, with the employing book and
job printers, and with the International
n nj ia
labor and capital concentrate their in
terests individually, SO much the more
are they endeavoring to concentrate
their interests collectively. Large and
small labor unions, instead Of fighting
industrial combination, find it to their
interest TO join hand in hand with
them. There Is no better combination
in the United States to-day than the
American Federation Of Labor.
Speaking for the vast army Of wage
earnerS employed in the iron, steel and
tin industry, Theodore Schaffer, Presi-
dent of the Amalgamated Association
of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, before
the Federal Industrial Commission, has
declared that the effect of trusts has
been beneficial to them. LAS a general
rule" he said, he believed that the
members Of his organization would
prefer to deal with combinations and
large corporal tons rather than with
smaller Independent mills" His expert
ence was that they always received
fair treatment in negotiating with
these combinations, and he was GER
tain they did not prevent competi-
ton"
Democratic politicians point with
pride" to the fact that there have been
more labor disturbances and strikes in
the past year or so than in the four
years of Democratic administration
Why all these strikes, then?
The average wage-worker never
thinks Of going on strike on a falling
market, and certainly not on a falling
market under Democratic rule. When
business Is stagnant and factories are
silent, and the land is full Of unem-
ployed labor, the voice Of the agitator
Is lost in the general murmur Of dis
tress and there are no strikes, because
there is little employment
Every labor organization in the
country, be it large Or small, for the
past two years reports steady employ
ment for its full membership, increased
pay, shorter working hours and gen.
eral improvement in all it's conditions.
At the eve of President Mckinley's re-
election the whole world is engaged in
paying tribute to the wonderful produc-
tivity Of our farms and factories, tell
ing a marvellous tale Of American pros
perity, proving conclusively the gen
eral distribution Of the flood Of wealth
being poured into this favored land.
1t is scarcely four years since labor
in the United States was crying out for
work at any price. It's pockets were
empty and its children went hungry
to bed.
These events are significant because,
by their unprecedented Intensity, they
have called public attention as never
before to what is known as ''the labor
movement" The problem of the rela-
tons between employer and employed
is not Of easy or quick solution. The
promises for this country, inaugurated
by the protective policy Of the Republi-
can party when it came into power in
1896, were for a restorat ton of prosper
ity. This we have had. and now It is
to be hoped that good sense and pr1-
dence will. through the votes of the
people, direct it's continuance.
Political Small Shot.