The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-27
THE CRUSHING OF LABOR.


Shafer's U~tterances.
New York Times lind. Dem.)
We do not remember any leader of or
ganized labor who talked quite so foolishly
as President Shaffer, of the Amalgamated
Association. Debs and Irons and others of
their class were ignorant men and foolish
utterance was TO be expected of them as
often as they opened their mouths. But
Mr.. Shaffer has been through college"
and has been a preacher OF the gospel He
is a man who ought TO take thought about
his speech. 1t is a very poor quality of
thought that is exhibited in these remarks
of Mr.. Shaffer:
IF the Republican party is going to OBJ
tain power only to foster institutions that
Will destroy labor organizations it cannot
have always been a Republican. but if it
comes to the worst and the administrator
stands idly by and allows the coHbinG to
crush US out of existence, in future | shall
be all things to>ail men,
suppose ire administration should be of
1ended a j. Pierpont Morgan and his
@Sncagues, and to punish them should pre-
sent restrictive measures to Congress-laws
tending to restrict the Morgan power =
could not the administration have those
laws passed? You will admit that IL could.
Then the administration is all powerful,
and will be held responsible for the conse-
quence OF this conflict 10 labor and to the
Republican party"
This is primarily, OF course, a confession
OF weakness. Mr.. Shaffer discovers that he
has blundered into a great contest of
strength and endurance which he cannot
win with the resources at his command.
So he calls for outside help. If he could
scare the politicians, as Mr.. Mitchell
scared them during the presidential cam
palgn last year, ne might get them to pre-
vail upon the steel companies TO compro-
mise the fight. But this is the dead season
Of a dead year in politics. The Republican
D1TtV cannot no Gah6la1 with anx, ~ the
responsibility for the existence of nonunion
steel mills, abhorred of Shaffer; and there
Is no republican from the President down
VINO would be so incredibly rash as to lift a
ringer for one side or other in the strike
Mr.. Shaffer has brought on.
MI. Sharer threatens TO punish the party
II II does not help him. If he were really
capable of making his words good. innum-
cradle Democrats, laying aside their party
di1erences with Republicans, would go TO
the polls and cast Republican votes on this
very issue. There is no party issue before
the country of one hundredth BART of the
Importance that attaches to the question
whether Mr. Shaffer of Mr.. Schwab is to be
the responsible manager of the business of
the United States Steel Corporation.
What a silly picture Mr.. Shaffer draws OF
the administration standing idly by while
the combine brushes organized labor out
OF existence. With the lodges of the Anal
gamated Association that have been organ
lied in their mills the operating steel COM
panies have not interfered. They told Mr..
Shaffer that they did not oppose the union.
LANg WClG NiiillS even lOdI he SnOul0
organize unions among their nonunion men.
But they refused TO coerce their men into
joining Mr.. Skaters union. That was pre-
cisely what he demanded that they should
DO. Ii is he that Is trying to crush out the
Independent life and responsible manage
ment or the steel companies.
A skilled puddler earns more thar a COL
lege professor. a great part OF the men
Mr.. Shaffer has commanded to drop their
work and foregO their wages earn a larger
income than CLERKS, bOOkkeeperS, teachers.
country ministers, or than artists and men
OF letters who have not yet established a
reputation. TIL steel companies have paid
these wages TO union and %nOnuniOn alike.
That Is the way the employing companies
have chosen to crush their men out of ex-
iStence. The employees are not on strike for
higher wages. They had no occasion. They
are on strike because the president of their
organization is a man of foolish ideas and
very bad judgment. He has attempted to
do what the just-nlinded and right-thinking
masses of the American people will not
approve or support.
He is light-headed enough TO think that
through fear of ruin to their business. 1t
Is on account, not of the fear. but OF the
absolute certainty. of ruin that the COM
panies must hold out against him., even If
they have TO close every mill, stop every
wheel. put out every fire and suspend bust
this fight would transfer the control of the
affairs of the companies from the hands of
men chosen by the shareholders because
they commanded their confidence to the
hands of President Shaffer and his asso-
ciates. who possess the confidence of the
accurately measured by the terrible fall in
steel shares that would instantly follow the
news that he had won a victory in this
strike.