The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-09-21
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"A MISLEADING TERM.

AASAS e@AC oOAAO WA mug pSOPAS "Ao
are traitors to their kind. There Is a
class of men who, whenever their COM
rades attempt to better their condition.
step in the way and sell them out for a
few dollars. They do not aim at any
considerable reward, as Benedict Ar
mold did. nor until they have already
sold themselves once have they any
spite to crafty, as he had. But two
dollars week extra for about q month
or so looks bigger to them than any
motive of honor, or any suffering of
families of strikers from a strike which
they lengthen or which they cause to
be lost. To get raise of two dollars
a week for two months they will readily
cause thousand workmen to have
their wages reduced two dollars a week
forever. Or even ten dollars q week;
they are not particular about what it
cost other people; they only see the two
dollars coming to them. They are trait
ors for thirty pieces of silver, and do
not repent and go hang themselves, but
do the same thing over whenever they
get the chance. Except in the case of
foreigners, who do not understand
what is going on, there are few who
believe they are within their rights in
such actions. They knowingly sell out
their comrades for money. For small
amount of money, too. They are low
priced traitors.
A great deal of sympathy is wasted
on such people by portions of the public
who do not understand the situation
or the character of these men. In the
papers they are called mon union men"
as if the only thing which distinguish
ed them was their not belonging to the
union. There are thousands Of working
people who do not belong to unions,
who are of fine character, men and wo-
men who do not belong merely because
they have not given the subject any
thought, but who would scorn the busi-
ness of professional traitor. And there
are men inside labor unions who will
turn traitor when they see some profit
in SO doing. The term mon unionist''
employed in this case is extremely mis-
leading. The traitors are not mon
unionists" nor even anti-unionists (for
they aren OF opposed on principle to
unions)
When an employer refuses to pay two
dollars day to his striking employees,
he is sometimes willing to pay two dol
lars and a half temporarily to a GER
tain number Of workmen who will take
the strikers places. If, by this means,
he can break the strike, he can then
make up the cost of his temporary pre-
MUM on Workmen by reducing below
the prices struck for, when the strike
Is defeated. These men are, therefore,
g. class who engage to break strikes for
a bonus Of half a dollar a day till their
work is accomplished. They quite often
quit jobs at which they are making
more than average wages in order to
get this temporary increase at the ex-
pense Of others.
The public should understand this,
Labor unions are often blamed for not
taking these wrongly called non-union
lists to their bosom. "Why don't you
let them join the union?" is asked in
d1gnantly sometimes. AS a rule, the
unions are willing to take in those who
something with; but where is the use
of taking in men who will swear readily
enough to do a thing and then perjure
themselves for a pittance?
An immense amount ct advice and
criticism is dealt out to working people
and labor unions, without either the
we'll or evil intentioned advisers or crit
les having the least idea of what they
are talking about.
The press should find better name
than "non-union men, for these fellows.
Their fellow workmen selected a. very
appropriate one which silly legisla-
ture passed law against using. These
fellows are too cheap to be given the
dignifed term of traitor. They are
tWo-cent traitors.