The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-07-27


The country has seen during the pres
ent week great army OF men lay down
their tools at the hehest Of the labor
agitators. These men who have quit
work have no grievance against their
employers. They are better paid than
they have ever been in all their lives be-
fore. They were assured, too, in all rea-
sonable certainty OF u continuation OF
employment at excellent wages: and yet
they went out to support the most
preposterous and outrageous demand
that has ever been made to an employer
Ia the United States. Against the sener-
al principle OF a union oi labor the Re
view has nothing to say. Labor has
just as much right to combine as capital
has, and indeed ii is frequently neces-
sary for it's own protection. But the
sad thing about union labor (since the
labor union cannot be disassociated
from the labor leader is the shocking
lack OF moral principle manifested. The
labor union employs means which are
not justiiable in law or morality.
This is a severe thing TO say but the
pity OF il is that il is the truth. 1t
means the eventual overthrow OF or.
gained labor, as no force, no matter
how powerful can long offend the com
mon sense OF mankind or withstand the
contempt OF public opinion. The love
OF justice is inherent and its attainment |
certain. These men who have gone out |
OF the mills OF the United States Steel |
Corporation had no grievance. The
trouble was not over wages. The cor
poration pays more than the union
scale in several instances and in no in
stance does it pay less. Nor was the
trouble over union labor as principle.
The corporation has freely expressed
it's Willingness that the union organ
izers should have full liberty in
it's shops in their efforts to induce nom
union men to join the union voluntarily.
The demand OF the union, in short, was
that the corporation should unionize
its non-union plants as a whole and
compel it's thousands OF employees to
become union men against their will.
This is virtual insistence that non.
union men employed in non-union mills
shall be discharged by the company IL
they do not join union. And because
the corporation very properly declined
TO do any such thing the strike was de-
clared. There is not thinking man in
the whole United States who does not
commend the Steel Corporation for it's
attitude or who does not regard with
pity the thoughtless and suicidal action
OF the strikers. The independence Of
American manufacturing enterprises
would be sorely challenged had the Steel
acceded to the demands OF
the union. 1t is to be congratulated for
doing what il did. The constituent
directly affected are three {,
American Steel Hoop, American Sheet q
Steel and American Tin Plate. The q
American Steel 4 Wire Co., which is non. q
union, can duplicate practically all the
business OF the Steel Hoop Co. The .
Carnegie and other companies could n
probably duplicate the Sheet Steel Co. e I
product. The corporations business in
tin plate, however, could probably be !.
stopped il the strike continued long. as :
the American Tin Plate Co. " the e1- i
elusive manufacturer OF this product. I
Mr.. Morsas and Mr.. Schvab have made y
no statement as yet regarding the stu .
Ation.-Marine Rsvsw.