The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-22
wherein Ii Differs from the Organi-
zation Presided over by Theo-
dore j.. Shaher.
IT HAS ABSOLUTE CONTROL
AND Is GUIDED By BUSINESS-LIkE
LEADER, NOT A THEORIST.
How Former Heads of the AristOcratic
AmaIgamated Association Bet
tered Their Condition i'm Life.


Staff correspondence of the Journal.
PITTSBURG, Pa, Aug. Elf you ask a
business man or a union man as TO the
model labor Union of the country he Will
tell you that il is the American Window
Glass Workers Association. To those who
are not acquainted with the inside history
Of unionism this will appear a little sur
prising. The locomotive engineers under
| Chief Arthur certainly have a great repu-
tation. One has heard that the cigar
makers have banded together one of the
strongest organizations of the labor world
and that the typographical union was by
far the most forcible Intellectually. Furth-
ermore, there is the Amalgamated, the
aristocrat of all labor organizations. Its
members earn from s. to $40 a day and 1T
has the airs and proud ways of a giant
monopolist.
The questioner eagerly seeks for the &C
knowledged superiorityo of the window glass
workers. 1t comes the same from both
sides. 1t is a business order. 1t has tended
to its own affairs so we'll that it is rich and
has money TO invest. Its president has a
high place in the business world and aside
from being the head of the great body of
workers is one of the vice presidents or
the window glass trust, the employer of its
members. Furthermore, both answers are
to the effect that 100 per cent. of the trade
is organized. In other words, all the win
dow glass in this country is made by union
men. The exceptions are so few that they
are not noted in statistics. In short, the
union of these workers is nothing short OF
a labor monopoly. 1t controls absolutely
the labor which makes the glass. just as
the capital controls the product after it
leaves the factories. And both sides VIII
tell you that the basis of II all Is good BUS
mess methods. The labor union has stock
in the capital union. One OF the constitu-
ent unions of the trust was recently loaned
$4,000 by the trust.
labor unions do not enjoy the advantage OF
such business-like leadership one can with
profit look at the different dynasties oil
the Amalgamated Association oil IRON,
Steel and Fir Workers. This union Is now
in the public eye and has had a prominent
place in labor organizations since IL was
formed by the Sons of Vulcan and the
Brotherhood of Iron and Steel Rollers and
Heaters. This was in 1876. The two OF
fcials forcing the combine were Joseph
Bishop and William Martin. who be-
came, respectively, president and secretary
of the new order.
Bishop remained for three years and had
much to do with placing the new order on
its feet. He resigned to go into business
and politics. He has been an ardent fol-
lower of the Mckinley star, and when that
gentleman was made Governor of Ohio he
was made secretary of the Board of Arbi-
4 lTdtlOn. Ills pOSlllOn nt a hCIo tNtA
since. Recently he has been here a num-
Der of times and has patiently worked to
bring together the warning factions of the
Amalgamated and to further make the
president see the wisdom of arbitration
and compromise.
William Martin never became president
of the Amalgamated, but he was for twelve
years its most influential parsonage. He
| resigned the secretaryship in 1888 TO enter
at "A large salary. Before this he had been
presented with many costly jewels by his
fellow-workers, but his going over to the
employers who caused the great Home
stead strike caused a change of sentiment.
The loss of confidence was a personal grief
to him. After the strike he resigned his
position with the company to become the
head of an important real-estate firm in
Pittsburg. He Is a man of great ability
responsible for the rule of the Amalga-
mated to never break contracts. From
his time to this one was never broken until
Shaffer came into power.
John Jarrett. a Welshman. succeeded
Bishop as president, and he resigned to go
into the tin plate business. He is an able
business man. He has since served as
United States consul to Birmingham, Eng
land. and is at present the head of the
labor bureau for the Sheet Steel Company,
one of the constituent companies of the
United States Steel Corporation. His pres
ent position is that of a fighter of union
labor, and 1t is a very lucrative as well as
a life one.
William Wiehe was president of the
Amalgamated while it was making the
6AtoN thA 49, 80 NV
history of the union. reckoned as one of it's
hardest fighters. He resigned TO become
United States appraiser of the port of New
York. a position which pays $500 a year
and is good for life.
He was succeeded in the presidency by
Mahlon NJ. Garland, who was the most
business-like president the association ever
had. He had but little to do with lodge
room nonsense. With two hard fists he en-
forced his rule and with a clear head and
stubborn heart he drove the best bargain
he could for the men with their employers;
He was greatly respected by the men and
at this time has a standing in Pittsburg
has been the means of starting one or two
cooperative factories and is at present
years ago he was made collector of the
port of Pitsburg. by President Mckinley,
and still has that position.
When he resigned President Shaffer was
elected to fill the vacancy. He is not a
business man and has no fondness for ne
gotiation for terms or to effect compro-
misses. He has rejected the old business
methods of the Amalgamated and be-
lieves In breaking contracts. when he con-
siders 1t necessary. In order TO force en-
ployers to make desirable agreements.
1t is plain TO be seen from the above that
most of the able men in the Amalgamated
have been called to far more lucrative posi-
tions. Ii doubtless is a question of judy
nent as to whether the association could
have made the leadership sufficiently at
t~ractive in a financial way TO secure the
capable men in office.
As the president of the American Window
Glass Workers Union is "A type of the
business-like leader, Samuel Gompers. of
the Federation of Labor. is the type of the
theorist IL unionism. He makes no BUSH
ness deals and has no proper relations with
employers. He makes no which
business men understand, and depends upon
the spirit of uniOnism to hold his organiZa-
ton together Ii is such men who do moth
ing but talk and pose who make il difficult
for business men TO negotiate and arrive at
terms with the unions of this federated or
der. OTTO CARMICHAEL.