Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-02-14

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EDiTok T1AEs.
Happening to pick up q paper OF JAN.
3lst, 1901, noticed an address by q
Rev. Dr., delivered to class of stu
dents at college in the middle west.
The principal theme under consider
alton was: the effect of organized la
bor," which was to the mind of the
speaker, one, if not the greatest one Of
the bsneful influences operating in the
country today; and in the course of
his lecture, he remarked: "that legisla.
ton which would deny to any man the
right to labor when, where, and for
whatever wages he pleased, would not
be tolerated for day"
In the abstract, we agree with the
professor, but looking deeper, we find
that the principle is applied in great
many instances, but these have never
attracted the attention of the lecturer.
In some of the mining regions of the
east, the company owns the stores, and
will allow no one else to supply the
wants of its employees in any particu-
lar, and we remember that in the great
coal strike of last year, one wrong
sought to be remedied was the exorbi-
tant prices charged by the company for
powder and fuse, being almost double
the usual price.
Again, we find that the principal
factor in eliminating child labor from
factory and mine, was organized labor
But these are little things, and evil
IDENTIFY failed to attract attention of
great minds.
Is it any more deplorable for labor
union to regulate the price of labor or
other commodity, on the market, than
for an association of manufacturers or
merchants to regulate, in the same
manner, the price of their Articles of
trade?
An old and trite saying is that
Competition is the life of trade"
But in unorganlzed labor we lind the
only competition.
Manufacturers of all kinds have their
associations, dealers of all kinds, trans
portation companies, bankers, brokers,
and among all manner of men, but the
professor passes all this by, and vents
his antipathy upon the one. All orga-
nization is either for protection of in
dividual rights, or for increased prof
its. Either of these objects are leg,ti-
mate, unless carried to an unreasona-
BILE extent. Labor is justifiable in or
ganizing for the purpose of maintain
ing wages at a point where man, by
strict economy and industry can earn
a living for himself and family, and
lay by enough for old age, sickness. or
accident.
But when that organization is pur-
sued to the extent of demanding that
which will work an injustice to his en-
ployers, it is wrong, or whenever labor
resorts to violence or the destruction of
property it is going too far, and is un-
worthy of popular support, but is it
not equally wrong for employers of la
Dor to organize for the purpose of in
creasing profits, and then push their
demands to the extent of reducing wa
ges below the living point, or increas-
ing the cost of their productions to the
consumers beyond q reasonable limit?
Any association or organization of
men may be carried to extreems, and
that to which we most object to in the
remarks of the professor was what he
could say no good of labor, only bad.
Such subjects should be presented in
all its bearings; otherwise the nearer is
unable to form an unbiased opinion on
the subject presented.
This idea should obtain in our insti-
buttons of learning. above almost eve
~ other place; for it is from these in
situations comes men, from whose
ranks we expect to come those'who are
to be at the head Of the government in
the future, and it is an indisputable
fact that ideas formed. and conclusions
arrived at during the acquisition of our
education, are the hardest to change.
therefore students should have the Oh.
portunity to examine every question
In all its bearings.
The professor would leave with his
hearers the impression that Organized
Labor was composed entirely of men
of brutal instincts and habits; we'll we
find such men in all classes and cohdi-
tions of life, and would ask: Is it any
more reprehensible for man in over
alls to say, "burn them out" than for
the man in broad-cloth to say: "starve
them to it?"
No, one is just as much disgrace
as the other, and such facts should be
taught to our students at all times.
AID VALORUM.
Treated Them Right.
A company in Des Moines plan
ned the constructing of an elect
rio car line from that city to Win
terset, via lndiapola, but they
have struck a snag-the people of
Tn6ianolo hovo rof,,ol A.