The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-08-31
A MISLEADING TERM.

There are some working people who
are traitors to their kind. There Is
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
Arnold 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 a 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 a rise of two dollars
a week for two months they will read
lily cause thousand fellow workmen
to have their wages reduced two dollars
a week forever. Or even ten dollars
a week; they are not particular about
what it costs other people; they only
see the two dollars coming to them.
They are traitors 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 knowing
ly sell their comrades for money. For
a small amount of money, too. They
are low-priced traitors.
A. great deal of sympathy is wasted
on such people by portions of the pub
lie who do not understand the situation
or the character Of these men. In the
papers they are called "non-union
men," as If the only thing which dis
tinguished them was their not belong
ing to the Union. There are thousands
of working people who do not belong
to unions. who are of fine character,
men and women who do not belong
merely because they have not given the
subject any thought, but who would
scorn the business of professional trail
tor. And there are men inside labor
unions who will turn traitor when they
see some profit in SO doing. The term
"non-unionist' employed in this case
is extremely misleading. The traitors
are not n-unionists' nor even anti
unionists (for they are not 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
dollars and 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
1>Vyp~ S1ivH ho
low the prices struck for, when the
strike is defeated. These men are,
therefore, class who engage to break
strikes for bonus of half a dollar
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 expense 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
dignantly sometimes. As rule, the
unions are willing to take in those who
have any excuse and those they can
do something with, but where Is the
use of taking in men who will swear
readily enough to do thing and then
perjure themselves for pittance.
An immense amount Of 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 some better
name than "non-union men" for these
fellows. Their fellow workmen selected
very appropriate one which silly leg
islature passed a law against using.
These fellows are too cheap to be given
the disnifed term of traitor. They are
two.cont traitors