The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-30
THE FUTURE OF ORGANIZED LABOR.


THE FUTURE OF ORGANIZED LABOR.
III the present strike results in the de-
feat of the strikers. as from present APP
pearances 1t is likely TO. 1t becomes an in
teresting question as to what effect 1t will
have on the Amalgamated Association and
on organized labor i'm general. That 1t will
be a severe blow to both is certain. but the
question is how severe and how lasting
the consequences will be. Among the
earliest results will be the retirement of
Mr.. Shaffer from the presidency OF the
association. One III advised and disastrous
strike ending In failure is as much as the
association can stand from any president.
III the present strike fails Mr.. Shaffer will
share the fate of Martin Irons. Denis
Kearney and other discredited labor Lead
ers of the past.
The effect OF the failure Of the strike on
the Amalgamated Association and on labor
unions In general will depend largely on
the way they take it and on the policy
they pursue in the immediate future. The
first effect will be To greatly weaken their
organization and reduce their membership.
IL Is not as strong or numerous now as IL
was a year ago, and not nearly as strong
or numerous as IL was In either OF the
years from 1855 to 1892. omciai figures pub
lished I'm the Journal a few days ago
showed that the present membership of the
Amalgamated Association Is only 1855.
as against 2o.975 In 1892. 2i.OSS IN 1891 and
5000 as far back as 1852. After the Home
stead strike the membership decreased
steadily for several years ana did not show
any material increase IN last year. when
Il was still about 7.oo0 less than In 1892.
The failure or the present strike will set
IL back at. least ten years. Another sig
nilcant fact is that the membership Of the
association Is small compared with the
number OF steel workers who are eligible
10 membership. In other words, the non
union workmen vastly outnumber the
union men, including even skilled workers.
This shows that for some reason or other
the number OF workmcn who would rather
be out OF the union than I'm Il IL very large
and steadily increasing. In his last an
nual report President Shaffer deprecated
the fact that thousands prefer 10 be
classed as black sheep rather than Join
our ranks and improve their condition"
IL II not possible that these thousands OF
skilled workmen who are thus stigmatized
AZ black sheep. prefer to stand on their
individual merits and take their chances of
getting steady employment and earning
good wages rather than sink their indi-
viduality I'm an organization the practical
effect OF which ~ 60 establish a dead level
of mediocrity and subject all its members
To a tyranny which tho wise ones among
them find intolerable?
There must be something radically wrong
In an organization which has lost strength
steadily during n series OF years and which
embraces I'm It's membership so small a
part of those who are eligible 10 become
members. There must he some reason WHY
tens OF thousands of skilled workmen pre-
fer. as MIR. Shaffer says. TO be classed
AZ black sheep rather than share I'm the
benefits. real or imaginary. of the union.
II behooves intelligent workmen who be-
lieve I'm organized labor to ask themselves
candidly II II has not been carried too fnr
ON the lines of debating TO EMPLOYERS and
fAAt
OF restricting the personal liberty of it's
members. The Journal believes I'm organ
lied labor. but not In organized tyranny.
The spirit OF personal liberty Is too strong
IN this country to be held down by any
organization under any pretext. Follow
ing are extracts from the constitution nj
the Amalgamated Association:
Members OF this association shall ~
the direction OF the president of the ma
tlonal lodge. refuse TO work I'm any mill
or factory Where the manager. superin-
tendent. foreman or puddle boss is de-
irving a direct benefit from the furnaco
rolls. etc. I'm addition To his positjon as
above. for which he receives a regular
Should any member OF this associat,o,
undertake To instruct an unskiIIed WORK
,his m any o. me trades represented I'm
mill committee to notify him that this as
ISOLATION cannot tolerate such proceedirce
ana should ne persist In doing SO charges
snail De preferred against him and he shall
be expelled or suspended. as the lodge may
determine. "'
Such provisions as these are equally un-
friendly to the employer and to ambitions
workmen who would like 10 stand ON thoir
individual merits. Their tendency Is IN 20
strict production. as has been done BIZ tho
labor unions In England. thereby gripping
the manufacturing energies OF The conn
try. They are conceived I'm a spi-it of
tyranny that would paralyze labor as wen
as capital. The present strike will not
have been I'm vain II its failure shall demon
strate the necessity of organizing labor on
new and broader lines.
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