The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-10-26
PROFESSIONAL UNIONS.

since the Oastar0ly ASSASSINATION OF
President Mckinley lawyers, doctors,
editors and a large number Of clergy
men have directly, or by. innuendo.
sought to convey the impression that
labor unions are cousin german to an
archy. These people could. with equal
propriety., be charged with similar
purposes, for what are bar associa-
ions but lawyers union. What ID
a medical society but a physicians un-
ion. Are not ministerial associations
q clergymen's union? In what particu-
lar idea does a bar association differ
from local union of miners? Let us
put them in a parallel position and an
alyse the bar associations. not In a
carping, but in a spirit of the utmost
fairness, and see If any member Of
them has any good grounds to unfa-
vorably criticise labor union? Ten.
fifteen or any number of lawyers, meet
and form bar association. The judge
Of the countyis generally chosen presi-
dent. Some leading lawyer is chosen
secretary, and Ave are made an exami-
nation committee, i. e.. an executive
board. Then suppose John Jones
wants to learn the trade of lawyer.
quire that he shall spend ut least two
years as q student in the office of a
member of the association, If he can
pass the examination required by the
association. He then must take an
application for the right to earn his
bread by his chosen trade to the court.
The court appoints a committee to ex
anime him as to his qualifications, and
If he shall fail to pass he is debarred
from earning his bread in the manner
In which he DESIRES Notwithstanding
the statement so often dinned into the
ears of the workingman that man
has an inalienable right to work at
anything he chooses, and when a labor
union prevents man peaceably or
otherwise from working at his trade
the members Of that union are COM
hitting grievous wrong. The bar as
ISOLATION also adopts wage scale, the
minimum Of which no member dare
work under without risk of expulsion.
The bar association also has what it
calls a code of ethics, i. e., rules for
the government of it's members, the
violation of which means disbarment.
That is to say, If the lawyer violates
a rule Of his union, the union will
expel him from its membership and
business. Can any Of the legal lights
who are so busily engaged in denounc-
ing labor unions point to single in
stance where a labor union has
adopted such harsh course towards
member? True, they have expelled
many unworthy members, but they
have never tried to prevent them from
working at their trades. It may be
alleged that if the bar association did
inal instincts would enter the pro-
fession and use it as means to
swindle and defraud ignorant clients.
Yet when labor unions protest against
the importation of foreign convicts to
take their jobs or against having con-
victs work by the side of law-abiding,
honest men, by some species, of
causistry the legal union finds means
to imprison the members Of labor or
Again, the lawyers union sets up the
plea that if high educational rule
was not adopted ignorant lawyers
would, without criminal intent, jeopar-
die the lives and property Of their
clients. Now see how this rule works
when applied to coal mining. There
is no more dangerous work in the
world than that Of mining anthracite
coal. And an accident there not only
destroys life but causes great de-
struction of property. The coal miners
asked the legislature Of Pennsylvania
to pass a law requiring that all men
seeking work in the anthracite mines
should pass an. examination showing
that they knew the different gases and
understood how to mine the coal, prop
the roof, in a word, were able not only
to understand the dangers, but how to
prevent accidents not only to them
selves, but to the hundreds working in
the same mine with them. One would
naturally suppose that this law would
have had the hearty support of the
coal operators. Not 80. They engaged,
eminent members Of the lawyers un-
ion to take the case before the state
executive board of that union (the
supreme court) who nullif1ed this wise
and humane law by declaring it special
legislation, and, therefore, unconsti-
tutional. Plain people are not able to
understand the nice points in this
Partially shown to the lawyers union
over the miners union. Coming to the
gist of the matter. why do lawyers;
doctors and ministers form unions? Is
it not for the same motive which
impels the workingmen to organize a
union? Why, then, should there be
never-ending attempts to discredit the
purpose of the worker in the field of
manual labor and a halo thrown over
the unions of the learned profession ?
Is not the brow of the humble toiler
who cheerfully invites the wrath OF
employer and denunciation of press
and pulpit in order that he may bet
ter his Surroundings more worthy OF
the nimbus than those "born to the
purple:" Surprising that the great
bulk Of the workingmen should adopt
the oft-tendered advice of the preach.
ers, lawyers and editors and dissolve