Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-27
High Wages VS.. Civilization.
Or. Williams, Keb.)

Editor of Courier: | note through
the columns of the daily press these
eastern coal barons still cling to their
former theories as to recognition of
the miners union like a sick kitten
SUES to hot rock. After all is said,
the fact still remains and is indispu-
table to all reasonable people that
greater material progress in the di-
recsion of commercial and Industrial.
success and a higher civilization is
made in countries where the highest
wage for labor is paid. The very
I gratifying fact stands out in bold re-
lief that in countries where the great
est progress has been made along the
foregoing lines is in the countries
where the trade-union movement is
the best developed and is strongest.
1t may be blunt way of stating it
to the average Courier reader, but the
writer is strong in the belief that the
better side of man is developed
through his stomach, as the better he
is fed and clothed the greater is the
ambition and consequently the greater
results in material advancement.
AS history proves in low wage pay,
Ing China and many other countries,
civilization is at the very lowest stan
dard To be convinced, read consular
reports of October, 1902. While the
highest standard of recognized civil
1zation is in the countries where wages
are the highest made thus through
the trade union movement, this being
a plain, simple, economic fact, it seems
to me that all honest men regardless
~ n hot hot. Ne
political conditions may be, and re-
CARELESS of their opinions of what
should be done politically, should dc
all in their power to build up and
strengthen and perfect trades unions
believe all honest men viii do So
II 1t were not for trades unions this
country would be at least 100 years be
hind the times in SO far as the work
ers are concerned. Trades unions first
increased wages, shortened the hours
OF labor. improved the general con
ditions of the workers and made this
country industrially and commercially
one of the greatest in the world today
They stimulated thought, developed
the mind and taught the worker the
force of united action and collective
bargaining. Under the system OF
trade unionism the employer and EN-
ploye are brought together, face tc
face. Each party puts his feet under
the table with harmony prevailing
and enters into annual agreement
thus enabling confidence in each 9th
er that never would have been estab
Ished otherwise, hence they are large
ly responsible for all that is good il
the condition of the toiling masses to
day. d
Trade unions developed and made
possible the very men who now say
unions are no good and that they have
outlived their day of usefulness. AS
q matter of fact trade unions are in
their infancy in America as compared
with England and Wales, and
while in their infancy they have done
more good for laor than all other agen.
cies combined. They have just com
menced, but when they are through
there will be no labor problems to set
tie that the trade unions cannot settle
The writer Is now past the half cen.
tury mark by six years and is still la.
boring in the mines. He has lived in
the days when there were no trade
unions and lived in the days when
there We're. AS he likes to speak and
lin open meeting" he is not reluctant
in saying today in his old age, he car
make better living for himself and
wife in seven and eight hours a day
toll than he could twenty years ago in
ten to twelve hours day labor and
receive larger pay for his work. All
this, too, with a greater demand for
men than he ever saw and today he is
enjoying in his declining wears the
many blessings brought around by
trade unions. In view of this it seems
to him that that man Baerl and his
associates had better come down from
the house top and quit their meanness
get in the trade union band wagon
and follow the procession, proclaiming
to the world, Let others do as they
may, as to me and mine we will rec
ogniZe the union"
! !.