The Saint Paul globe., 1902-11-15
THE NEED OF CANCELLATION.

THE NEED OF CANCELLATION.
The opening address of President
the Federation of Labor, together with
the reports of his associate officers, will
be read with increased interest at this
time when the operations of labor Or
ganizations fill so; large a place in the
industrial and economic life of this
people.
There is not very much in either,
however, which will suffice to hold
public attention save what has only an
immediate bearing upon the internal
concerns of labor organizations, but
there is enough to 4be deduced from
these facts to show how profoundly
American society must, be and is con-
cerned in the operations of labor or
ganizations. Aa'Stsss.
So far as the ordinary observer can
now distinguish there is no force what
ever adequate to secure the general
prevalence of amicable relations be-
tween employer and employe except
alone that of voluntary agreement en-
tered into by employers and their en-
ployes through labor organization.
Secretary Morrison's report shows
that the total membership of American
labor organizations at this time is little.
over one million. While this represents
a quadrupling of the membership of
labor organizations in six years, it is
quite plain that it represents but
small fraction of employed labor in the
United States. Regarded purely from
the standpoint of the union laborer it
is one of the most remarkable phenom-
ena Of our time that organizations en-
bodying but so small a proportion of
either skilled or unskiI1ed labor in the
aggregate should have been able to
achieve so much in the way of dictat-
ing the conditions attending the en-
ployment of their members.
The danger of internecine warfare
confronts the American Federation Of
Labor, according to President Gompers.
There could be no more serious danger.
Every popular organization in the his
tory of the world has come to ruin
upon that rock. If the advice which
President Gompers' speech gives is
generally followed the danger may be
averted, but whether from this source
or from some other, the decay of the
power of labor organization is ineyi
table unless it's scope is broadened and
the great mass of workers is brought
within it's membership. Cancellation,
upon which President Gompers lays so
much stress in his advice concerning
the adjustment of industrial Disagree
ments, has not been a favored instru-
mentality in the hands of trades union
lists in augmenting their ranks. That
it must be if that augmentation is to be
carried to anywhere near it's possible
limits is self-evident truth, at least
in the United States. This is a free
country, and individuals will not con-
sent to be forced or driven to certain
course, even though the assurance is
offered to them that by adopting that
course they benefit themselves mate
rally.
II is highly probable that in the mod
ern evolution of industry it will come
about in time that employing capital
and employed labor will maintain their
business relations through the agency
of organizations. How plain it really
is that before labor organizations can
speak and act for the great mass of
workers they must be in position to
conduct negotiations with employing
capital on an equal plane. The eco
nomic rule will forever confront them
in such situation, that the lowest fig
ure at which men can be found to labor
will remain the standard of labors
compensation.
Up to this hour it has remained be-
yond dispute that the only safety which
modern society has against Industrial
disagreement or is likely to have DUR
ing the present generation, is the one
of amicable agreement entered into be-
tween employer and employe. 1t is
gratifying to observe that President
Gompers lays especial stress on this
truth, even though he uses it only as a
foil against the proposal of compul-
sorry arbitration.