The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-07
One Mans Views
Of Labor Problem

Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Much has been said. wise and 9TH
erwise, as to unionism In our leading
newspapers; the greater part in support
of which has come from the pens or
some biased minds who are thinking OF
the power possible to be generated by the
control of such organizations.
First-Much more Of material progress
could be made for the allevation of the
laboring classes of this free nation II its
members be taught that all citizens who
go and come peaceably can not be inter-
fered with in q desire to labor, whether
they may support a button or tag.
Second-That a laborer is employed for
his personal usefulness and not because
his employer has been given the cue oy
the committee of his local that he is
one Of the members in good standing,
therefore must not be dispensed with.
There are great number of old and
reliable organizations in perfect working
order to which any respectable laborer
will be heartily welcomed, furnishing all
sick, death and other benefits" which
might be made a side issue of "union-
ISM" the members of these stand by one
another as brothers; all of these bene-
fits may be had for much less fee than
Is generally called for to support
'unions:" these orders are minus the
| "agitator" and the expense necessary to
make mogul of him: their regulations
do not conflict with the constitution OF
the United States. SO they are not to be
depended on to ostracise from opportun-
ity to labor all only their members; most
of them recognize the brotherhood Of
mankind" and a member would not in
jure any man but for pure self-protection.
The main trouble seems to be that labor
ers of one class are entirely ignorant OF
many of the hardshps suffered by the
other (do not be misled by thinking it Is
the poor class who have all the wisdom.)
AS a rule. our great men" of today in
years gone by suffered more from pow
erty than any of our laboring classes, and
have won such wealth as they possess
through longer hours and harder toll
than any are subject to at present. We
have the pleasure to count as personal
friends men of much wealth; men who
have accumulated that wealth through
honest hard toll; men who at the prime
OF life were at as hard toll as the mem
ber of any strike and who in those
days found it lucky if they could pro-
cure enough corn bread" to stop the
| hunger of themselves and family. 1t was
| by the influence of no union" that they
grew wealthy, neither was 1t ''luck;" 1t
| was because they proved themselves
| trusty where their employer placed them;
| they did the work where others shirked;
they laid by some of their small earn
ings, where others expended more than
| they earned. If they became i'll or out
| of employment, thus contracting debt.
| this they paid while they went without
| many of the necessaries of life. 'These
are they who came up out of great trbu-
| lation." 1t Is such men who know what
| Is true worth in a laborer and are COM
petent to "arbitrate" troubles. or to give
a man advice as to what he should do
for his best interest. They We're not men
who paid $40 to became a member Of
some labor union." or set aside 81 or
one days pay each month for the sup
port of some "labor organization" with
its sympathetic agitator to lead them
out of the only employment by which
they procured their daily bread, which
would tempt them to commit murder
| when they saw some brother man taking
up the work they had wilfully refused
| to do.
This great nation is full Of labor. All
of the rich men put in more hours and
| at more fatiguing work than most Of
| their employees. 1t Is because they have
F, so just a knowledge of a days work and
! know how much work Is shirked that the
| laborer Is unable to get what he has been
led to believe Is justice from majority
| of the employers, Again and again We
| repeat that so far as so-ca!led labor
unions and the employer are concerned,
| tItTe iS HotHlHS lAet edCl
| man go as man and receive his deserts.
II he is a good man he is personally
aware of it. Should one employer not see
| fit to do him fair. there Is always some-
one looking for good men. lie will find
his rights, If he personally doubts him
| self. let him commence today to be the
best man in his class and 1t will surprise
him how soon that class will be recog-
nized,
Men OF late have lost too much time in
trying to draw pay for nothing and oc-
cupied too little time In training to do
more and better work each day. Let the
latter effort become the rule and see how
soon capital and labor will become united
on paying terms to each.
For the labor agitator to be continually
batting in public his great "regrets" for
the lawless acts of the class he acknowl-
edges to be the leader Of while at the
| same time he tries to brand with shame
| those people who have>found II necessary
| to stand together for the protection of
mankind in their common rights, is too
thin a gauze to hide the actual wicked
ness of his heart. Such men care but
little for the actual suffering Of human
ity, II the sophistry which they promul-
gate may hold together following that,
as willing dupes. keeps pouring gold into
reservoir for the support of his unholy
cause. In the main II is all for vain
glory" to make slaves OF their fellow
men, They can only hope to control ia
natics or the untutored. and these
| through sensation.
What men of sound mind can be willing
to become the slaves of those who have,
first, promised TO relieve them of burdens
which, though seeming grievous. pro-
cured them their daily bread; and. better.
II they saw fit to husband 1t, then at a
certain point they tell these tools you
must give up this employment to win''
and to others "you must put up out OF
your pittance sums of money" to assist
In humane" cause? Had there been
any foundation to their reasoning, would
they be willing to sacrifice the only in
come their followers had at any cost?
MANY mickles make muckle." II any