The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-13
WILL be UNPOPULAR.

rN- III Ia NF
If Edwin Young, delegate from the
Great Falls Smeltermen's union to
the Western Federation of Miners, is
correctly quoted by a Butte news
paper, to which he gave an interview
a few days ago, he is undoubtedly paw
ing the way for making himself the
most unpopular member having a seat
in the convention. The fact that he
is the accredited representative of a
union is proof of his assertion that he
is "a union man in every sense Of the
word" and that he has the confidence
of those whom he represents. But for
all that he is likely to receive cool
treatment from his fellow delegates
in the convention. The words he ut
tered to the reporter and which found
their way into print will rise up
against him and cause him to be re-
garded with suspicion by some of the
men with whom he will deliberate OF
matters pertaining to unions. The
ldSC CAdI AO l 1A6AL anu opOhC d0 a
sensible, honest and we'll meaning
member of organized labor will make
no difference with the radicals whom
he will meet. Neither will the fact
that he spoke the truth mitigate his
offense in their sight or condone his
speech in any manner.
Nv V0,~~ cold vxyho% oxorx, Yirhf
minded and sober thinking person in
the country knows: He declared that
if the affairs of labor unions were
managed by cool headed and ~unselfish
men the unions would not be plunged
into the grave difficulties which have
marked the past year in labor circles,
even more prosperous than they are
at the present time. He said he had
reference to the extreme independ-
ence of the leaders Of the unions, and
the false belief of the members that
capital must bow to their demands,
matter how absurd or dictatorial
CuOy Aldy OC. AC 1Oot VI IA ~
marks are better in his own words.
Here is what he said:
"While I am a union man in every
sense Of the word and believe in the
laboring man standing up for and
demanding all of his rights, at the
same time I recognize that capital, too,
hoe ,.irh%r u,hi1h roy1cf ho rncnnafo1
When the eight-hour law went into
effect, and the employers generally
acceded to it's measures, making no
in the scale of wages, the
fact should not be forgotten that it
was in the power Of all the large cor
porations to say that, instead of ac-
ceding to the demand, they would sus-
pend operations until the men we're
willing to work at a scale of wages
pro rata with the ten-hour day. All
of the copper companies, for instance,
yielded to the demand, and
have since sustained it, notwithstand-
ing that copper in the meantime has
one-third in it's commercial
"The one great thing which has
Montana from progressing
as she should, and which has persist
emily kept capital from investing in
this great state, is the fear that is en-
te%rtained, and rightly, too, that as
eo0~ q Y, 'ooo1o,n h1rirc IN rno1/o On
enterprise profitable, the union will
at once make a demand for a larger
share of the income. AS soon, for
instance, as some enterprising citizen
announces his intention of erecting
building which shall be an improve
ment to the town, the union calls a
meeting and makes a demand for an
increased scale of wages, never for
moment considering the fact that
the contractor has taken the contract
for construction on the basis of the
scale at the time he figured
upon the work. Thus il | tina il
many of the prominent towns of the
cCdIC ~ OulluAu6 10 III" III AO00,
and enterprises which would add to
our industrial income are kept out of
the field.
"Were it not for these periodical
of union independence and
inordinatedemands, Great Falls would
now be a beehive of activity. 1t has
been kept backward, and the almost
water power, which is
only waiting for development, is lying
idle, and millions of dollars are an
sent out of the country for
commodities which should be manu-
featured at that point, and which
be we're it not for the fact that
the capitalist knows when a
demand may be made upon him for