Mohave County miner., 1902-08-16
Organized Labor and Politics.

ne LABOR organizations OF An
zona met at Prescott last SATURDAY.
and adjourned to meet in Phenix
on the 10Th of the present month.
At this meeting resolution was
adopted setting forth the following:
I'VE. the representatives of organized
labor of the territory of Arizona do
hereby pledge ourselves and the un.
ions we represent to work against and
vote against any man, nominated for
office by political party, whose past
record shows him to be an enemy of
organized labor, and we further pledge
ourselves to use every means in our
power to defeat candidates for office
who in the past have voted against or
worked against the eight-hour bill,
mine inspectors bill. freight and fare
bill, anti-blacklist bill, anti-'pluck- me.
store bill, and any other bill in the in
terest of organized labor; and be it
further
"Resolved, That the Territorial Fed.
Grafton of Labor, in pursuance of the
action Of the last convention of the
Western Federation of Miners and he
American labor unions, declares itself
entirely opposed to the present com
petitive system as a capitalistic and
unjust system of production and dis
tribution, as we we'll know by years of
bitter experiences; that the two domi.
naut political parties admit of no leg
islation favorable TO the laboring
classes, therefore we advocate the
adoption of the initiative and refer
endum in our legislation. We also sd-
vocate the public ownership of all
means of production and distribution;
be 1t further
"Resolved, That the federation give
support wherever possible to candi-
dates pledged to the above princi.
Piles in preference to those seeking Of
fee on any other platform.
The assemblage also scored the
Phenix Republican for its attitude
in the matter of the destruction OF
the Congress pumping station, when
IL is alleged that the destruction of
that plant was due entirely to the
explosion Of gasoline tank. The
Phenix Democrat, in summing up
the situation, appears to think that
if the unions carry out their politi-
cal views it will disrupt the demo
cratic party, as it was the members
of that party that defeated many
just laws presented to the legisla-
ture at its last session, especially
the eight hour law, the pluck me
store bill, mine inspectors bill,
freight and fares, blacklist, ETC.,
bills. 1t advises tn demo ;rats to
throw over all men opposed to or
ganized labor and cast aside am
biguity in the matter Of questions
affecting labor and capital. With
an enrolled membership of 5000
the unions certainly can control
political matters at least for a
while. Regarding this matter we
again assert that labor unions
should not enter politics, but
should evade political issues just as
studiously as they would religious
topics We have seen the decadence
of many political secret orders and
just so sure as the lodge room is
given over to political discussion
just so soon does turmoil prevail
Lodgemen are apt to have friends
outside of the candidate of the lodge
and they will fight to have him
placed on the ticket OF the order,
while he is compelled to abide the
decision of the majority. But will
he do it? We have never seen the
man who would give way to his
convictions in the matter of his
political beliefs to suit the views of
others. In the matter OF politics
and religion man is free mortal
and no ties of lodge will bind him.
Ii the lodge attempts to dictate to
him it will surely lose a member,
or make him very luke warm. In
the matter of bread and butter he
can be brought around, but not in
the matter of lifelong political con-
victions. To maintain a living
scale of wages labor must organize
and each man must stand by the
other and in this every community
should uphold the man, but when
politics is the issue it is an entirely