The Iola register., 1902-02-28
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( Labor Department
CONTRf 81 TED
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UNIONS VS.. scAB LABOR

his work at the factory door, and the
needs of the poorest and meanest
among thenumber is the basis of the
pay for the entire force The union
man bargains for his wage in the Of
flee of his employer, and the average
demands, average hopes and average
conception of the rights of his fellow
employees are made the basis on
which the work of the entire number
is calculated. d"
I THE POWER or LABOR
The following letter from a work.
ingman was printed recently in the
San Francisco star
~ believe that organized labor,
when thoroughly organized and unit
ed on u iost demand, welding the
strike and the boycott, can carry the
day. Witness the numerous conces-
tions to, and settlements with, organ
lied labor within the past year. At
last workmen are beginning to learn
the Importance of making an injury
to one craft the common cause of Of
feuce to all. The employers think to
stand of this organization by combi-
ing among themselves But their combi-
nation is of no account if the labor
supply is cut oF. Hence the Efforts
more or less successful--of labor lead
ers to corral the supply.
The contest bstween capital and
labor has often besn narrowed down
to the Issue in the fight between the
devil and Fin McCoul, in the Irish
mythology. 'Ahungrg belly will drive
you back 10 work, says capital, with
the devil. The toughest hide holds
longest says labor, with Fin McCoul.
And labor has the toughest hide, as
had the great Fin. 1t iss a great mis-
take to suppose that the ordinary run
of workingmen yearn foriTork. unless
they have big families. They hear
the order to knock off work without
reluctance, There is a vagabond
streak in all of us which fits in with
vacation time exactly
I'VE are doing an immense business
on bank credits, or wind. The lead
ing industries have been copsOlid ated
and ovsr-cap pStalized to the tune of
billions. Their stock is 1oated in the
market, and laboris expected TO earn
the dividends When dividead stop
coming, it will be-save himself Who
can, the devil take the hindmo st.
When two or three thOus and walk
out of one trust, in determined strike
atone time, the unlosding will begin
and the marlsst will bSeak. Here you
have a billion dollar guarantee that
organized lAbor in that truss can
have about any terms 1t chooses to
demand.
"There is no end to the advantages
which Thoroughly OrganizeeI labor
may now win in the matter of hours
of labor and wages
1t does not yet know it's own strength.
| If it did it might grow tyrannicaly and
become, in larger way. as powerful
as the London guilds Capital peoish-
| es,and is consumed Iwice in every ohree
decades. Labor is indestrucsbble.
GuaraAIee:me five cents of the daily
wages OF every working man in the
United States, and l can break every
trust and every bank, in time, and
scatter the proceeds among the peo-
pie.
with the politicians bidding so
desperately for the wage-workers'
votes, and the capitalist so dependent
on their daily labor. l am amazed at
the moderation of their demands.
How long would they, and the other
producers OF wealth in these United
States, have to support the vast army
of non producers, if they made a con
iointed ell ort to stop it? Howlong would
they go on working Tor less, than one
fifth of the product of their labor?
Would they stop at the miserable
formula, "a fair days wage for fail
days work, and leave the plutocrat'
to say what is fair?"