The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-29
LABOR In POLITICS.

The trades union movement in the
United States may be said to have at
this time reached the highest measure
of success that has ever attended the
organization of workingmen Every
mechanical craft has a large, if not the
largest, proportion of it's members en-
rolled in the movement. of organized
labor. The prevailing activity in in
dustrial life secures to the mechanical
toilers steady employment, at wage
scale in excess of any that has ever
prevailed before in the history of the
country, even though it be true that
the purchasing power of the prevailing
wage is not as high as formerly In
addition to this, it is undeniabIe that
the members of labor unions are in a
better position today to insist on their
reasonable demands than they have
ever been before.
1t is under circumstances such as
these that the movement has been called
into existence looking to the amalgama-
ton of union workingmen of the coun-
try into an independent political party.
The central organization of union
workingmen in Milwaukee, as the press
reports show, has urged on the CORE
spending body in Greater New York
cooperation in such a movement In
dividua1 unions in Chicago and else
where have committed themselves to
the same policy.
II is a very short-sighted view of
the future of labor organization which
looks upon it's chief opportunity as ly-
ing in the direction of party political
action. The industrial life of the coun-
try is strewn with wrecks of organiza-
tons established for the promotion of
the social and economic betterment OF
their members which left the beaten
path of legitimate endeavor and COM
mftted themselves to political action.
The fate of the Farmers Alliance is
the most instructive of the many ex-
amples Of this kind that might he
mentioned. There is not a prominent
representative of labor that ever en-
tered into active politics that was not
forced to do so at the cost of his in
fluence and standing in his organiza-
ton. [ 81 ''Y.
The labor unions of the country are
playing most important part in
American life at the present moment.
Ihelr aVoWed purpose OF urging the
general adoption of arbitration as a
medium of promoting industrial peace.
if exercised within its proper bounds,
involves the rendering or an endur-
ing public service. So, too, as the me-
dunn of promoting amicable periodical
agreement between employers and en-
ployes on the terms of employment,
they discharge function of great use
fulness. When those unions engage
in politics the days of their existence
are numbered. Their usefulness will
be at an end, and the labor organiza-
ton will have degenerated into a. mere
class political something
which the history Of this country shows
the American people look on with sus-
picion and contempt.
The unwelcome reception extended
by the New York organization to the
of the Milwaukee trades
unionists may result in putting an end
to the movement. 1t will be a good
thing for the American Federation of
Labor if that result follows. On the
other hand, if the movement makes
like general Roadway, the
Federation may be said to be hasten
ing to the grave now occupied by the
Knights of Labor.