The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-05

obligations to the unions. They have. as
a., mntter OF fact, .n,itigated many. evils
rhey have reduced what used to be the
unreasonable number of hours in a days
work. They have improved health condi-
tions in factories and mines, and have
procured the legislation which has EN-.
nave prevented young children from
working In factories, and they have etnan-
s,pateu employees In many industries from
The company store. Moreover, they hold
IN check combined capital: and combined
capital is from the democratic point OF
View; View; a, formidable olgorchy, and one
,inctly afraid Of The labor unions hold
that oligarchy. in check The argument
commonly used IN Justification of the or
ganizations sa,,i Of laborers ~ unions Is a
bined In certain industries, and therefore
iaborers must effectively combine In those
industries. THAT aigument Is unanswer,,
are very formidable to unskilled laborers
-fn,ch more formidable than to the av-
erage man in the. community at large
ana they are sufficiently formidable TO
US all ! think. too. that we all believe
that the labor union Is going to last. The
Facilities for uniting mnltitudcs of men Ill
one one org ,organization, for communicating IN, on
ganiZation for bringing masses of men
together for u common purpose. have in
creased wonderfully even within, the last
ers know how to use as well as tho
financiers do and we may he quite sure
that the labor union with these new IA,
more. power in flush times; in duh times
1t subsidies.
Importance Of Frank Discussion.
In view of this situation it is manifestly
important to discuss frankly and pub
ucly any labor union doctrines or prac-
tees which seem dangerous to society or
hnrtfnl to the men who adopt them,
pf hos ot.i1 i1u 10 In f,1n
put on the number OF apprentices in shops
and ] think TO every American teacher. 8,
democratic doctrine. 1t was Napoleon
who gave It a very compact expression--
Every career is open to talent" Now
one that we all thought every one of us
heartily believed in. The labor union I'M
dertakes to close the trade which It rep
resents from young Americans. 1t pre-
Office. where hundreds OF men are en,-
pioyed, that only an insignificant number
of apprentices shall be allowed. ] have
read many constitutions of trades unions
and ] have never failed to find in them
this disposition to limit education for the
trade 1t seems TO be the common labor
union doctrine that the youth are to he
kept out of the trade. 1t is the exclusion
Of the newcomer for the protection of the
old hand.
/ need not point out how inconsistent
cation. A group of eminent lawyers, for
instance, devote themselves to educating
young lawyers. \ group of dentists de-
vote themselves at pecuniarv sacrifice to
training as many young dentists as they
can get together, with the result that the
young men Immediately begin to compete
in practice with their teachers. All
through the higher education runs this
conception Of using a talent for teaching
to increase the number of men well
taught, It is the same spirit which makes
the physician or surgeon always give to
the community any medical or surgical
discovery he may have made
It is the disposition among literally
educated men to provide every facility
for entrance to the learned and scientific
professions. The spirit OF the educated
class is to further to the utmost every
process Of education which admits to the
class. while the spirit of the labor union
seems to he the exclusive spirit: it tries
to protect the possessor of a trade against
the new aSpilant.
Evil of Limiting Labor's Output.
Another pernicious doctrine held by
many unions is the doctrine of limiting