The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-19
POINTS OUT GRAVE DANGERS
SAYS LABOR TRUSTS SHOULD NOT
ROB ORGANIZED TOILERs,
Any More Than Rapacious Capitalists
should BE Permitted to Restrain
Trade by Illegal Methods.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

liens Industrial Association of America,
the recently organized federation OF manu-
facturers, citizens alliances and trade or
CARNATIONS, delivered a notable address
here tonight before the Northwestern Man
ufacturers Association. Mr. Parry chose
for his topic the question whether the laws
guaranteeing free competitive conditions
in industry shall be respected and enforced.
He said In part:
81 cling to the cid saying that COMPETE
ton is the life Of trade. l do not believe
that any labor trust should be allowed TO
pilfer the earnings of other labor by means
of arbitrary wage scales enforced through
a system Of mob tyranny, nor do believe
that any set of business men should be
DDS which are in restraint of trade. Inter
ference with competitive conditions, Theth-
er by labor capital, means the plumber
effect of disturbing business Conditions and
checking industrial growth. In order that
justice may be done as between man and
man. and In order that the progressive de,
velopment of the country may be continued
| unretarded. 1t is essential that there be
no restrictions upon competitive effort.
in accordance with the Constitution or
the United States every man is entitled to
dispose Of his labor or to invest his savings
In whatever lawful manner may seem most
proper to himself, and he should not be
intimidated, physically assaulted, fnan-
cially ruined or otherwise punished because
| of his following the bent of his desires.
The Constitution of the United states
should be respected and enforced. and IL is
up to the business man more than TO
any one else to see that 1t is respected and
| enforced. I say 1T is UP TO the business
man to maintain competitive conditions.
Every citizen should have deep regard for
| the welfare Of his country, but the bust
ness man has greater personal interests
| In jeopardy than the man who has little or
| nothing to lose. II is difficult, APPARENTLY,
for some people to appreciate that general
| business prosperity means prosperity for
all. and again there are those who would
| sacrifice the most sacred obligations of
| citizenship for personal gain. The great
majority Of manufacturers and business
material welfare is dependent upon the
| maintenance of correct theories of govern
ment. Upon them must fall the burden and
| ing Industrial problems. They should not
| seek to shirk what is their plain duty, and
they. cannot shirk 1T without inviting nation
MAD MULLAHs.
| ut is largely due to the lack of partici-
patton by the general business elements of
/ the country in public affairs that to-day we
| find the labor organizations representative
! of a small minority of the working classes
| exercising an influence over public thought
| and government policy that is out of all
proportion to their importance. These or
| CARNATIONS have sprung into existence for
the purpose of serving ends regardless of
| the restrictions imposed by law. They aim
| to make themselves so powerful that they
can override the rights Of others with i'm
punity. They are undermining the princi-
| pal props of our government, and are
directly responsible for the hold public
| dogmas. Does not all this hue and cry for
| the closed-shop principle and government
| ownership Of the means Of production sound
a warning to be needed? Thousands yes
millions Of men are banded together under
the leadership of the new prophets of In
| dustrial Democracy-the Mad Mullahs, they
might be termed Of the Misunderstanding
Acknowledgement by speech, pen and print
ed literature the socialistic propaganda Is
going forward all over the land, while
| scarcely effort is being made to coun-
| teract its influence. This is not the time
| to linger under the belief that what ought
| to be will be without your assistance. 1t
is not wise to give way to sense OF fancied
security. In my opinion / believe there are
many urgent reasons why the substantial
and loyal citizenship Of the country should
assert its power, and without hesitation or
| wavering. rouse itself to the defense of
| those institutions of personal liberty and
property rights which insure industrial
Mr. Parry then told of the organization
Of the Citizens Industrial Association at
Chicago. which is to hold its first conven-
ton at indianapolis next February: After
outlining the scope of the association, he
spoke of the work of employers organiza-
tions in general, saying they should be
by all honorable means. Continuing, he
| said:
whenever any acts of legislation, local,
State and national are proposed. which In
| rights of the individual, the most effective
way in which TO defeat 1t is for the asso-
press their opposition and their reasons.
The plan worked well at the last session of
the Indiana Legislature. and ii will work
to think twice before he votes for bill
that the principal business men and citi-
zens among his constituents have asked him
TO oppose.
POLITICS WOULD MEAN RUIN.
81 wish to say here and now that poll
tics should. have no place in this move
ment Politics would ruin any movement
such as this. 1 might add in this connection
that political business men have in the past
done as much harm to the general business
interests as the most blatant agitators and
Anarchists in the country. There is no
place for transcendentalism or hypocritical
cant In a business mems movement. We
are organizing for a specific purpose, and
| that Is for the maintenance OF free indus
trial conditions. and we desire to have such
conditions maintained because they are es-
| sential for the business health of the
Nation and because they assure equal JUS
tice TO all.
Discussing the trust question. Mr. Parry
said that IF by reason Of greater capital
improved machinery and scientific methods
| of administration trust Is able TO under
| bid its competitors without resorting TO
ilegitinlate means, then such a trust In a
| benefit and not a curse. IL has succeeded
| in chea opening production. and the chea pen
| ing of production, in whatever manner &C.
complished. must result in raising the gen.
eral standard of living of the masses. How
ever there have been abuses OF corporate
mower and / believe In the adoption OF
| rational Legislative remedies TO meet these
| abuses But i am OF opinion that these
abuses do not approach anywhere near tho
| magnitude the agitators that favor confis.
. | cation OF wealth have led the general pub
| lie to believe The injury occasioned to IN,
| general interests of the country by ths
! | warfare against competitive industry dur.
ing the last year by the labor unions has
! far oversha6owed any harm done by the
| trusts The realization of this truth / think
. | will vet dawn upon the people The en-
forced idleness of whole armies OF men ha.
caused a reduction in the national output
| OF wealth that reaches into millions OF dol
lars. Flourishing industries have beer
| brought to the brink of ruin. and the Who'll
; | Industrial system has received a shocL
| from which il will be slow In recovering
In the face of good crops and fair prices fol-
our surplus farm products abroad, we are
witnessing recession In the wave OF pros
perity of the last few years. and 1 believi
that the one cause that has contributed
Z mere to this industrial reaction than an.
other is the course Of organized labor a
! conducted to-day.