The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-09-11
BALLOT
THE HOPE
Of Organized Labor Says
Sovereign.
EXAORTAT.HN TO UN!0l MEN
To Stand by the Principles of the Re-
pubIic-says Combined Capt.
tai Is on Strike.

That it is labor's right and duty
to organize for its own protection,
but that it should proceed along con-
sentative, level headed lines, avoid
ing mob violence always, and strikes
wehenver possible, was the keynote
of the Labor Day address delivered
at NatatOrium park, Spokane, by
James r. Sovereign Of Wallace, Ida
no, former general master workman
of the Knights of Labor.
Mr.. Sovereign was introduced to
the crowd consisting of about 1900,
by Thomas Cole, member Of the
Labor Day committee After brief
word of thanks for the reception ten
dsred him, Mr.. Sovereign plunged in
TO the heart of his subject
IF the principles of organized la
bor," he said, are ever made the law
Of the land, then those who are OPP
posed to them will enjoy their bless
ings in as great a measure as we
who now advocate them. II, on the
OTHER hand, they should not prove
blessings, but the reverse, then we,who
are advocating them Will suffer as
greatly as you who are opposing
them. L make this definition to show
the sincerity Of labor; to show that
labor uniOnists have no more to gain
and no more to lose in the future thar
anyone else
You can't organize union with
evil as it's basic priciple. The whole
standard Of modern civilization stands
as an Impeachment Of the contention
| that you can. You can't organize q
uriOil with arson, or horse stealing, OF
bank robbery as its basic principle
| because nine-tenths Of the members
as quick as they found il out, would
withdraw and deliver the other tenth
up to be prosecuted. You can't organ
lie a union On lines of injustice, be
cause a majority Of union men be
ieve in Justice.
Capital Combines Dangerous.
"OrganiZed labor has certain fun
damental principles. One of them is
to facilitate the easy exchange OF
| commodities among the people. Per
STA and Babylon, Greece and Rome
lost their power and their indepen
| dence because the wealth CT those
| countries was concentrated in the
hands of a few, and was used to i'm
! pair ard hamper the easy exchange
Of commodities among the people
Our country has started On that road
| and we will travel to the end of it
| if the tendency to concentrate wealth
| in the hands of the few is not check
| ed.
q wouldn't have you as labor union
| lists hang your banners here on this
stand. | would have you hang Them
on the stand of the speaker Of your
state legislature, on the bench Of your
state supreme court, in the halls of
| congress and in the White House at
Washington. The ballot is the wea-
pom which labor must use.
Il wouldn't ask you to join my party;
you mustn't ask me to join yours
| and there is no cali for us to organize
| a new party. What l ask is that you
| demand of all parties that they redress
the grievances which these combines
! of capital are inflicting all the time.
"You read in the daily press great
deal about strikes and labor troubles
but you don't read there that com
| bined capital is on one continual
strike, one constant violation Of law
and that it is backed up by the court
| decisions and subservient legisla
lures, and then see to it that courts
are chosen which will administer the
law impartially between man and
man.
| Not Matter of Choice.
| Labor unions, my friends, are not
organized through choice, but from
necessity"
| Mr. Sovereign entered into a dis
cussinon Of labor saving machinery
and said it's invention has given the
| employer a greater hold than ever over
his employe. and that the only check
or remedy lay in organization. A
shoemaker, nowadays, he said, was
able to make only a part of shoe on
a machine, and if he couldn't get jot
in that particular line he was out Of a
| job altogether.
I'VE want a system" he declared
(which will allow one Of Gods dear
children to seek job anywhere. ir
Irrespective of any permit Office Of