The labor world., 1903-05-02
III DEMO RAGl
7. ). [ j | F|U|Nl0N I !! |! LABOR
OFTEN cLAssED WITH MoNAsTIt
-" oRDERSs@oF MIDDLE AGE. {
Trade Unions Most Democratic Organ
izations in World-ldea They Are
Lead by Few Erroneous.
(By Hall Scriver)

It is the fashion of the capitalist and
their newspaper spOkesmen and Of
many sycophantic preachers and coll
lege' professors to represent the trade
unions as something like the monastic
orders of the middle ages, in which
every member was bound by oath, un-
der the severest penalties, to obey the
arbitrary commands of his superiors.
They trlk Of the tyranny of the leaders
who compel the rank and file, against
their will to go on strike or to observe
boycott. Let ME quote, for instance
a book published only last year, "The
Rights Of Man, by Rt. Rev. Lynn Alb
bott, Beechers successor in Plymouth
Church and now editor Of the Outlook.
On page 299 DR.. Abbott says:
'Trade unions are ruled over gener-
ally by a directory scarcely less abso-
lutte than that which governed the Rev.
olutionists of the day Of Mirabeau"
,(Dr. Abbott is a little rusty on his
French history, apparently and perhaps
confuses Mirabeau with Danton),
(which meets in secret, demands impli-
cit obedience to it's orders, and forces
obedience to them by industrial excum-
lation and assault
OF course the reverend gentleman was
not wilfully lying. He had probably
never read even the constitution of
single trade union or more than care
cssly glanced at the pages of union
ournal. He is not very much to blame
or being uninformed, but he is deep
culpable for lending the authority
+ his reputation for learning and of
is social standing to an unmitigated
1lsehood by writing confidently on a.
Inject which he knew next to nothing
But there are others who cannot
lead even the poor excuse of ignor-
nee. When a hundred and fifty coal
liners struck and stayed out for six
'eeks nearly every capitalist editor in
he land expressly or by implication
Informed his readers that the men
went out unwillingly; and that they
were forced out and kept out by John
Mitchell and a few of his associates
who held this great army of men to
obedience by the threat Of physical
violence. This monstrously ridiculous
lie was gravely uttered and repeated
with all cunning variation and phrase
by men who had every means of know
ing, and who actually did know, the
real state Of affairs. Nor in regard to
the strike only. AS write the same
thing is being said of the trolleylnen's
strike in Waterbury. The same thing
is said of every strike that commands
public attention.
OF course it is easy to see the motive
Of this wilful, systematis, and COM
plete perversion of the truth. The
capitalists wish to have the farmers,
the middle class people and the unor-
ganiZed WOrkingman regard the union
with, suspicion and hatred, SO that it
will be the harder for unions to gainn
new members or obtain financial aid
jn, time ssofs tEQ1hl hat It shall be
easier for the pitalfsts to getfscabs
to break strikes, and so that public
opinion shall not uphold the capital
ist and the government in mastering
armed guards, police, militia, or fed
eral troops to intimidate and, if neces-
sary, murder strikers. That is the
very natural desire on their part. They
give the word and editors, correspond
ents and reporters write what their
masters want. The preachers and COL
lege professors, scheduled as they are
from the real life of the world and
trained to think and repeat the
thoughts Of respectable society,"" echo
the falsehood and instill it's poison into
the minds of the young. Even the
public schools, in many cases, and
more especially the private or en-
dowed trade schools, are perverted to
| the same end.
/ mi 1x1Ye
that these representations are absurdly
and malicious1y false. Perhaps MOI
many union members realize how false
they are.
I suppose it is safe to say that tht
labor movement-including, beside:
the trade unions, various other work
ingmens societies more or less closel,
connected with them-is the highes
and most nearly perfect embodimen
of the principles democracy, and col
! lective self-government, that the Worlt
has ever seen. In saying this do no
except even those two classic types o
democracy, the Athenian republic, tn
Swiss cantons, the, old New Englan.
town meeting. The old New Englan,
town Of Swiss canton was so prirnitiv
and it's affairs so simple and easy t.
deal with, and in general it had so lit
tie outside interference to overcome
that it's tasks, and therefore it's ac
Movements, were not comparable witt
those of the modern trade union. TIL
Athenian democracy rested on a sub
stratum Of slaves and unenfranchise'
aliens, and the free citizens had ampl
time to ponder and discuss their publ
affairs. The number of AtheniaD cit
izens was far less than the member
ship Of our International Typogra
phical Union or Cigarmakers' Interna
tiona lUnion, to say nothing of tn
Brotherhood of Carpenters or tn
United Mine Workers; and in man,
other respects the problem of self-gov
ernment was simpler and easier fu
Athens than for any of our great trad
organizations.
OF nearly all trade unions. it may, b
said that they practice equal and uni
versal suffrage, without distinction o
race, color, religion or sex; that al
members are eligible to office; tha
their laws are made by Representative