Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-28
he plumber. ana sasftter. and steamf,t-


ters.
The resolution of the Central Union is
therefore particularly important at this
time. as there is pending in the body de-
mand by the local plumbers union that
the steamftters' organization be expelled
for refusing to becope amalgamated with
the National Plumbers Association
At the recent contention of the Inter-
national Association, of Bridge and Struc-
tural Iron Workers that organization took
action in the open shop" controversy by
adopting the following resolutions:
''Trade unionists Throughout the country
have been condemned" for their attitude on
the closed-shop question. and whereas we
believe that the closed shop Is not only
essential but imperative to the welfare and
the ultimate success of the trade union
movement which carries with it the better
ment of the social conditions of the citizens
throughout the United states. we. the dele,
gates to the International Bridge and
Structural Iron Workers Association con-
vention. deem it proper that statement
be made giving our reasons for the stand
we take In this matter.
'FIrst-The law already dlscriminates be-
tween free labor and slave labor; between
child labor and adult labor; between health
respecting labor and health-ignoring labor;
and since by these and similar enactments
the general principle of prohibiting all
classes and conditions of labor which are
adJudged inconsonant with public policy
would appear to be already quite firmly
task to discriminate between labor which
respects and promotes union and harmony
and works for the uplifting of working
men and the raising of healthy and we'll
educated families and labor which would
dispel union and harmony and thereby
prolong the condition of ignorance and
degradation, which would inevitably bring
about the downfall of society.
Poverty is the parent of ignorance. and
out of ignorance we get most of the sins
which afflict the world. There is no Chris
thanking influence equal to good wages for
Eoreet work. To the extent, therefore, that
trades unions raise wages they tell for true
religion and the kind of civilization that Is
best worth having. the kind that helps
many to lead decent. comfortable. self
respecting lives and gives their children
fair start In the race.
Trades unionism fs the seed out Of which
will grow a union of people in behalf Of the
principles of equal rights and no privileges.
Much as 1t may be denied. there Is
condition Of warfare existing between the
class of wage earners and those who advo-
cate the present policy of special privileges,
and in this war there can be no neutral
party-you are either for justice or injus-
tice. If we are right in fighting for the
right of organizing to the end that our
conditions may be better We are justified
in our refusal to work side by side with
those who either through ignorance or
selfish motives insist upon playing into the
hands of the enemy.
AT this point we say to those advocates
VI SpeGidl privileges WHO SneQ crOcOuile
tears because one solitary man has been
discharged from his position through the
influence of organized labor. when the
pinched faces and blighted souls of south
ern cotton mills operatives shall have be-
come a disgraceful memory instead of a
CHASTITY fact: when the stunted bodies and
starved minds of Pennsylvania breaker
boys shall no longer cry to heaven for
vengeance on Baer and his god; when
American manhood can no longer be in
stalled in the bun pens of Ida no, and when
American womanhood shall be more sacred
than rent interest and profit, then, per-
hapS, we shall have d world whose actiy
tiles of production and distribution will
be controlled by men, who with decency
can appeal to decency.
The salvation of the wage Garner de-
ponds upon organization. AS an individual
he is helpless. By cb-opera ton and organi-
cation. and only through these, can be at
tain his own.
There can be affinity of interests be-
tween the unionist and his opponents;
there was none between the patriots and
Benedict Arnold: none between the apos-
ties and Judas Iscariot
1.-THE International Association of Bridge
and Structural Iron Workers, in conven-
ton assembled al Kansas City. Mo-, there
fore resolves that 1t is unalterably opposed
to the open shop. and we will. so far it
is in our power, give our aid to any one
to sustain this position.
I'VE do not concur with the action of
the President in regard to the reinstate-
ment of one Miller of the bookbinders.
and denounce his action as being UNI
The members of Tile Layers Union have
secured an advance of 80 cents per day in
wages. The former rate was 81 per day.