Fergus County argus., 1903-09-16


Ibut that not bit of proof is offered
la, to the point that he is working
|uOmuui0n labor or that he Is working
nouuHion hours and only the AMI
/ dayit of one rojsun is offered to prove
Irhat he is paying non-union wages,
land tnat affidavit does not even state
| that the persons who were not paid
,lrucntpr- wages were In fact car
| prntrrs.
B,u what Of the charge itself from
Ithu standpoint Of American citizen
ship. or from the standpoint Of a
human being? First. as 10 the charge
that Mr.. Tubb is working non-union
men. how does that appeal TO the ay-
rfagc man' II IL De conceded thai
.only HIon men are ouutlcd 10 work.
AMI su 10 live and that the non-union
man AT his family must starye, then
there is force in the charge, but that
. lust whore the union man and The
.uu-umion man differ. Every man, re-
-lallrss 0r his connection with a un-
iau has d right to work al any en-
u.uymeul he secs tit, for whom nc
SECS fit aud at such wages rs he sees
.Gi and support his family aud udu-
cate his children 10 the best OF his
ability, and no power on earth or in
heaven has the right to take that
right from him. or 10 curtail il in the
slightest degree. That Is one OI the
iualicnable rights guaranteed by God
Almighty. Ii a labOriug man sees
fit to spend, in Jhr support OF his ram
ilv and the education Of his children.
the money which il would, as a men,
Der of a union. cost him TO pay olIl-
GERS. walking delegates. disaffected
strikers and other like expenses, 1t is
not within the right OF any individual
or body Of men to deprive him of that
privilege. Another thing in this same
line. the statement cites the constl-
tuition of the United Brotherhood OF
Carpenters and JOiners of America,
to the effect that apprentices must be
between the ages of IS and u, and
that one firm Of contractors shall not
hr allowed more than one apprentice,
which principle. II accepted. and rig
idly applied to all lines OF industry
and labor means that no man could
change his employment after reach
ing tha age of 81 years. however lit
tie fitted for ii he might find himself.
1t also means that. in this community
for instance, not to exceed dozen
or fifteen boys or young men could
become carpenters and joiners in the
next three years. assuming that II
takes that length of time to pass
through the apprenticeship. notwith-
standing the fact that our little city
is growing very rapidly and there will
be a great demand FOR that class OF
mechanics during the next ten years.
If a man has a boy whom he would
! like to have become a carpenter, and
the boy is willing, it is the right OF the
father ana son to accomplish their
wishes. and it is the duty OF the com
munity TO protect them in that right.
The same thing applies TO any trade.
The second point in charge. that Mr.
Tubb is paying non-union pay is the
only one supported by anything like
proof. and. as before stated. there is
no charge that he has hired carpen-
ters al less than the prevailing wages
for that class OF mechanics, 1t is pure
~ matter Of agreement between him
and the employe. in which neither the
community nor the union has any
right TO interfere IT young man
on a farm finds farm work distasteful
and hires to a contractor to learn a
trade. il is one of those inalienable
rights guaranteed to him, of which
Inc can not rightfully be deprived
and any Individual or association of
individuals that does deprive him OF
|;lat right commits 4 breach Of the
!, spirit ol the constitution. even though
.tIv ,an not technically he convicted
.ol any infringement nj the law.
As to the third point in the charge
that Mr.. Tubb is working non-unlor
hours. there is not hing in the state
ment. In the nature of proof to sub
stantiat, H. On the other hand. mans
I uuinn men have told MS that there
Was no complaint on that ground, nor
in fact. upon tho ground OF wages
Put whether the statemcnt be true Ol
, not. II is safe 10 say that no man has
, worked over hours without being will
Ing 20 do SO, and for some specia
reason. II an cmploye desires in aT
emergency 10 accommodate his employ
v
he purely a matter Of his own busl
ness. The fact Is that il seems to bC
the effort of the controlling spirits il
the unions and OF the walking dele
gate. to make of the skilled mechanic
rs well as of the common labOrcr,
mere machine. an unthinking tool al
automaton. To work strictly by rule
A.. without thought for any person!
interest but his own. and only to tha
/ IN the most narrow way. and tha
against The advice Of the cooler hcad
| and better men i1 the union.
s n wtll he observed that all of "a
h aulhoitcs cited in tho statcmcn
z jppm the union men are 10 the CoEsii
r tntiUns ~ the various unions and 4
I the officers of these unions, as thopgl
A they constituted the law for the gen
+ ornl public They may ho tho law
which a union man Is Undcr oblEa
d tions ~ obey hut they in no va,
r bind p 0Dn-mlur man II they w,r
q the enactment ul a dulg authorize
i lcgiSlathc bod, roy The dCcrccs Ul
i competent "ugw ,anh the statcmcn
+ refers ,O lhcW as though they hat al
Il' '||''lAt- '|'' ''t HN' u 'llu' llit' ~
h and drCrccSl th" statement would v
; good. a. TAR as Il gu"s, but they nav
n no such force As we'll might pc
: liticsl party or q church. or any 9th
1 er secret organization OF iratcrna
s nature. enact laws compelling ever
s clrizcu to belong 10 The RcpublicaI
party or the Naspus. or the Presby
t'riau church.
o We gladly coucpiu that. "in orde
to pcrpcmate iair wages and bette
conditions. IL lis necessary for labo
/ to organizc as -rt out in the state
lm,W referred 90 But that does nc
help out the so-c7lled excuses onel
ed for tho strike in our midst Their
q is no claim that skilled mechanic
, have not been paid the preyailin
/. wage nor tha' any class OF labor ha
n been uudetpnid. nor that unreasor
o able conditions cNiJ or are threater
4 cd. bar more iI.H that. there wa