The St. Louis Republic., 1903-12-30

.Jt NAV he here remarked that the ma.
die body OF nonunion workmen, the mos
Competent and capable of the nu.iics,, ,t,,
may be the victims OF iockou. Il, ri.e liz ' IN
part Of the e, employsiS Tbs ySsnion They II may be
sre,,dd tine pdrs be%een q MT the upper and the neither
milestone. with no fund except tneor hoI, oT 70
servings and with no organized pouy ~
protect them by legal or other serves
against the abuses either OF the ep,o,, ~
or of the unions. As the 9ppress.ioi,, III ~
trades unions has become pam; pan VI ,srnins,
of an organization Of free iaporsTs IN II,
many parts of the country Workme.
are now combining to bring 10 70 the fns Sspnoa tat
they may subscribe, and to 90 WE9t =, rs
vet more important. to organiZe and dl-
rect public opinion in support OF the 1fee
laborers
INSURANCE AGAINST STRIKES.
"What next? It would be very plain
and simple work for the corporations of
Individual owners of capital. who are now
organizating ard combining for mutual
insurance against loss by strikes. 10 can
upon the nonuniou workmen OF free WORK
men of the country to toin in that organil-
zation-each workman TO contrioute sutIi t
small premium as will he required ana 70
assure to himself silch number OF dollars
a day as his contributions Will warrant
during the term durifg wnich tnt dies &c IS
borers are deprived of work by the stTike
on the part Of the trades unions II lnls
organization of labor and capital Tor mu-
tual insurance and support were once once e es,
tabllshed, many of the workmen, VINO are
now joi,ied in the trades unions. because
there is no other place where they can go,
would leave them to Join the mutual union
Of the free laborers and the Tree eniPioy 1lg'oy
ers In this way the antagontsm OF IA p2rs -
er and capitalist would be displaSea py the
mutual service, of labor and Sapifalii
"It will also be observed that II tfis or,
arfa nj aI
fund would be placed in charge OF a Dody
of officers of a mutual insurance com
pany who would be 'c!assed neither with
the capitalists nor the work1pen Their
function would be to protect(th fund or
money pun into their charge by taking in
to consideration every contest or prospect
workshops or factdries joined in the un-
dertaking. When they found that the
claims of the workmen for more pay
were Just. their duty would be to inform
tion OF their view of the facts. and IL he
did not concede what in the Judgment OF
the officers of the mutual strike insurance
company wis fair and equitable. then a
notice would be served upon him that he
must cease to be member of the combl-
nation, and what remained of his previ-
Gus constitution to the premium i, would pe se
worlsmen in particular case We're In
clined to make an unjust demand upon
their employers. the president of the mu-
vestisate that case, and II on fair state
Inent of the facts to the workmen they
again declined to abate their demands
they would be dropped from the mutual
insurance conlpany. and what remained of
their contribution. less the small expenses
and charges previously incurred, would be
returned TO them.
WILL DEVELOP TRUD POWER.
What then, about the members of the
trades unions, could they become members
Of the mutual strike insurance company?
Yes, by ceesing to be members Of the spe-
eific union of their own trade and joining
in the true organization OF labor.
.rhese may be somewhat visionary ideas
for which neither capitalists nor workmen
are yet prepared, but thew may approve
themselves even to a min ..ity of the most
Intelligent of the capitalists and of the
workmen. When labor and capital are
thus combined laborers may cease to be
disorganized and organized labor may be-
gin to develop its true power and func-
ton -'s--