Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-08-26
A MENACE TO LABOR.

was of an unpleasant nature. The
Picayune takes the position that the organizations
of negroes in the South is a dangerous expedient
and will be found when too late for the intelligent
white labor to remedy the mistake. In large meas
ure the Picayune is correct. While it appears to
be temporary advantage to organized labor in the
south to have the negro under CONTROL especially at
points where he is a competitor OF white labor the
organization of these black men, in time, will prove
as serious menace as the white care to encoun-
ter
We have in the negro In Mississippi parallel to
the Chinese problem ON the Pacific coast. few
years ago when the working people of California
Oregon and Washington saw what injury It was
possible for the coolies to be to them as competitors
they begun az once a campaign for an exclusion act
In this way they settled the more serious problem
of Chinese competition, and of the last thoughts
that will enter the minds of the Pacific coast organ
izers is taking the Chinese in hand for organizing
them as laundry workers, cooks, h0usemen, stable
keepers vineyard workers and throwing these minor
organizations into the federation OF labor
To recognize the Chinaman as a aboring man and
place him on an equal footing with the white men
who are similarly organized would be disaster to the
federation the coast and the leaders have been far
sighted enough to see this point
In the south the negro occupies relatively the
opposition to the progress OF the white man ia the
economy OF his labor, except that he is thrftless
which the Chinaman is not arrogant when vested
with little brief authority whice the Chinaman ia
OF being he is less respectful if placed on the same
footing as to the matter of rights and in all respects
is less desirable man to have in organization than
the celestial. II the people on the Pacific coast
grant that the Chinaman is dangerous to their vel
fare, how much quicker ought We who know the
negro character, and who have seen evidences OF his
quick assumption OF authority upon the least pretext
to deny to him any afflation whatever with organ.
lied labOrl
How long would it take the negro, once he has
appreciated tue cudgel that organization would
give to him, to 0utnumber and out vote the white
men in labor dispntesq If the negro machinist is
organized cannot the negro brick mason the car
penter, the h0d carrier, the hack driver the cook
the dishwasher, the p0rters iantors cotton pokers
roustabonts also organized, and with their greater
numbers is it not manifest that when thoroughly
equipped with charters and with the authority to
amagamate with the white organization, they will
outvote and hold the balance of power In all cues
tiOns that concern the white men particularly!
This is the greatest danger to organized labor in
the south-the danger o. intercene war latter on
which may destroy the very purpose for which the
white men associate themselves together And this
question should be considered purely from an
economic viewpoint, which is going to chai-
lenge, II persisted in the very life of organized
labor itselt-GreeawOod Commonwealth.