The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-11-09
HARRISBURG, W. va, NOV. >, 100,
LESSON FROM SAM PARKS.

Sam Parks says every laboring man
should remember him for years, and then
he proceeds to deliver a sermon on
graft before leaving for Sing Sing to
serve two years for extortion.
Parks, it will be remembered was n
walking delegate in'New York, who grew
rich by demands made of the EMPLOYERS
tor money before he would permit them
to proceed with their contracts. He dis.
guised himself as the friend of labor up.
ions and worked them for power. All
nc had to do was to order a strike and
ehey struck. When he got his price not
theirs, they all went back to work
If the labor unions have been aroused
at last to the bad effects Sam Park,
worked on labor, the laboring man will
remember him for years to come, without
his insisting that he shall.
But in his sermon he brings out verv
pertinent point, which, if true, should be-
corrected. He says he is the victim Of
a custom older than himself, and, that is,
having money transaction with employ.
ers. BY that he evidently insinuatcs
that financial considerations have been
resorted to in the control of unions. cs
Pecially in the breaking of strikes, and
that those in authority among the IN.
ions have been the bencfciaries, or in
other words, their influence has been
bought oy employers at the expense Of
the unions themselves. Nothing could
be more detrimental to labor unions than
such a practice and the sooner the rank
and file find this out the better. Union
has for its real object the protection Of
ats members, not its leaders, but all.
Walking delegates should not be given
such power as will permit them to grow
rich at the expense of the unions. They
should not be permitted to call strikes
at their pleasure and declare them of
OF their own free will, after they have
bIed the employer, Every precaution
should be taken against one.man power
in union and no union should permit
an influential member or so to dickcr
with employers as to difficulties which
aris" between the employer and the en-
ployc.
Again, great care should be taken
against any union entering into a com.
pact with an employer to further the
l@tter's interests as against other EN-.
Ployers. For instance, bricklayers' un.
ion should not enter into q plot, through
one or two Of its leaders, with a manu-.
tactmer OF brick or brick contractor to
further his interests over some other
manufacturer or brick contractor. The
brick manufacturer who may undertake
to impress on union that his prestige
is such that he has the power to force
them out OF work should be met with
firm resistance that will teach him thai
labor is not bcholden to him, but that il
has the right to so where it pleases and
to work for whom it pleases.
Sam Parks doubtless deserves his fate,
but the contractors and employers he
blcd deserve a similar one. 1t was they,
together with Parks, who robbed labor
OF its own. Parks got their money; the
unions got nothing. Parks profited; so
did the employers; but the unions rot
left. The men we're idle, when Parks
said be idle, They went to work, when
Parks said go to work. They were sup.
posed to have grievance, whenever they
struck, but nothing ever came of the
grievance. When they resumed work
their condition was no better than when
they struck. The only difference was
that they found themselves out OF pocket
the amount they would have earned dur.
ing the strike period, if they had not
struck. In addition to this, they were
out of pocket the amount it cost them
to live during the strike, to say nohing
OF the hardships endured. Sam Parks
was primarily responsible for this, and