The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-05-23
Unlonlsm under the Monopoly
System.

W oeom'
Although the capitalists con
tinue to combine the different in.
dustries Of the nation, and ellml'
nate all competition, yet, 1t Is
their intention to COMPEL the
labOrer to remain devOtee of the
competitive system; SO that, while
they reap all Of the advantages to
be gained by cooperation, the
laborer can be forced to accept a
small wage, by competing with
one-another, for the privilege OF
getting the employment, that can
only be had by selling his labor
power to the owners of these com
binations.
How far they are successful in
attaining their object is shown by
the many labor troubles that agi-
tate the country.
If every working man would be-
long to the union, there could be
no strike, for the reason that the
trusts and monopolies would then
be compelled to give 70 the labor
ers what they demanded; so, if
chere are any set of men, who are
to be blamed for these great DIS
turbances, it is the non union
men.
The better class of laborers and
mechanics, seeing all these great
combinations forming in every
part of the county, know full well
that they must also combine, and
eliminate that competition which
exists among them, if they wish
70 still retain their independence.
They know that they have the
same right to combine as their
employers. They know that If
monopoly has the right to put its
price upon the goods which it sells
to the public, they themselves
have the right to fix the price fOl
which they will sell to monopoly,
the only commodity that they
possess, namely --''ther labor
power" They know that, as an
individual laborer, their power is
very small, but if they can sue
ceed in getting their brother la
bOrers to form themselves into
one union and all act together as
one man. they will gain such
power, that even monopoly will
be compelled to grant their de
mands. They know that when the
laborers, like the monopolies, dis
card all competition and substi
tute in its place, a combination
that can force monopoly to pay
the price which will enable the
laborer to live, they will at last
have accomplished their purpose
These have been the objects and
aims of the labor unions during
the transition from Competition
to Monopoly, but now that Monop
oily is established on a firm foot
ing, the union is beginning to find
out that its old methods are nc
longer adequate to meet the new
difficulties, which have come in
to existence. AS long as competi
ton existed between the employ
ers Of labor, these methods stood
a chance of being successful; fol
there was not much danger OF
prices advancing beyond fair
profit; so, when the laborer got al
advance in his wages, he was abb.
to buy more goods for the work
that he performed. But all this
is now changed and the laborel
now finds that every time he
succeeds in obtaining an increase
IN wages, the goods which he
must have-lave risen in price,
and it is not long before he realiz
es that his condition has in no
way changed. If this was the
only fault to find with monopoly,
it might be borne, because al
though the laborer would not bet
ter himself in any way by an ad-
vance in wages or the reduction of
hours he would still be the same
as before; but, if the necessities of
life increase in price at greater
ratio than the increase of wages,
the condition of the laborer is
lnada xuorSn 70 flo Ao.4 &C IL