Evening journal., 1903-11-12
PARKS PARTING ADVICE
Fallen Labor Leader Warns
Unions Against Graft.
ACCEPTS FATE WITHOUT PROTEST

walking Delegate OF the House
smiths Union of New York city In
counseIing His Fellows Against
Temptation--scnds a Love Token
to His VIE.
Samuel ]. Parks the former walking |
delegate OF the Housesmiths and |
Bridgemen's union OF New York city,
who has twice been convicted OF ex-
torting money from employers in the
building trades. before being taken to
Sing Sing prison the other day to serve
his sentence OF two years and six
months mnde the following statement;
Every laboring man in this country
should remember me for years to come.
should be n warning TO them. I'm
the victim of a custom that is older
than am, and that is the habit OF hav-
ing money transactions with employ
ers. That's put me here.
4. II tell you, and / want the boys to
know It, that the salvation Of the un-
ions lies IN stopping that practice at
once. They must give up fines, wait
ing time, back pay for strikes and ev-
erything like that. That's the loophole
through which this grating as they
call It, creeps IN. II they don't, in the
years TO come many another good fel-
lowll be where am going tomorrow.
Don't for minute think l mean
that the labor leaders are 'grafters' at
heart. II they are they are made so.
And that brings me TO say that right
here In New York city is the crooked
est set OF men In the world, the em-
ployers In the building trades. You'll
never see any Of them awaiting sen
tence; they are too slick. They never
leave any tracks. But take how they
work. Why, l know and could name
for you 100 employers Of New York
3 city-by that mean the big companies
as well-who have made a practice Of
D using labor unions against competitors.
Maybe that isn't a crinnel Maybe
there Is no sentence coming to man.
for instance. who viii go to young
fellow who has been put in authority
by his union. This young fellow has
never made more than couple Of dol
lars day in his life before. He's on
the level and wants TO help the cause.
"The employer holds out roll OF
bills bigger than anything the young
fellow has ever seen before.
"'See here he says. 1 want you tc
be friendly TO me. / don't want any
trouble. You can look out for me a lit
tle.' 'Bing" the things OH.
1T isn't long before that easy money
gets easier. and then comes the propo
sition TO pull the men on a rivals jol
, so that men enough from the friend car
e. be had. IL isn't far from that to having
e rival employer blacklisied, troubled
y struck, and after that where's a foolisl
= young fellow to stopg His heads gone
l. l know plenty OF employers who hay
Z made fortunes by working that way
Y Some OF them know l know II to-
!. They'll never be up here. Well. don
,f kick. I'm forgetting an the past now.
T. ''rhe newspapers have been preti
to busy with me for the last six month
guess the world has a pretty ba
'e opinion OF me. That's another thing
= don't kick about, especially IL it's b'
z cause I'm an advocate of force in labo
p unions. believe I'm that That make
me out a bad man, but tell you tina
it's the only way organized labor hn
: ever gained anything In New York city
/. Figure IL out for yourself. Did arbitra
d tion raise wages? Not once. but strike
! did. Does arbitration keep nonuniol
3 men or buildings? Not much. 1 re
= member how that is done.
'Manys the time have gone 70 tn
boys and called for volunteers an,
, with them gone down town to build
/ ing where the boys had been struck an'
. nonunion men had taken their places
s 1t was only n case Of waiting aroun,
I the corner until the whistle blew. Il
a most cases that was enough. The non
e union men didn't come back the mex
day.
II was a young fellow IN Chicago SIX
! teen years ago and tried bridge builc
: ing. OF course Joined the union. anC
d being pretty husky. It wasn't long b
!. fore the big men noticed me. and / b.
came a member Of what you peop
have been calling the 'entertainmeI
committee There was lots OF wor
for me to do.
Il spent most OF my time outside tn
city. was on the bridge in Louisvill
Is when It fell. taking sixty OF the boy
N with IT, got out somehow, and the
ID in 1896 came on here. The union wa
m in a bad way then. and when wa
T. elected a walking delegate soon after
ward I didn't do anything for 81
&. months but work to get them together
IA The last time I was at a meeting neal
n ly 1000 men were on the rolls.
D Now I'm out Of the labor movemen
m forever. hope to come out Of prise
all right. I'm going to do all can +
get back my health. I'm teih
this only because / hope some OF th
N boys will see it and read II and thin
about it. Keep away from none
transactions in every way. shape an
! form. Let them do that, and it's a
, right"
d Just before reaching the prison Park
X asked the deputy sheriff If he coul
t. have just a minute. This was granted
and then Parks drew from his mana
p cled hand a plain gold ring, kissed
3 and placed II in an envelope.
con your life. Johnnie. give that I
her" said he TO a friend who accom-
j. panied him. 'Tell her tonight it's th
J. last thing did in the open air"
The ring is inscribed From Dora {
Sam" 1t was a little present Mr.:
Parks gave her husband on their wed
= ding day.
4. To Give F,terfainn,anf