Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1903-09-17
JOSEPH VASEY'S SPEECH
Delivered at Olympia Park on
Labor Day.

u6 QubSJlOu buab COulEOHGo GuO
minds of this groat republic to-day is
the great question Of labor, or Of capi-
tai and labor. Never before in history
was this question so universally discus
sed by statesmen, prominent divines,
lawyers, doctors, editors, and press as it
is today. 1t comes forciClbly before ev-
cry legislative body, is preached from
our pulpits in city, town and rural dis
tricts, it comes through almost every is
sue of the daily press, it finds room in
the columns of all religious literature,
is talked Of in the lobbies and hotels, in
the workshops, in the mines, behind the
counter, on the farm; yea, it Is even
breathed in the atmosphere. Today is
demonstrative fact that the people of
this great republic are deeply concern
ed and interested in the labor question,
for what is going on here to-day is 60
ing on in most all the cities and towns
OF the United States.
Labor Day became a holiday by law
in Tennessee on March IL, 1891, and
was made a national holiday by law
June %, 1894 Like all other reformed
labor laws Of this or any other state, it
has been brought about by and through
the influence Of organized labor, The
unorganized never seek such reforma-
tioR. would readily venture the as
sertion that were it not for the trades
unionists of Chattanooga, that regard
less of Labor day being holiday by
state and national law, this celebration
would not have taken place. So gener-
ally is this day observed that the busy
wheels of industry are to large extent
stilled that labor may rejoice in her
great achievement of laying aside this
day to be national holiday and known
as Labor day. The vast improvement
OF the recognition and observance of
this day by the working classes during
the last three years has been phenomi-
nal. Chattanooga never in her history
demo nstrated Labor day as she is doing
to-day. This in itself, in my opinion,
proves the assertion of the labor ques-
tion being the great question of the day
Labor organization are born of necessi-
ty. The Israelites under Egyptian
bondage, With taskmastsrs over them
bidding them make their brick without
straw were so pressed that their cries
reached heaven, and God sent them a
deliverer in the person OF Moses, who
delivered them from the hands of King
Pharaoh. So the unscrupulous employ
ers of labor pressed down on their en-
ployes by working them long hours and
paying them meager wages that they
sought for relief through labor unions.
Do not misunderstood me here. | do
not want you to think by any means
that all employers Of labor are unscru-
pulous. Many are fair minded men,
and desire to treat their employees fair
and right, but there are employers Of
labor who are very interruptions and
have forced men to seek relief through
labor unions.
There is such tn ing as righteous ag-
itation, and for such God provides a
way. The work of labor unions in my
opinion can consistently be coupled
with the church, for we are righteous
ly seeking to uplift suffering humanity
and trying to be benefactors to man
kind. Organization is means Of edu-
cation-that which educates. Hence we
ought to encourage and not discourage.
Workingmen have three-fold right
to organize, viz: A divine right, NOR
al right and a civil right. No earthly
corporations have, in my opinion, any
right to interfere with the divine, NOR
al and civil rights of the individual.
Employers OF labor have no more right,
il my opinion, to say to their employees
they shall not join labor union than
they have to say they shall not join the
Methodist, Baptist or any other church
or that trey shall not join the Masons
or any other benevolent society.
The general public has been laboring
under an erroneous mistake pertaining
to labor unions A common impression
has been that labor unions were for the
purpose of creating strikes, disrupting
communities, causing confusion, tur-
moil and never-ending trouble. Had
such been their motive then they would
have met with a premature death.
Their aims and objects are higher, mob
Ter, purer. Hence they not only live,
but will continue TO live.
Labor unions, like all other organized
bodies, have made mistakes. We do
not pose before the public as saints or
angels, but as human beings liable to
err But, as the editor of the Times
has correctly said in to-day's issue, you
cannot charge to the church. the benev-
olent society, or the labor union, the
act Of the individual. IL is good, right
and proper for capital TO organize.
Then it is equally as good, right and
proper for labor to organize.